CEO touts ‘new direction’ as REMAX aims to lead ‘every single market’ 

The past few years haven't been easy for REMAX. While the firm has maintained its position as one of the largest global brokerages, revenue has been on a downward trajectory, and the company has lost a quarter of its U.S. agents since the end of 2021.

But those concerns took the back seat during REMAX's annual R4 convention this week. More than 4,200 affiliates from 55 countries converged in Las Vegas, with REMAX CEO Erik Carlson playing the role of chief cheerleader and motivational speaker at the event's opening session.

Carlson's message? REMAX is not only here to stay — it has an opportunity to lead the industry.

"We are leaning in and we are moving forward with a clear goal of being number one in every single market," Carlson declared. "And we're not gonna be shy about it." 

Attracting productive agents

The traditional brokerage model still dominates in real estate. But some of the fastest-growing brokerages over the past decade — eXp, Real and LPT — have embraced cloud-based, revenue share models, while legacy firms — like REMAX — have lost momentum.

Carlson, however, believes that's going to change. "The new direction, it resonates. It resonates with productive people and it's leading to growth. More and more entrepreneurs are attracted to it. They're talking to us. They're choosing to be part of it." 

His proof points? Recent recruiting wins in Hawaii and Canada, where the brokerage scored its largest conversion ever.

That focus on entrepreneurs is key, Carlson noted.

"The industry right now, it needs REMAX. It needs trusted, productive professionals. Not hobbyists, not those self-proclaimed disruptors that are limiting access to listings. No slow movers here, right?"

A leadership refresh

Carlson, an industry outsider, took on the top role at REMAX a little over two years ago. A few months into the job, he replaced then-president Nick Bailey with longtime REMAX exec Amy Lesinger. Her mandate, she told investors on her first day in the role, was to stabilize and grow U.S. agent count.

Less than a year later, however, U.S. agent count had fallen 7% — and Lesinger was out. Former Christie's International Real Estate president Chris Lim joined REMAX as executive VP and chief growth officer in Feb. 2025 and was promoted to president earlier this month. 

Those changes were about "getting the right people on the bus" — and "getting the wrong people off the bus, because quality attracts quality," Carlson said. "That philosophy," he added, "helped us build a world-class executive leadership team."

A 'super ambitious vision'

The leadership team's focus in 2025 was "to modernize the brand and your services," Carlson said, highlighting several new products and resources the company rolled out in the past year to help agents not only get more listings, but "do it in less time and make more money." 

"We wanted a toolbox to include kind of everything you might need: fresh branding, better leads, expanded technologies, strategic marketing and a lot more — a super ambitious vision."

Focusing on consumers, not hype

But the company's modernization efforts aren't about creating shiny new objects, Carlson emphasized — while taking some not-so-subtle potshots at rivals Compass and eXp. 

"When competitors come to you and say, look, we're making this billion-dollar tech investment, or let's get together to get a big hug in a virtual environment, or there's a three-phased marketing kind of whatever thing, right? You can say this, that's all fine, but we're focused on delivering the absolute best for buyers and sellers."

'Doers, not dabblers'

Hard work, professionalism and trust, Carlson said, are core to the REMAX mission. "I love the competitive spirit in this network. We are a community of doers, not dabblers. We want no part in this slow erosion or that 'crapification' that can creep into this industry at REMAX." 

"We're trusted, productive professionals," he told the audience — "and we should be proud of it."