Top Real Estate Companies in the World

Last updated: 1 September 2026

The short answer: since January 2026 the largest real estate company in the world is Compass International Holdings, formed when Compass completed its $1.6 billion acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate — a group of roughly 340,000 agents and affiliated broker-owners spanning Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby’s International Realty, Corcoran, ERA and Compass itself. Measured by individual brand rather than parent company, the biggest are Keller Williams (~160,000 agents), RE/MAX (149,267) and Century 21 (126,000). Measured by sales volume, Anywhere Real Estate — the parent of Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby’s International Realty and Corcoran — and HomeServices of America lead. Which one is “largest” depends entirely on what you count, and this guide breaks down both.

If you are an agent deciding where to hang your license, the ranking matters less than the model. A 200,000-agent franchise and a 20,000-agent cloud brokerage are different businesses with different splits, different support, and very different economics. Below is the comparison table first, then what actually separates them.

Biggest real estate companies at a glance

How these numbers are counted — and why others differ

Agent counts are reported on inconsistent bases across the industry, and two decisions matter more than any other when you compare them:

• Brand versus platform. The Compass figure above counts the Compass-branded salesforce. A platform-level count of the wider corporate brokerage operation following the Anywhere merger runs closer to 83,000, and the full group including franchised affiliates is larger still — all valid numbers, but they measure different things. Comparing a group total against a single brand like Keller Williams is not like for like.
• Avoiding double counting. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and HomeServices of America are listed separately here. Counting the full HomeServices owned-plus-franchised ecosystem at roughly 74,700 and adding 45,000 for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices would count many of the same agents twice.

This is the main reason published rankings disagree with each other. Whenever two lists conflict, check whether they are counting brands or corporate platforms, and whether affiliated networks are being added on top of the parent that already contains them.

Taken together, the four largest franchise brands — Keller Williams, RE/MAX, Century 21 and Coldwell Banker — account for roughly half a million affiliated agents worldwide.

What is the largest real estate company in the world?

There is no single answer, because the industry measures size three different ways and each produces a different winner.

• By agent count — the headline number most brands promote. Keller Williams, RE/MAX and Century 21 occupy the top of this list.
• By sales volume — the total dollar value of closed transactions. This favours brands concentrated in high-price markets, which is why Anywhere Real Estate and HomeServices of America rank highly despite smaller headcounts than the franchise giants.
• By revenue — what the company itself earns, not what its agents sell. Franchisors like RE/MAX collect fees rather than commissions, so their revenue looks small next to owned-brokerage operators even when their agent network is enormous.

A brand can therefore be the “biggest real estate company in the world” on one measure and mid-table on another. When you see conflicting rankings, this is almost always why.

The Compass–Anywhere merger changed the top of this list

On 9 January 2026, Compass completed a $1.6 billion acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate. Anywhere now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the combined company, Compass International Holdings, led by Compass founder Robert Reffkin. The transaction closed roughly four months after it was announced.

The combined group covers about 340,000 agents and affiliated broker-owners, which makes it the largest real estate brokerage in the world by some distance. Individual brands were retained rather than absorbed — @properties, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21, Christie’s International Real Estate, Coldwell Banker, Compass, Corcoran, ERA and Sotheby’s International Realty all continue to operate under their own names.

For an agent, that means the office sign on the door has not changed, but the corporate parent behind several of the largest brands now has.

Who actually owns whom

The list of major real estate brands is far shorter than it looks:

• Compass International Holdings owns Compass and, through Anywhere Real Estate, also Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby’s International Realty, Corcoran, ERA, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, @properties and Christie’s International Real Estate.
• HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway Energy subsidiary, operates Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices along with a large portfolio of regional brokerages.
• eXp World Holdings operates eXp Realty and is publicly traded.
• Keller Williams (KWx) and RE/MAX Holdings remain independent of both groups.

This matters more than it first appears. Joining a Century 21 office and a Coldwell Banker office now means joining two brands under the same corporate owner, with shared technology and referral infrastructure behind them. It is also the reason published rankings disagree so sharply: a list ordered by parent company looks nothing like a list ordered by brand.

Top real estate companies in the world

Keller Williams

Founded in Austin in 1983, Keller Williams built its scale on a franchise model with profit sharing, which pays agents a share of the office’s profit for the agents they recruit. Its training programme is widely regarded as among the strongest in the industry, which has made it a common first brokerage for new agents.

Best for: new agents who want structured training and a large local office culture.

eXp Realty

eXp has no physical offices. Agents work through a cloud campus, and the company pairs a high commission split with revenue share and stock awards. That model let it scale internationally far faster than a traditional franchise could, and it is the reason eXp appears near the top of agent-count rankings despite being founded in 2009.

Best for: experienced, self-directed agents who value splits and equity over office infrastructure.

RE/MAX

RE/MAX pioneered the high-commission model in 1973: agents keep the large majority of their commission and pay fixed fees to the brokerage instead. It remains one of the most internationally distributed brands in real estate, operating in more than 110 countries.

Best for: established producers with steady volume who want maximum split and brand recognition.

