Real Estate Giant Compass Closes $1.6 Billion Merger To Become World’s Largest Broker

Brokerage giant Compass has completed its $1.6 billion acquisition of rival firm Anywhere, a combination resulting in the world's largest residential real estate brokerage by far.

The deal closed on Friday after shareholders of both companies overwhelmingly approved the all-stock merger, which values the combined companies at roughly $10 billion.

The speedy closing, which follows the required regulatory review period, came much earlier than the latter half of 2026 as executives had initially predicted.

Compass also operates Christie’s, and will now take control of Anywhere's subsidiary brands, including Century 21, ERA, Sotheby’s, and Coldwell Banker.

Compass said in a statement that 99% of its shareholders approved the merger plan, while 72% of Anywhere shareholders voted in favor of the combination.

"We are pleased with the strong support from our and Anywhere's stockholders in approving this transaction," said Compass founder and CEO Robert Reffkin. "Today's outcome reflects confidence in our shared vision to empower real estate professionals with everything they need to grow their business and better serve their clients."

He added: "Our collective vision is to become the best in the world at empowering real estate professionals with everything they need to realize their entrepreneurial potential.

"What makes this moment unique is not a transaction that combines two companies—it's that the industry's most respected brands and professionals are coming together on a single, modern technology platform that will help them save time, grow their business, and better serve their clients."

Compass has said the merger will expand its reach into every major U.S. city and 120 countries, with a combined workforce of 340,000 real estate professionals globally. Compass was already the largest U.S. brokerage by sales volume, and Anywhere was the second largest.

The megamerger comes amid pronounced weakness in the U.S. real estate market, following multiple years in which sales have hovered at three-decade lows as affordability concerns price many buyers out of the market.

However, Compass has managed to sustain growth in a tough market, reporting that revenue increased by 23.6% year over year to $1.85 billion in the third quarter. Compass said its transactions increased 21.5% annually in the quarter compared to just 2% transaction growth in the overall market.

About half of that revenue growth was attributable to acquisitions, but the company said its organic revenue growth was still healthy at 11%.

The merger with Anywhere could provide Compass with powerful new economies of scale, underlining the advantages megabrokerages hold against small mom-and-pop outfits in a market where transactions are scarce and competition for clients is fierce.

Compass expects to cut combined operating costs by about $255 million annually following the merger by combining key operations and eliminating redundancies.

Compass says the deal will also diversify its revenue by adding over $1 billion in sales from Anywhere's established franchise, title and escrow, and relocation operations.

The company expects to complete 1.2 million home sales annually after the merger, offering ample opportunities to incorporate those additional services in transactions.