Real, eXp, Compass notch big recruiting wins 

Editor's note: The brokerage business is a busy one, with frequent moves, mergers and milestones. Here we highlight some of the latest activity among brokerages across the U.S.

Legends Real Estate Group joins Real

Georgia-based Legends Real Estate Group has joined The Real Brokerage, bringing 55 agents and multiple established teams to its platform. 

Legends operates across northeast Georgia and the Atlanta metro area. The group, comprising agents and teams previously affiliated with the multi-office REMAX Legends brokerage, closed about $250 million in home sales in 2025. 

The move to Real allows those teams to maintain their branding, businesses and client relationships while leveraging the cloud-based platform and shared resources, according to a news release. 

Real's "technology platform is meaningfully ahead of what we were seeing elsewhere in the market," Co-founder Larissa Benson said in the announcement, "and it's paired with a collaborative, agent-first culture." Sarah Morra will lead the group alongside Benson.

The addition strengthens Real's presence in the Southeast and furthers its goal to attract established teams seeking flexibility and scale outside traditional brokerage models, the company said. 

eXp welcomes Houston brokerage, 140-agent SoCal team

eXp Realty has announced two high-profile additions in Texas and California.

In Houston, brokerage leader Miriam Valencia is bringing her 50-agent independent firm, Alumbra International, to eXp. 

The established, multicultural team has a strong regional presence and is committed to volunteering, hosting donation drives and offering other community support efforts throughout Houston, eXp noted.

"I wanted something that allowed us to grow bigger while still protecting the culture we built at Alumbra," Valencia said in a press release. "eXp allowed us to keep our identity while plugging into a larger platform," she added. 

In Southern California, Lance Martin has joined eXp after 24 years with Coldwell Banker, bringing with him The Martin Group/Cobalt Realty Group and their 140 agents. 

After nearly four decades in the business, Martin said the limitations of the franchise model, including territorial boundaries, was a key factor in his decision.

"I've been saying for years that the traditional legacy franchise model is broken," Martin said. "The agents have slowly floated to the top of the business model, and at eXp they're actually positioned there," he added.

eXp leadership said the moves are part of its ongoing strategy to attract top-producing teams by offering a cloud-based platform, revenue sharing and equity incentives. 

C21 New Millennium names chief growth officer

Century 21 New Millennium has appointed Nidhal Charfi as chief growth officer, tasking him with recruitment, market expansion and agent development.

Based in the Mid-Atlantic, the firm has more than 1,000 agents across 22 offices, and ranks among the top-performing franchises within the Century 21 Real Estate network. In his new role, Charfi will focus on attracting productive agents, supporting top performers and building pathways for teams to expand. 

Charfi brings more than 15 years of experience across real estate and technology. He most recently served as president of UTTI, a global real estate consultancy. He also spent seven years at Compass, where he helped support the company's IPO and national expansion to more than $250 billion in sales volume.

Kim Harris Campbell, CEO at Century 21 New Millennium, said Charfi's approach aligns with the firm's focus on combining innovation with agent support.

"Nidhal brings a clear, practical approach to recruiting, expansion, and execution that helps us deliver on that vision for our agents and clients," he said in a press release.

Compass adds 7 Bay Area teams 

Compass has recruited seven high-performing residential teams in the San Francisco Bay Area over the past six months, the brokerage announced this week.

The teams, previously affiliated with Side, represent more than $150 million in combined sales volume. Notable additions include the Mike Magen Team, Channing Azzolino and Jen Larson, along with several other established teams in the region.

The incoming teams will gain access to Compass' integrated technology platform, including AI-enhanced upgrades from the past two years, the company noted.

Regional VP Kevin Patsel said the teams' decision to move to Compass reflects a growing demand for a brokerage model that blends collaborative culture with advanced digital tools.

"It's exciting to see that we're experiencing an uptick in successful teams joining Compass," Patsel said in a statement, attributing the recruiting wins in part to the company's "impactful inventory strategy."

"Real estate is a deeply personal business built on trust, and we don't take it lightly when professionals of this caliber entrust their livelihoods and their clients to (Compass)," he added.

More brokerage news

Portside Real Estate Group has welcomed five new agents to its mentorship program. The program was created to improve long-term retention in an industry where most new entrants leave within two years. "We've flipped that statistic at Portside," David Bruce, agent relations manager for the MidCoast region, said in a press release. "We're seeing them thrive."

The Maine-based brokerage pairs newly-licensed agents with mentors for a year of training, including one-on-one coaching, monthly classes, live transaction support and business development guidance. 

Howard Hanna Mortgage has launched The Closing Table Podcast. Moderated by Duffy Hanna, president of Howard Hanna Financial Services, the podcast seeks to connect the company's real estate and financial services teams. Episodes will feature ​​agents, loan officers and leadership to discuss market insights, problem solving and success stories, and new tools and programs for growth, according to the company.

The conversations will provide "a new way to connect, learn and grow," Howard Hanna Real Estate President and CEO Hoby Hanna wrote on Facebook.