eXp adds 1,000 agents; Real picks up Kansas City indie 

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.

eXp welcomes 1,000-agent firm

INITIA Real Estate, a brokerage with about 1,000 agents and staff across Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Colombia, has aligned with eXp Realty Canada.

Founded in 2015 by Jonathan Yu in Edmonton, Alberta, INITIA reported roughly $2.5 billion CAD in sales volume in 2025. The brokerage will continue operating under the INITIA brand while gaining access to eXp's cloud-based platform, training and agent support systems, according to a news release.

The move "says a lot about where the brokerage model is going," eXp Realty CEO Leo Pareja said. "Brokerage leaders are looking for ways to scale smarter, support agents better and reduce the operational weight that can pull them away from growth."

Yu, whom Pareja praised for building "a remarkable organization," said rising compliance and operational demands factored into the decision to join eXp.

"For me, transitioning INITIA to the eXp platform made a lot of sense, because it allowed me to offload a lot of the administrative and compliance burden," Yu said.

NextHome expands in Southern California

NextHome has launched two Southern California brokerages under its new large-office franchise model, bringing nearly 200 agents into the network across Ventura County and California's Central Coast.

The new offices — NextHome Coastal Estates in Oxnard and NextHome Central Coast in Pismo Beach — are owned by brokerage leader Albert Meggers. Omar Velazquez will lead the Oxnard office, while Jay Peet will oversee the Pismo Beach location.

The additions are "a strong signal of what's possible when an experienced operator finds the right partner," NextHome President James Dwiggins said in a news release, adding that Meggers and his teams "are exactly the kind of leaders this model was built for."

Meggers previously helped expand a national franchise brand throughout Central California, growing operations to 14 offices with more than 1,200 agents. He said the move to NextHome aligned with broader industry changes and the company's operator-focused model.

"Real estate is going through a period of punctuated change, and we have a voice in shaping the future based on who we affiliate with," Meggers said. "If you honestly look at where NextHome fits within the real estate industry," he added, "the vast majority of agents align with its values."

Real picks up Kansas City indie

The Real Brokerage has added Kansas City-based Chartwell Realty LLC, a move that brings 150 agents to the cloud-based brokerage and expands its presence in the metro area to more than 450 agents.

Founded in 2007, Chartwell Realty operates three offices across the Kansas City region and closed about 1,200 transactions totaling $500 million in sales volume in 2025. The firm is led by President Brant Elsberry and Vice President Robb Murry.

The Chartwell Realty team has "built one of the most respected independent brokerages in the Kansas City market," Real Chief Growth Officer Jason Cassity said in a news release. "This addition meaningfully strengthens our presence in Kansas City and underscores Real's continued momentum in attracting top-performing agents and teams across the market."

Elsberry said the company's decision to join Real was driven by cultural alignment and access to technology and education tools aimed at helping agents grow their businesses.

The Agency enters Idaho's premier resort town, inks new partnership

The Agency announced two big moves this week: the launch of its third location in Idaho, and a collaboration with a real estate services company specializing in housing developments.

In Idaho: The global brokerage has opened The Agency Sun Valley, building on the firm's presence in Boise and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, offices it launched in 2023.

The Sun Valley office is led by Managing Partners Robyn Moir and Mike Moir, who also lead The Agency's Boise office. Expanding their relationship with the brokerage "aligns with the way we've always believed this business should be done, and we couldn't be more excited about what we're building together," Mike Moir said.

"Sun Valley is in a category of its own," said Mauricio Umansky, The Agency's CEO and founder. "That authenticity is reflected in the market itself, from the mountain-modern estates in Ketchum to the private retreats and legacy properties of Hailey and the Sun Valley resort corridor, and it's what keeps demand at this level so resilient. We're incredibly proud to plant our flag here."

A new partnership: The Agency has also partnered with rennie, a multi-service firm that works with real estate developers across the globe. 

The brokerage will integrate rennie's technology, research, data and AI platform into its marketing system, creating a developer-focused solution "engineered to generate demand, optimize performance, and achieve measurable, best-in-class results," the company said in a news release.

"Developers today require more than traditional sales," Umansky said in the announcement. "They need a strategic partner capable of anticipating market shifts, crafting compelling narratives, and connecting with buyers on a global scale."

Through their collaboration, The Agency and rennie are now leading sales and marketing for a boutique condo development in Honolulu and have additional projects to be announced soon.

Compass gains ground with new teams in California, New Jersey

Compass has welcomed new teams to its operations in the Golden State and the Garden State.

In California: The brokerage has added three real estate teams in the South Bay Area, a move that brings agents with more than $1 billion in combined lifetime sales volume.

The three teams are: the Mike Magen Team in San Jose, Steven Chen in Menlo Park and Judie Profeta in Carmel. Compass said the teams were drawn to the company's technology platform and collaborative culture as they look to streamline workflows and enhance the client experience.

"We are grateful that these three exceptional teams have chosen to call Compass home," said Kevin Patsel, regional vice president at Compass. "It's exciting to see that we're experiencing an uptick in successful teams joining Compass, driven by our ethos that homeowners should have the freedom to decide how to market and sell their home, our AI-enabled tech platform, and our collaborative culture."

Compass said the move reflects growing demand among independent teams to maintain a relationship-focused approach to real estate while gaining technology and operational support.

In New Jersey: Compass has expanded on the East Coast by adding Cornerstone Home Realty and agent Lindsay Minerva to its operations in New Jersey.

Cornerstone Home Realty, an independent brokerage with 24 real estate professionals, joins the brokerage giant after building its business across multiple markets in the state. Minerva, who was previously affiliated with Prive Haus, joins the company's Hoboken office with a focus on luxury real estate.

Compass said Cornerstone and Minerva were both drawn to its technology platform and position on seller choice in home marketing. The brokerage said its platform is designed to help agents manage transactions and business operations in one place.

Compass Regional Vice President Gordon Golob said the firm is "thrilled" by the new additions, adding, "Their decision to choose Compass is a testament to the value of our technology and our commitment to empowering agents."

Editor's note: AI was used in the initial drafting of this content, which was then thoroughly reviewed, fact-checked and revised by a Real Estate News editor.