Founded as Urban Compass, Inc., in New York City in 2012, Compass is the largest real estate brokerage in the nation by sales volume — and after completing its acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate in early 2026, it became the largest real estate enterprise as well. 

Compass has billed itself as a “technology-enabled broker,” touting its software’s ability to streamline work and render agents more efficient. Its co-founders — CEO Robert Reffkin and Chief Strategist Ori Allon — have backgrounds in finance, tech and consulting, with previous roles at Twitter, Google and Goldman Sachs. Reffkin is the public face of the company and an outspoken advocate of private listings and “seller choice.”

The purchase of Anywhere capped a run of major acquisitions that has created rapid growth for the company. Compass now operates across more than 400 offices in 96 markets, with more than 33,000 agents under its branding.

Compass’ acquisition of Anywhere was approved by the US Department of Justice in January 2026, leaving it in a dominant position in the marketplace. The acquisition creates a company — Compass International Holdings — with a combined brokerage US sales volume market share of 25.3 percent, according to T3 Sixty data.

Thanks to a strong second quarter that achieved positive cash flow, Compass ended 2025 with year-over-year revenue growth of approximately $7 billion, a nearly 24% increase over 2024.

Compass went public in 2021 with an IPO of $8.2 billion. Headquartered in New York City, the business is located in 94 US markets from coast to coast. Its agents are considered independent contractors. 

Compass inherited multiple well-known brand names via its merger with Anywhere Real Estate, including Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21 Real Estate, Coldwell Banker, Corcoran Group, Sotheby's International Realty, and Christie's International Real Estate. Reffkin said the brands will retain their identities while being integrated through Compass’s internal technology platform.