Compass, the residential real estate giant, has finalized its $1.6 billion acquisition of rival Anywhere, creating the world’s largest residential brokerage by a wide margin. The all-stock merger, approved overwhelmingly by shareholders of both companies, values the combined entity at approximately $10 billion. The deal closed on Friday, well ahead of the latter half of 2026 as executives had initially anticipated, following the required regulatory review period.
Alongside Compass’s existing Christie’s operations, the company will now assume control of Anywhere’s subsidiary brands, including Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Corcoran, Century 21, ERA, Sotheby’s, and Coldwell Banker. In a statement, Compass reported that 99% of its shareholders approved the merger plan, while 72% of Anywhere shareholders voted in favor.
“We are pleased with the strong support from our and Anywhere’s stockholders in approving this transaction,” said Compass founder and CEO Robert Reffkin. “Today’s outcome reflects confidence in our shared vision to empower real estate professionals with everything they need to grow their business and better serve their clients.”
Reffkin added, “Our collective vision is to become the best in the world at equipping real estate professionals to realize their entrepreneurial potential. What makes this moment unique isn’t just the combination of two companies—it’s that the industry’s most respected brands and professionals are uniting on a single, modern technology platform that will save time, grow business, and enhance client service.”
The merger will extend Compass’s reach into every major U.S. city and 120 countries, with a combined workforce of 340,000 real estate professionals worldwide. Compass was already the largest U.S. brokerage by sales volume, while Anywhere ranked second.
The megamerger comes amid ongoing weakness in the U.S. housing market, where sales have remained near three-decade lows due to affordability challenges. Despite this, Compass has maintained growth, reporting third-quarter revenue of $1.85 billion—up 23.6% year-over-year. Transaction volume increased 21.5% over the same period, compared with just 2% growth across the broader market. While roughly half of Compass’s revenue growth stemmed from acquisitions, the company’s organic revenue also grew a healthy 11%.
The merger with Anywhere is expected to generate significant economies of scale, highlighting the advantages megabrokerages hold over smaller independent firms in a competitive market with limited transactions. Compass projects annual operating cost reductions of approximately $255 million by consolidating key operations and eliminating redundancies.
Additionally, the merger will diversify Compass’s revenue streams, adding over $1 billion from Anywhere’s established franchise, title, and escrow, and relocation services. The combined company anticipates completing 1.2 million home sales annually, creating ample opportunities to integrate these additional services into transactions.
