Exclusive: Compass president on Reffkin, balancing ‘big and boutique’ 

Some people take their time easing into a new job. But Neda Navab, who was promoted to president of Compass in February, did the opposite when she set out to host 100 agent events during her first 100 days in the role. 

The brokerage leader, who started at Compass in 2018 as CEO Robert Reffkin's chief of staff and later moved into the president of brokerage operations role in 2022, didn't just meet that goal — she exceeded it by 25.

In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Real Estate News, Navab shared her thoughts on Compass' rapid evolution, her aim to foster a "big and boutique" mentality at the company and the impact of the war in Iran on her family. Despite everything happening in real estate and around the world, Navab said she remains focused on providing agents with the best possible service.

Top takeaways from the first 100 days

When Navab stepped into her new role earlier this year, she said it was important to show Compass agents that the company's leadership will "walk the talk." 

"As Compass grows and as the industry changes, [agents] will still have access to leaders," she said. "Leaders are there to listen and learn and go act on their feedback."

While speaking with agents this year, Navab said she learned how much pride they have in what Compass has become in its 14 years as a brokerage. "A lot of them took a leap of faith to join Compass before the name was recognized in their market or before we had a fully integrated platform — and they're really proud of what they've built," Navab said, adding that she believes that pride exists "because they all feel like their feedback matters."

As Compass grows, Navab is prioritizing a "big and boutique" theme: ensuring that agents receive all the value and resources of a big brokerage via its integrated platform and national referral network while feeling like they're also receiving the intimate service of a boutique firm.

"I think we uniquely can deliver the best of both big and boutique at a level that others cannot."

Embracing cross-brand opportunities after the mega-merger

One of the most rewarding aspects of Compass' recent acquisition of Anywhere, according to Navab, is the potential for collaboration between the brands.

Recently in New York City, "we hosted a cross-brand event where we brought Sotheby's, Corcoran and Compass agents together in one room to talk about the industry and strategy, and rally them for the fall market," she said. "The cross-brand networking that happened in that room — it was incredible to see."

As more agents from other brands join the company's platform, Navab's goal will be ensuring that Compass brokerage agents continue to glean as much from it as possible and use the platform to its fullest potential.

Reffkin: What you see is what you get

Many industry players may feel like they know all there is to know about Compass and its founder due to how visible the CEO has become. Navab, who attended Columbia University with Reffkin, has known him for over 20 years and says that "what you see and hear is what you get."

Reffkin "genuinely wants to build a better industry for the real estate professional, and thereby for the client," Navab said. "He's obsessively passionate about it. I think what people get wrong is assuming that there is a different motivation there, but it's actually really straightforward."

The goal Reffkin set in 2018 to reach 20% market share in the top 20 markets by 2020 might have seemed crazy to some, Navab acknowledged. But his conviction and ability to surround himself with people who share his goals helps him achieve them.

"In 2018, I think parts of the company thought that we were building a tech company that was a tech-enabled brokerage," Navab said. "Then at some point around [the coronavirus pandemic], it completely shifted and we realized that we were building the best brokerage for real estate entrepreneurs to run their business." 

Technology "happened to be one of the key parts of the value proposition," she added, "and I think that orientation has really shifted how we focus on the agent, how we make decisions, what we advocate for."

Avoiding industry noise and drama, which Compass is often involved in, is easy when the focus is on the client. For Navab, that's the brokerage's agents. "Some of the industry headlines are a result of us building what agents are asking for — or what their clients are asking them for," she explained.

Drawing lines between life and work

Navab has spoken previously about how her parents immigrated to the U.S. from Iran, and about her mother's experience as a real estate agent. Those factors have informed Navab's own grit, desire to work hard and the value she places in human connection.

But when it comes to the current war in the Middle East and its impact on her extended family members who live in Iran, Navab has to compartmentalize between her personal life and her work life.

"I think you have to [separate them] to be able to operate at a really high level in any organization," Navab said, "whether you are a working parent or you have something else going on personally. So when I'm at Compass, I am focused on Compass. And then the times that I have to focus on family are really focused on family."

As the war drags on, Navab said she hopes people observing from the outside are able to separate Iran's people from its politicians.

"The politics of a place doesn't represent the people of a place," Navab said. "Iran is a country of 100 million people, largely under the age of 40. Such rich history, such promising potential. I just hope people can see the nuance in the story of the country."