Compass for New Agents: Public Facts and Questions to Ask
Short answer. Compass is a technology-focused national brokerage based in New York City. Its annual report says agents are independent contractors and the company collects a share of their commissions. In January 2026 it bought Anywhere Real Estate, which owns Coldwell Banker and Century 21. This page lists public facts and questions to ask. It does not rank brokerages.
The short version
A new agent in Texas has many brokerages to compare. This page collects public facts about Compass so you can compare it with any other brokerage on the same terms.
We do not give an opinion on Compass. We use its annual report filed with the SEC, and we label each fact with its source and check date. The Bauer Group is also a brokerage, so we compete with Compass. Read with that in mind.
Education only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm licensing rules with TREC.
Public facts table
We checked these rows on October 15, 2026. All come from the Compass annual report (Form 10-K) for 2025, filed February 27, 2026.
| Topic | What the company published |
|---|---|
| Company | Compass, Inc., doing business as Compass International Holdings. Incorporated in Delaware in 2012 as Urban Compass, Inc. |
| Headquarters | New York, New York |
| Business model | Owned brokerage. The report says agents are independent contractors who associate their licenses with Compass |
| What the company collects | The report says it collects "a share of the gross sales commissions" agents earn, plus certain other fees such as flat transaction commission fees. It gives no split in the report |
| Agent count | About 37,000 agents on its platform at December 31, 2025, before the Anywhere deal |
| Principal agents | 21,190 at December 31, 2025. The report defines these as team leaders or agents working independently |
| Texas | The report says Compass sold its Latter & Blum Texas business in October 2025, which reduced its agent count by about 900. It does not list Texas offices. Ask Compass for its current Texas offices |
| Technology | The report describes a platform with a CRM and other tools for agents. Ask which tools are included and which cost extra |
A change to know about
The report says Compass finished buying Anywhere Real Estate Inc. on January 9, 2026. Anywhere owns brands such as Coldwell Banker and Century 21. After the deal, the report says Compass served more than 340,000 agents across its owned brokerages and franchises.
The filing does not say how agent terms will change. Ask for current written terms before you decide. Our Coldwell Banker Realty profile covers one of these brands.
How this type of brokerage works
Compass is usually grouped with technology-forward national brands. These companies often put software and marketing tools at the center of what they offer agents. Features vary by company and by office.
Many agents at brokerages like this work in teams. The report counts team leaders as principal agents. If you join a team, ask who owns the client and the listing, and what happens to them if you leave. Our guide on types of brokerages and their trade-offs compares this model with others.
What agents and reviewers say
Review data was limited when this page was written. We could not load a public review source that allows reading, so we are not reporting review counts, scores or quotes. We will not guess what agents think.
To hear from real agents, ask the office for two or three agents in your market who joined in the last year. Ask each what surprised them. Ask the same of every brokerage you compare.
What the company says about its own risks
Public companies must list risks in their annual report. These are short quotes from the Compass report, not our views.
- On people, the report lists the "ability to recruit and retain real estate professionals at the same rate as in the past" as a risk.
- On leads, it says that if Compass cannot "generate high-quality leads" for agents, recruiting and keeping agents may be hurt.
- On the Anywhere deal, it lists "risks related to the significant increase in our franchise business" as a risk.
Questions to ask before you decide
These are our planning questions, not TREC rules. Ask every brokerage the same ones.
- What is my commission plan, and does it change after a set number of deals?
- What flat fees or transaction fees come out of each deal?
- Which tools are included, and which cost extra?
- How do leads reach agents, if at all? Ask for it in writing.
- What training is there for a new agent in the first 90 days, and who gives it?
- Can I join a team, and who owns the listing and the client if I leave?
- Who answers my Texas contract questions, and how quickly?
- What happens to my pending deals if I leave?
A side by side worksheet
Fill in this table for Compass and for every other brokerage on your list. Use the office's written answers. This is our own planning tool, not a TREC form.
| Question | Brokerage A | Brokerage B |
|---|---|---|
| Every fee I would pay, and when | ||
| Commission plan and any cap | ||
| Tools included and tools that cost extra | ||
| How and when I am paid after closing | ||
| Training in my first 90 days | ||
| Who answers contract questions | ||
| What happens to my deals if I leave |
Who may want to look closer, and who may want to compare more
We do not say who should join any brokerage. These are questions that help you decide for yourself.
You may want to look closer if technology tools and a national brand matter to you. Ask to see the tools before you sign.
You may want to compare more if low cost per deal matters most to you. Ask each brokerage to put every charge on one page.
How we wrote this
Source: the Compass Form 10-K for 2025 on SEC EDGAR, checked October 15, 2026. We did not use a source that sets fees, so no fee amounts appear here.
Experiences vary by office and team. If you see an error, write to agents@joinbauergroup.com. We apply corrections within 2 business days.
Comparing options?
Ask any brokerage the same questions. Our guides on choosing a brokerage in Texas and what a sponsoring broker does can help you set up your list.
Common questions
What kind of brokerage is Compass?
It is a national brokerage that runs its own offices. Its annual report says agents are independent contractors.
Where is Compass based?
Its annual report lists New York, New York.
What does Compass charge agents?
The report says it collects a share of commissions plus certain other fees. It does not list a split. Ask Compass for the plan in writing.
Did Compass buy Coldwell Banker?
The report says Compass completed its purchase of Anywhere Real Estate on January 9, 2026. Anywhere owns the Coldwell Banker and Century 21 brands.
Is Compass good for new agents?
That depends on what you need and which office or team you join. We do not rank brokerages. Use the questions on this page to compare it with others.
Sources
Education only. Not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm licensing rules with the Texas Real Estate Commission. Results vary and depend on effort, market and lead performance.