$1B team forms at Compass; eXp expands in Arizona, Mexico 

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 picks up luxury Mexican firm, adds baseball pro to agent ranks

eXp Realty this week announced the addition of a top brokerage based along the Baja California peninsula and welcomed a former pro athlete who brings over four decades of real estate experience.

In Mexico: Ronival Real Estate, described as the top transaction company in Baja California Sur, Mexico, has joined the cloud-based brokerage.

Founded in 2010 by Nick Fong and Rocio Montaño, Ronival focuses on luxury real estate in a market that recorded more than $1.1 billion in sales in 2025, according to eXp. The company cited an average ultra-luxury price of $3.2 million in the San José Corridor and a regional average of $970,000.

The addition gives eXp an established operation in a key luxury market and gives Ronival access to the brokerage's global scale, referral network and technology platform as it serves an increasingly international client base, according to a news release.

The firm was "looking for scale without sacrifice," Fong said, adding that they found in eXp "a structure that could grow our agents' income, expand our referral reach internationally, and give us the infrastructure to compete at the highest level without dismantling everything that made Ronival work."

In Arizona: The brokerage also announced that former Major League Baseball player and longtime real estate executive Mike Mendoza is joining its luxury division.

Mendoza brings more than four decades of experience and has closed roughly 6,500 transactions throughout his career. He spent the past 29 years at Keller Williams, where he founded and served as operating principal of its Northwest Region and expanded the company's presence across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska, according to a news release.

Mendoza joins eXp with his wife and business partner, Jude Mendoza; his son Josh Mendoza; and agents Rob Castellini, Cheryl Kvasnicka, Megan Bradley, Brad Turk and Taylor Turk. Based in Ahwatukee, Arizona, the Mendoza Team serves residential and luxury clients throughout Phoenix, the Valley and surrounding metropolitan areas.

Mendoza said he was drawn to eXp's technology and agent support as he evaluated opportunities for his family and team. "It's a cutting-edge company with technology that is also focused on agent support," he said. "I like the forward-looking mentality to help agents grow and succeed in a constantly shifting industry."

$1B Compass duo forms NYC team

Compass agents Neil Zaken and Jeremy Shevett have formed The Zaken Shevett Team, a new partnership serving buyers, sellers, investors and renters across Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Zaken has achieved over $400 million in closed transactions, while Shevett's career sales volume exceeds $1 billion, according to a news release. 

The partnership will focus on residential and luxury real estate, with services spanning home purchases, sales, investments and relocations. The team, which has more than two decades of collective real estate experience, said it plans to combine neighborhood expertise, negotiation and marketing strategies with Compass' network and marketing platform.

"Our goal has always been to build lasting relationships by delivering exceptional results," Zaken said. "This partnership allows us to offer an even higher level of expertise, resources, and service to every client we represent."

"By combining our experience and shared philosophy, we're creating a team that provides trusted guidance, warmth, and an elevated experience from beginning to end," Shevett added.

More brokerage news

Corcoran Premier Realty has announced the addition of Jim D'Amico, chairman of Brands by Integra, as a part owner. D'Amico joins the existing leadership team of broker and president Chocky Burks and co-founders/owners Steve Healy and Matt Tomaszewski. In a news release, Burks said the addition provides Corcoran Premier Realty access to D'Amico's "proven track record of growth that is sure to expand our specialty of delivering personalized, white glove service to our clients."

Baird & Warner has launched a customized Zillow Showcase program for its agents, offering the enhanced listing product at a 40% discount from Zillow's standard pricing. The brokerage will pair the program with its in-house suite of services comprising photography, video, floor plans and drone imagery. The pairing "creates a turnkey marketing experience" for agents, B&W Image Services VP Shannon Lange said in a news release. "With our own in-house visual marketing division, Baird & Warner is in a unique position to maximize the benefit of Zillow Showcase to agents and their clients, both in terms of cost as well as listing quality with a premium visual portfolio."

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.