The 2026 brokerage reality agents can’t ignore

Two shifts are reshaping how agents choose a home right now.

First: consolidation at the top. Compass completed its combination with Anywhere Real Estate in January 2026, which pulls a huge roster of legacy brands into one umbrella. That changes recruiting, tech direction, and brand leverage in a lot of markets.

Second: the “platform era” is winning. Agents are increasingly choosing a brokerage like they’d choose a software stack—clean math, scalable support, and a model that doesn’t require an office to function.

That’s why your shortlist should include both types: the platforms and the legacy giants.

A shortlist of top real estate brokerages agents actually interview

1) Real Broker (and teams like Speicher Group)

If you want a modern platform that’s built around agent economics, this is the first stop for a lot of agents right now.

Real’s appeal is simple: a clear split model, a cap structure, and optional upside through stock and attraction-style incentives. It also removes a common friction point: needing a physical office culture to feel “supported.”

The gap in many cloud models is isolation. That’s where teams matter.

Speicher Group operates under Real and runs across the DC/MD/VA corridor. In recruiting terms, that lets you position this as: platform + team operating system. Not “join a cloud brokerage and figure it out.”

This is the clean recruiting frame:
Real is the platform. Speicher is the operating system.

2) Compass (now combined with Anywhere’s brand portfolio)

Compass is now playing a different game after the Compass–Anywhere combination closed on January 9, 2026.

For agents, this category matters because it represents scale, brand reach, and a deep bench of consumer-facing brands—plus the possibility of a unified tech direction across a much larger footprint than Compass had alone.

If you’re recruiting against this ecosystem, you don’t win by calling it “too big.” You win by offering clarity: cleaner economics, tighter support, and a more personal operating environment.

3) eXp Realty

eXp remains the best-known cloud model at national scale.

Many agents interview eXp because it’s proven: large agent community, established virtual training, and a commission structure that’s widely understood. For some agents, the draw is community and momentum. For others, it’s the flexibility and the ability to build without being tied to an office.

The key recruiting truth here is the same as any cloud model: the platform is one thing, but the day-to-day experience is usually shaped by the team you plug into.

4) Keller Williams

KW is still the most common “training-first” interview stop.

The KW experience varies heavily by market center, but when it’s good, it’s very good: structured coaching, strong agent community, and a culture that can help newer agents build habits fast.

If you’re recruiting against KW, you’re rarely recruiting against the brand. You’re recruiting against the local market center experience.

5) RE/MAX

RE/MAX is a unique lane: recognizable brand, strong independent office leadership in many markets, and a “serious agent” posture in a lot of consumers’ minds.

Agents interview RE/MAX offices when they want brand recognition but don’t want a corporate feel. The deciding factor is usually the local broker-owner and what support looks like in real life, not on paper.

6) HomeServices / Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices affiliates

This bucket attracts agents who value stability, traditional infrastructure, and a brand halo that still matters with certain client types.

In some markets, BHHS affiliates are extremely well-run operationally. In others, they feel more legacy. The interview has to be local: manager quality, marketing support, and how transactions are handled when things get tense.

7) LPT Realty

LPT is a frequent “math interview” brokerage because of its multi-path structure.

Agents tend to look at LPT when they want something that feels modern and fee-predictable, especially if they already generate their own leads and want to reduce company dollar.

This is the kind of brokerage that experienced agents test with a simple question: “What do I net on 10 deals, and what happens after I cap?”

8) Fathom Realty

Fathom is a strong option in the flat-fee / capped-fee lane, especially for agents who want to run lean.

It’s usually a good interview stop for agents who already know how they generate business and don’t want to pay a heavy split for support they won’t use.

9) Redfin Next (W-2 model, now under Rocket)

Redfin is a different category entirely, and it belongs on a “top brokerages” list for one reason: it’s not trying to be a traditional IC brokerage.

Redfin Next offers a W-2 structure with benefits and expenses covered, paired with higher splits on self-sourced deals and lower splits on company-provided opportunities. For the right agent, that trade—less independence, more operational coverage—can be a real advantage.

This is the interview stop for agents who want a built-in pipeline and a business model that feels closer to “sales + operations” than “build everything yourself.”

How to choose fast without getting fooled by recruiting talk

If you want this to feel simple, run one test: your real net + your real support.

Ask every brokerage (or team) to walk through three scenarios:

1. a deal you self-source

2. a deal they provide (lead/referral/team lead)

3. a listing (because expenses and support matter more here)

Then ask the questions that reveal the operating system:

• Who reviews contracts when it’s urgent?

• What happens after hours when you’re under deadline?

• Do I get a real onboarding path—or a login and a “good luck”?

• If I leave, what happens to my database, pending deals, and listings?

When answers are crisp, you’re interviewing a system.
When answers are vague, you’re being sold.

FAQs

What are the “top real estate brokerages” for agents right now?

“Top” depends on what you’re optimizing for.

If you’re optimizing for clean economics and a modern platform, cloud models like Real and eXp tend to show up early in the interview process. If you’re optimizing for brand leverage and market scale, the Compass ecosystem (especially post-Anywhere combination) becomes a major gravity center. If you want training and community, KW is still a common stop. If you want fee predictability and autonomy, flat-fee/capped-fee models like LPT and Fathom are often on the list.

The best brokerage is the one that improves your net while reducing operational drag.

Why do agents choose Real Broker, and how does a team like Speicher change the decision?

Many agents choose Real because the model is simple enough to understand quickly and the platform is built for scale without needing a physical office.

The real difference-maker is whether you’re joining alone or joining inside a team system. A team like Speicher Group can add structure—coaching, standards, deal support, and accountability—so the move isn’t “cloud vs office.” It’s “platform + operating system vs traditional brokerage.”

Did Compass really combine with Anywhere, and why does that matter to agents?

Yes. The combination completed on January 9, 2026.

It matters because it consolidates an enormous set of legacy brands under a single corporate umbrella. That can affect everything from recruiting leverage to tech direction to how brand portfolios are managed in local markets. Even if your day-to-day is still local, the strategic gravity has shifted.

What’s the fastest way to compare brokerages without getting lost in numbers?

Don’t compare splits in isolation.

Compare your net on a real scenario. Use your average GCI per deal and run it through each model with all fees included. Then weigh that against support: contract review, compliance help, transaction ops, marketing infrastructure, and after-hours availability.

The “best split” is meaningless if you lose deals, miss deadlines, or spend nights cleaning up preventable mistakes.

Should new agents choose the highest split they can find?

Usually, no.

New agents need two things more than a high split: competence and confidence. That comes from training, coaching, and having someone who will keep you from making expensive mistakes early. A slightly worse split can be a better business decision if it shortens your ramp and increases your conversion rate.

Once you’re producing consistently, then you optimize for net.