Coldwell Banker

Founded in San Francisco in 1906 in the aftermath of the earthquake, Coldwell Banker is among the oldest names in American real estate. Now part of Anywhere Real Estate, it combines franchised offices with company-owned brokerages and carries strong recognition in both traditional and luxury segments.

Best for: agents who want an established brand with luxury credibility.

Century 21

Century 21 is one of the most widely franchised real estate brands in the world, with a presence across roughly 80 countries. Its recognisable gold branding and franchise-first structure make it especially common in suburban and secondary markets.

Best for: agents in smaller markets where brand familiarity carries weight.

Sotheby’s International Realty

Sotheby’s International Realty licenses the auction house’s name and positions squarely at the top of the market. Also owned by Anywhere Real Estate, it operates through franchised affiliates and is the reference brand for luxury listings in most major markets.

Best for: agents building a luxury or second-home practice.

Compass

Compass launched in 2012 with a technology-first pitch, recruiting established agents in major US metros with proprietary tools and marketing support. Its acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate, completed in January 2026, made the parent group the largest brokerage operation in the world — though the Compass-branded salesforce remains considerably smaller than the franchise giants.

Best for: metro-market agents who want in-house technology and marketing.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Launched in 2013 under HomeServices of America, the brand attaches the Berkshire Hathaway name to a franchise network built largely from established regional brokerages. The association carries considerable trust with sellers, which is much of its appeal.

Best for: listing-focused agents who benefit from institutional credibility.

HomeServices of America

Rather than franchising, HomeServices of America acquires and operates brokerages directly, which is why it ranks near the top by sales volume while remaining less visible as a consumer brand than the names it owns.

EXIT Realty

EXIT Realty’s distinguishing feature is its residual model, which pays sponsoring agents a residual on the production of agents they bring in, including provisions that continue after retirement. It operates across the United States and Canada.

Best for: agents building a recruiting-based income alongside production.

Weichert

Founded in 1969 and still privately held, Weichert combines company-owned offices with a franchise network and remains a significant force in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

How the NAR settlement changed the picture

The 2024 National Association of Realtors settlement altered how buyer-agent compensation is offered and disclosed, and every company on this list adjusted its practices in response. For agents comparing brokerages, the practical questions are now different than they were a few years ago: how the brokerage trains agents on buyer representation agreements, how it handles compensation conversations, and what tools it provides for demonstrating value to buyers who are now more likely to ask what they are paying for.

Brand size does not answer any of those. Support quality does.

Which is the best real estate company to work for?

Size and suitability are not the same thing. The largest brokerage in the world is the wrong choice for an agent who needs hands-on mentoring, and the best-known local brand may offer a split that quietly costs a high producer tens of thousands a year.

Weigh four things instead of headcount:

• Commission split and fees. A high split with high monthly fees can net less than a lower split with none, depending on volume.
• Lead generation. Most brokerages do not supply leads. Confirm exactly what you are given rather than assuming a large brand means steady business.
• Training and mentorship. Decisive for new agents, largely irrelevant for established ones.
• Technology and marketing. Whether you get a real website, a working CRM, and campaign support — or a logo and a login.

That last point is where most agents are quietly underserved. Brokerage-provided websites are frequently template pages with no meaningful search functionality and no lead capture, which is why so many productive agents run their own real estate website alongside their brokerage profile.

Frequently asked questions

What is the largest real estate company in the world?

By parent company, Compass International Holdings — formed by the January 2026 Compass–Anywhere merger — with roughly 340,000 agents and affiliated broker-owners. By individual brand, Keller Williams leads with roughly 160,000 agents, followed by RE/MAX at 149,267 and Century 21 at 126,000. By sales volume, Anywhere Real Estate and HomeServices of America rank highest. The answer depends on whether you measure agents, transaction volume, or company revenue.

How many real estate companies are there?

Tens of thousands of brokerages operate in the United States alone, but the vast majority are small independents. The brands on this list account for a disproportionate share of transactions because of franchising, which lets one brand operate through thousands of independently owned offices.

Which real estate company pays the most?

Pay is set by commission split, fees, and any revenue or profit share, not by company size. High-split models such as RE/MAX and eXp typically retain more per transaction for the agent, while full-service brokerages take a larger share in exchange for leads, marketing, and support.

Are Coldwell Banker and Century 21 the same company?

They are separate brands under the same owner. Both belong to Anywhere Real Estate, which since January 2026 is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Compass International Holdings. The same group also owns Sotheby’s International Realty, Corcoran, ERA, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, @properties and Christie’s International Real Estate.

Do big real estate companies give you leads?

Generally no, or not in meaningful volume. Most brokerages provide brand, training and infrastructure while expecting agents to generate their own business. Agents who want consistent volume typically run their own lead generation rather than relying on brokerage referrals.

Choosing a brokerage is only half the decision

Every company above supplies a brand. Almost none supplies a pipeline. Agents who consistently produce do it on the back of their own online presence — a site that ranks, captures enquiries, and follows up — whichever logo sits on their business card.

If that is the part you want handled, LiveBuyers builds IDX real estate websites and runs managed campaigns that deliver exclusive seller leads and buyer leads to a single agent — never resold. You can see exactly what that costs before you talk to anyone.