Compass, eXp rise in Real Trends’ annual brokerage rankings

Realogy, HomeServices of America came out on top in volume and transactions, respectively

Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman, Compass CEO Robert Reffkin and eXp CEO Jason Gesing. (Getty, Redfin, eXp)
Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman, Compass CEO Robert Reffkin and eXp CEO Jason Gesing. (Getty, Redfin, eXp)

Compass was an unstoppable force in 2020, raking in high sales numbers in New York City and beyond, but that wasn’t enough to make it the top brokerage in the country.

Realogy once again came out on top when it came to sales volume, bringing in nearly $185 billion in sales in 2020, according to a new ranking from Real Trends. That’s an increase from 2019, when it had $170 billion in sales, and was also ranked No. 1. The company encompasses firms like Corcoran Group, Sotheby’s International Realty and Coldwell Banker. It recorded 333,737 sales last year.

But while Realogy came out on top when it comes to cash, it was No. 2 in terms of transactions. HomeServices of America, an affiliate of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, was the No. 1 firm when it comes to deals, recording 343,220 sales in 2020. It ranked No. 3 in terms of volume, with those deals totaling $150 billion.

Fast-growing Compass, which is seeking to go public at a $10 billion valuation, was close to the top of the list when it comes to sales volume and deals. In 2020, it brought in nearly $152 billion across 144,784 transactions, putting it at No. 2 and No. 4 in the respective rankings.

Those figures show how Compass has been able to become a major player in less than a decade, thanks in part to its strategy of acquiring brokerages wholesale to bolster its number of agents. Compass now has 19,000 agents in 46 markets nationwide.

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Rounding out the top five nationwide by sales volume were eXp Realty at No. 4, which brought in $72 billion, and Redfin at No. 5 with $37 billion in deals. When it comes to transactions, eXp was No. 3, with 238,981 closed deals, the most of an independent brokerage. Compass trailed eXp on the indie brokerage ranking, followed by Hanna Holdings, Redfin and @properties.

Corcoran, one of Realogy’s brokerages, ranked No. 1 on The Real Deal’s annual list of top residential brokerages in New York City with $5.8 billion in closed sales. Compass ranked second with $4.01 billion in sales across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

Douglas Elliman, which trailed Compass in the New York market with its $3.06 billion in sales volume, ranked sixth nationwide after bringing in $29 million in 2020.