In 1974, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) was entered law to keep settlement expenses down by targeting prohibited unearned fees, splits of fees, recommendation fees and kickbacks.
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Minor revisions were made in 1976. The modification to extend protection to regulated organization plans was passed in 1983 and carried out in 1992. In 1990, Section 6 mortgage maintenance requirements were added.

Other changes made in 1992 consisted of an amendment to extend RESPA to all domestic mortgage loans with a lien, as it had actually previously only applied to purchase money loans under the 1974 guideline. The guideline was also modified to permit real estate business to affiliate with allied services, such as a mortgage lending institution and a title insurance company, and give discount rates to consumers who utilize the plan of services. Such organization affiliations needed to be completely revealed in writing to purchasers before they're referred from one business to another associated company. The 1992 RESPA rule likewise the usage of computer loan originations by property brokers to assist purchasers choose and obtain a mortgage.

In June 1996, HUD issued a final RESPA guideline that reversed a 1992 HUD policy allowing compensation of employees by employers for marketing settlement services of an associated business.

In addition, the modified RESPA guideline:

- Introduced more narrow exemptions for an employer's payments to its supervisory workers and to staff members who do not perform settlement services in any transaction