Why Spyglass Realty reclaimed independence after 1 year at Real
Founder Ryan Rodenbeck said he realized his firm is already in a position to handle the heavy lifting — and doesn’t need a larger brokerage’s resources to grow.
Key points:
- Spyglass Realty has become an independent brokerage again after one year under The Real Brokerage’s umbrella.
- The Texas firm has created all of its own tech solutions with help from AI — an investment that saves nearly $10,000 per month.
- Spyglass is now in “major growth mode,” according to Founder Ryan Rodenbeck, who hopes to add 100 agents and expand further in the Lone Star State this year.
During this time of real estate industry consolidation, a significant number of brokerages have opted to find strength in numbers through mergers and acquisitions.
In contrast, Ryan Rodenbeck, broker/owner of Austin-based Spyglass Realty, has chosen to revert his company back to independent status after spending a year testing the waters at The Real Brokerage.
In a recent interview with Real Estate News, Rodenbeck explained his decision to switch back — and shared why he feels better poised now for stronger growth than ever before.
A rising star at Real
Spyglass Realty joined Real in early 2025 through the cloud-based brokerage's Private Label program, which allowed Spyglass to retain its brand identity while gaining access to Real's tech and compensation structures.
Since then, Spyglass has grown its agent count by 50%. The firm, which became the No. 6 mega team at Real, closed $450 million in sales volume in 2025.
Rodenbeck said he is "genuinely grateful" for his time at Real. But ultimately, he realized that Spyglass didn't need the support of a larger parent company to meet its goals.
The benefits of less overhead
Initially, Real's tech stack was a big draw for Spyglass. But after operating for about 15 years as an independent firm, Rodenbeck's company was used to doing things its own way.
Spyglass ended up replacing nearly all of its software with solutions tailored to its agents, according to Rodenbeck. "We didn't see — it was like, what are we paying for here?"
Ultimately, many of the offerings that make Real valuable to some agents and brokers — like its tech, support and resources for scaling, and revenue share options — were not as worthwhile for a company like Spyglass that had already been well-established in its market for over a decade, Rodenbeck suggested.
Developing its own tech — with help from AI
The tech shakeup Rodenbeck has undertaken over the past year resulted in new solutions he made through vibe coding — the process in which individuals can create apps through natural language prompts with AI.
"Independents, and even smaller companies, have a bigger opportunity now because the playing field is literally level," Rodenbeck said. "What I've built, three years ago, would have cost millions of dollars. And I've done it for thousands."
By building out his own tech, he's also cut nearly $10,000 from his firm's monthly expenses. "It's like having a literal magic wand," he said.
Spyglass has developed a "Mission Control" platform that provides agents with integrated CMA tools, deal pipeline management, MLS data access, performance dashboards and automated client communication. The firm also has its own built-in-house AI-powered systems for contract creation, compliance workflow tracking and voice-based offer intake.
Key takeaways from Real
Working within the cloud brokerage model at a company where revenue sharing is a key component of the business gave Spyglass a new perspective. The reinvigorated independent, which broke away from Real at the end of March, will now provide revenue-share opportunities to agents who attract other real estate professionals to the company.
"Our agents saw the value in being able to build a business within a business," Rodenbeck said in a statement. "We're taking that lesson with us."
An eye on growth
Spyglass added 70 new agents in 2025, with its total now just shy of 200. By the end of 2026, Rodenbeck's goal is to grow to 300 agents.
After announcing in an Instagram reel that Spyglass was once again independent, Rodenbeck said he noticed an uptick in calls from agents with renewed interest in joining because the firm was no longer associated with a larger company. "They didn't want to be with X company that got swallowed by large X company," he said.
Looking ahead, Rodenbeck also has geographic expansion ambitions. In addition to Austin, the firm currently has a presence in Houston and Corpus Christi — and hopes to expand into other Texas markets by acquiring teams and small brokerages.
"We're in major growth mode," Rodenbeck said. "We see all the [industry] consolidation as an opportunity for us."
Though the consolidation trend of the past few years has seemed to accelerate in 2026 through several major M&A moves — including Real's recently announced plan to acquire REMAX — Rodenbeck feels encouraged by the rise of other independent firms.
"The more competition we have, the better it is for the industry," he said.