Compass, Inc.

Compass, Inc.

Company type	Public
Industry	Real estate
Founded	1 October 2012 (2012-10-01) in New York City, United States
Founder	Ori Allon, Robert Reffkin, Avi Dorfman
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Leonard Steinberg (President)
Products	Residential real estate brokerage services
Number of employees	70 (2014)
Website	www.compass.com

Compass, Inc. ranks among the foremost residential real estate brokerages in the United States, with a network of roughly 33,000 independent contractor agents. The company operates under the brands Compass and Christie’s International Real Estate.

In 2024, Compass completed 205,122 transactions amounting to a total gross dollar volume of $216.8 billion, securing a 4.95% share of the U.S. real estate market.

History

Originally launched as Urban Compass, Inc., the firm was established in New York City in October 2012 by Ori Allon, Robert Reffkin, and Avi Dorfman. Allon, who had previously served as Twitter’s Director of Engineering and founded startups acquired by Twitter and Google, joined forces with Reffkin—former chief of staff to Goldman Sachs’ president and White House staffer—and Dorfman, who brought experience from McKinsey & Company, Lehman Brothers, and entrepreneurship.

The company secured $8 million in seed capital and initially hired salaried full-time brokers specializing in rental properties. Its service officially debuted in May 2013. By January 2014, Compass transitioned its business approach to engage independent contractors on commission splits.

In mid-2014, Compass established its global headquarters by leasing 25,000 square feet at 90 5th Avenue. Leonard Steinberg, previously with Douglas Elliman, was appointed president in June 2014. At that point, the company supported 125 agents alongside 70 employees.

The launch of a mobile application in July 2016 aimed to improve client interaction. The firm expanded organically and through acquisitions to operate in nine U.S. markets by January 2017—including New York, Boston, San Francisco, Miami, Washington D.C., the Hamptons, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Aspen—boasting a roster of approximately 1,300 agents.

Compass went public on April 1, 2021, via an IPO that valued the company at $8.22 billion. Later that year in November, it resolved an eight-year legal dispute with Avi Dorfman by acknowledging him as a co-founder and recording a $21.3 million charge related to the settlement.

Amid challenging market conditions, Compass implemented several layoffs throughout 2022 and 2023 to adapt to the housing slowdown. In June 2025, the company initiated an antitrust lawsuit against Zillow concerning restrictions Zillow imposed on listing homes within 24 hours of market introduction.

Acquisitions

September 2023 Realty Austin and Realty San Antonio Texas brokerages broadening regional market presence January 2024 Attorneys Key Title Fort Lauderdale title company enhancing closing services April 2024 Latter & Blum Brokerage operating across Louisiana and Mississippi; significant Gulf Coast acquisition with over 3,100 agents May 2024 "Parks Real Estate" Brokerage based in Tennessee strengthening Southeastern U.S. market position February 2025 Washington Fine Properties Luxury brokerage acquired in Washington D.C., responding to shifting market dynamics

Date	Acquired	Description
November 2014	Lindsay Reishman Real Estate	Brokerage based in Washington, D.C.
April 2016	Shane Aspen Real Estate	Brokerage operating out of Aspen
January 2017	Bushari Real Estate	Boston-area brokerage firm
April 2018	Conlon	Chicago-based brokerage company
April 2018	Northwest Group Real Estate	Seattle brokerage firm
June 2018	The Hudson Company	Brokerage located in Chicago
July 2018	Paragon Real Estate Group	San Francisco brokerage; became city’s largest brokerage through acquisition
August 2018	Avenue Properties	Seattle-based firm expanding into Oregon market
August 2018	Pacific Union International	Second San Francisco brokerage acquisition within two months
November 2018	Wydler Brothers	Washington D.C.–based brokerage company
February 2019	Contactually	CRM software provider; discontinued operations March 2022
March 2019	Alain Pinel Realtors	San Francisco brokerage consolidating Bay Area leadership
April 2019	Stribling & Associates	New York–based real estate brokerage
November 2019	Detectica	Artificial intelligence startup enhancing platform functionality
October 2020	Modus	Home closing technology startup; ceased operations June 2022
February 2021	KVS Title	Provider of title insurance and settlement services
April 2021	Glide Labs	Platform specializing in transaction management
September 2021	First Alliance Title	Title insurance and settlement services provider
September 2021	CommonGround Abstract	Provider specializing in title insurance and settlements
May 2022	Consumer's Title Company	Title insurance and settlement services provider
April 2023	Launch Real Estate	Arizona-based brokerage expanding footprint in metro Phoenix area
September 2023	"Deasy Penner Podley/DPP"	"Luxury boutique brokerage headquartered in Pasadena"

Awards

In 2015, Compass was honored as the Mid-Sized Business of the Year by the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce.

The company appeared on Crain's Fast 50 list in 2018, showcasing its swift expansion.

By January 2019, Compass secured the 14th position on Glassdoor's Best Places to Work, emphasizing its positive organizational culture.

Compass earned the Webby Award for Best Real Estate Website in April 2019 and repeated this achievement in the same category in 2020.

In August 2019, Fast Company recognized Compass as one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators, highlighting its dedication to innovation and strategic leadership.