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Chicago

Compass poaches Berkshire Hathaway broker for Lincoln Park office 

Brian Pistorius and his team generated $50 million in sales volume over the past two years

A photo illustration of Compass' Brian Pistorius (Getty, Compass)
A photo illustration of Compass' Brian Pistorius (Getty, Compass)
By
Feb 22, 2023, 5:50 PM

Another Berkshire Hathaway agent is jumping ship for Compass’ Chicago office. 

Brian Pistorius, a fifth-generation Chicago residential broker, joined the brokerage, the company said. 

Pistorius was at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago for more than six years. He brings two agents, Amy Ruch and Jenna Cody, with him to Compass. The team generated more than $50 million in sales volume over the past two years. 

In an interview with The Real Deal Pistorius said he opted for Compass because of its technology. 

“It allows me to focus on my clients and their needs without having to worry too much about all the backend stuff,” he said. 

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Pistorius will be working out of the company’s Lincoln Park office and mainly operate in the Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Bucktown, Fulton Market neighborhoods. 

Pistorius isn’t the first Berkshire Hathaway agent to find their way to Compass this year. In January, Meredith Pierson joined the firm to start a new team at the brokerage with the Glenview-based team headed by Missy Jerfita. The rebranded Jerfita Pierson Team has five licensed agents and two support staffers across two Compass offices — in Glenview and Lincoln Park.

Compass’ gain comes after a challenging 2022, with its financial challenges capturing the attention of those within the residential real estate sector. But the company has responded to setbacks by cutting about $320 million, or 20 percent of its operating expenses, by the end of last year.

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Originally billing itself as a technology company, Compass sought to reinvent the homebuying process, and raised record amounts of capital before struggling over the past year as residential real estate transactions slowed due to rising interest rates, strained inventories and economic uncertainty. In January, the company announced a third round of layoffs, with more than 1,200 workers ousted over the past year. However, Compass still has north of  3,000 employees and was the number one residential real estate brokerage in the nation based on 2021 sales volume.