Company Description
Compass, Inc. (NYSE: COMP) is a tech-enabled real estate services company that includes what it describes as the largest residential real estate brokerage in the United States by sales volume. Founded in 2012 and based in New York City, Compass focuses on empowering residential real estate agents to deliver service to home sellers and buyers through a proprietary, cloud-based technology platform.
The company’s end-to-end platform is built specifically for the real estate industry. According to Compass, it integrates software for customer relationship management, marketing, client service, brokerage services, and other core workflows into a single environment. Agents at Compass-owned brokerages use this platform to manage their business, work with clients, and coordinate transactions more efficiently.
Business model and operations
Compass operates as a real estate services company with an owned-brokerage model. Its residential real estate agents use the company’s technology tools and brokerage infrastructure to represent seller and buyer clients in home transactions. The company has stated that its platform allows agents to perform primary workflows from first contact through closing with one login, which is intended to simplify daily activity for agents and support transaction execution.
Compass also highlights a growing set of integrated services connected to its brokerage activities. These include title and escrow capabilities, as reflected in the company’s description of its One-Click Title & Escrow integration, and tools that help agents coordinate aspects of the transaction process. The company’s disclosures emphasize that these services are embedded in its proprietary platform rather than offered as standalone software.
Technology platform
Compass describes its platform as an end-to-end, proprietary system tailored to residential real estate. It includes cloud-based applications for:
- Customer relationship management (CRM) – helping agents manage contacts and client relationships.
- Marketing – supporting listing promotion and other marketing activities.
- Client service and brokerage workflows – enabling agents to handle core brokerage tasks in one place.
The company has publicly highlighted several specific tools within this platform, such as features that allow agents to connect with homeowners who might be willing to sell at an aspirational price, tools for ordering title and escrow services through the platform, and a client dashboard experience that connects buyers and sellers with their agent. These tools are presented as part of Compass’s effort to centralize the transaction process for agents and their clients.
Market position and network
Compass states that it operates the largest residential real estate brokerage in the United States by sales volume. The company reports national market share metrics and transaction volumes in its public communications and SEC filings, positioning itself as a significant participant in the U.S. residential housing market.
Beyond its owned-brokerage footprint, Compass has expanded its reach through brand relationships. The Compass network includes Christie’s International Real Estate, which is described as a global luxury real estate brand with over 100 independently owned brokerage affiliates in numerous countries and territories. Through this relationship, Compass is associated with a broader international referral and affiliate network focused on higher-end residential properties.
Strategic transactions and corporate structure
Compass completed an all-stock combination with Anywhere Real Estate Inc., a publicly traded real estate services company, on January 9, 2026. As disclosed in the company’s press releases and Form 8-K filings, this merger brought Anywhere’s franchise, brokerage, relocation, and related operations under Compass, with Anywhere surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of Compass. The combined organization is held under Compass International Holdings, with Compass describing the transaction as bringing together respected brands and professionals on a single technology platform.
In connection with the merger, Compass has also entered into financing arrangements, including a revolving credit facility and the issuance of convertible senior notes due 2031. According to SEC filings, the company used proceeds from these notes to repay certain indebtedness of Anywhere and its subsidiaries and to fund capped call transactions related to the notes. These capital structure decisions are part of the company’s approach to funding its operations and merger-related activities.
Programs and initiatives
Compass has described several initiatives that reflect how it works with agents and communities. For example, the Compass Cares program is presented as a charitable initiative that allows Compass real estate professionals to contribute to local causes, with donations facilitated directly through the Compass platform in connection with closed transactions. The company states that funds are directed through local Compass Cares Community Funds so that agents can support needs in their own neighborhoods.
Compass also publishes research and outlooks on the U.S. housing market, such as its Housing Market Outlook, which discusses trends in affordability, inventory, and transaction dynamics. These publications are positioned as analytical resources tied to the company’s role in the residential real estate sector.
Relationship to Cartus and talent mobility
Cartus Corporation, a global talent mobility company, is described in recent news as a subsidiary of Compass International Holdings. Cartus focuses on corporate relocation services and has announced climate-related targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. While Cartus operates in the global talent mobility and relocation space, its ownership under Compass International Holdings connects it to the broader Compass corporate family.
Exchange listing and sector classification
Compass’s Class A common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol COMP. In the supplied classification data, the company is associated with the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector and the Custom Computer Programming Services industry, reflecting its emphasis on proprietary, cloud-based software developed for real estate professionals.
Evergreen considerations
Because Compass operates in a dynamic housing and capital markets environment, specific financial metrics, agent counts, and near-term forecasts are subject to change and are reported in periodic earnings releases and SEC filings. The information above focuses on structural and strategic characteristics that the company itself presents as core to its identity: a New York City–based, tech-enabled residential real estate services firm with an owned-brokerage model, a proprietary platform for agents, and a network that includes Christie’s International Real Estate and the acquired operations of Anywhere Real Estate Inc.