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The judge in the lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors over real estate agent commissions has given his preliminary approval to a settlement in the case, signalling that a new future for how agents are compensated is clearly on the horizon.

Judge Stephen Bough gave his preliminary approval in a court filing in the Burnett v. National Association of Realtors case Tuesday.

The deal, which would force NAR to rescind its Participation Rule requiring listing agents to make an offer of compensation to buyer’s agents in order to place a home on a Realtor association-owned multiple listings service, is slated to go into effect in July.

The settlement would also force buyer’s agents to have signed listing agreements with their clients.

Among the MLSs given protection from lawsuits under the deal is MLS PIN, the principal listings service used in most of Massachusetts. While not Realtor-owned, it had faced a separate, similar lawsuit over its agent commission rules. The deal covers homes listed on MLS PIN between Dec. 17, 2016 and June 30, 2022.

Many Massachusetts brokerages have said they are already preparing for the new landscape created by the settlement, with some industry leaders predicting that commission rates are not likely to fall substantially, even if first-time buyers may face hurdles coming up with money to pay a commission when a seller doesn’t offer to pay it with a credit in the final sales agreement.