This article investigates the $5 million “alienation of affection” lawsuit filed against Tamir Poleg, CEO of The Real Brokerage. The suit alleges Poleg offered substantial financial incentives, including $1.5 million in cash and access to a multimillion-dollar home, to a subordinate agent to leave her husband. The case highlights a troubling power imbalance, raises questions about corporate ethics during rapid growth, and places the spotlight on Utah’s controversial law protecting marriage from third-party interference.
Story Highlights
- Real Brokerage CEO Tamir Poleg faces $5 million lawsuit alleging he offered agent Paige Steckling $1.5 million cash and multimillion-dollar home to leave her husband.
- Lawsuit filed under Utah’s “alienation of affection” law, a tort under legislative threat but still protecting marriage from third-party interference.
- Poleg admits to brief relationship but denies financial inducements, claiming stock sales were pre-planned despite timing coinciding with alleged proposal.
- Case highlights CEO-subordinate power imbalance amid company’s rapid growth, raising concerns about workplace ethics and traditional family values.
Lawsuit Alleges Financial Manipulation to Break Up Marriage
Michael Steckling filed a $5 million lawsuit in Utah federal court against Tamir Poleg, CEO of The Real Brokerage, accusing him of destroying his 12-year marriage through financial enticements. The complaint alleges Poleg offered Paige Steckling, a Real agent and Michael’s wife, $1.5 million in cash and access to a multimillion-dollar Park City home to leave her husband and children. According to court documents, these offers began in early 2025 after Paige joined the brokerage in January 2024, with the alleged proposal culminating in a February 3, 2025 email instructing her how to access the funds. Paige filed for divorce just three days later, a timeline Michael claims proves causation.
Real CEO Tamir Poleg admitted to a “brief relationship” with an agent that sparked a lawsuit from her husband overhttps://t.co/PXiMKydfrQ
— The Real Deal (@trdny) January 26, 2026
CEO Admits Relationship While Denying Wrongdoing
Poleg filed a formal denial on January 16, 2026, disputing the marriage was stable before his involvement and rejecting claims he offered financial inducements. In a January 23 email to Real agents, Poleg acknowledged a “brief relationship” with Paige that ended nearly a year prior, calling the lawsuit a “clear attempt to exploit” his public standing. He maintains any financial support discussed came after Paige requested help post-separation and that his $21.3 million in stock sales during early 2025 were pre-planned under SEC Rule 10b5-1, not timed to fund the alleged proposal. Paige echoed this defense, stating the lawsuit’s claims “do not reflect reality” and expressing confidence in the legal process. No trial date has been set.
Utah’s Alienation of Affection Law Under Fire
The case hinges on Utah’s retention of “alienation of affection,” a common law tort allowing spouses to sue third parties for interfering in marriages. Utah is one of only six states that still recognize this claim, which holds individuals accountable for deliberately undermining marital bonds—a legal protection that aligns with traditional family values by defending the sanctity of marriage. However, Utah legislators introduced a 2025 bill seeking to abolish the tort, viewing it as outdated. For conservatives who prioritize family stability and personal accountability, this lawsuit underscores why such protections matter: they deter powerful individuals from exploiting subordinates and breaking up families. If the tort is eliminated, families lose a critical legal recourse against home-wreckers.
Power Imbalance Raises Red Flags
The allegations spotlight a troubling CEO-subordinate dynamic at The Real Brokerage, a fast-growing public company that added $23 billion in transaction volume between 2023 and 2024 and expanded its agent count by 40 percent to 30,000. Poleg’s position as CEO gave him enormous influence over Paige’s career, raising questions about whether she felt pressured to accept his advances or financial offers. This isn’t Poleg’s first legal controversy: ex-CFO Michelle Ressler sued him in June 2025 for maternity discrimination and business concerns, settling in November with no company payments. The Real Brokerage maintains the current lawsuit is “isolated” and unrelated to its culture, but the pattern of executive-level legal disputes amid rapid growth suggests potential oversight gaps.
Economic and Reputational Fallout for Real Brokerage
The controversy arrives as Real Brokerage’s stock has declined 22 percent over the past year, with investors already scrutinizing Poleg’s substantial stock sales. While the CEO’s trades were publicly reported and no securities violations have been alleged, the timing—liquidating shares shortly before the alleged proposal—fuels suspicion that he was cashing out to fund personal inducements. The lawsuit distracts from the company’s growth narrative and risks tarnishing its reputation among agents and clients who value ethical leadership. For conservatives frustrated by corporate elites behaving recklessly, this case exemplifies accountability in action: a private citizen using the courts to hold a wealthy executive responsible for allegedly destroying his family, rather than letting power and money shield wrongdoing.
Watch the report: Breaking: Real Brokerage CEO Lawsuit Dispute
Sources:
- Real Brokerage CEO sued in relation to agent’s divorce – Real Estate News
- Real CEO Tamir Poleg admits to agent relationship after lawsuit – The Real Deal
