As Compass grows, scrutiny builds over private listings and double-ending

Compass is rapidly increasing its residential real estate market share in several large U.S. metros, raising questions about market dominance, double-ending and industry rules, according to a report from the Consumer Policy Center (CPC) released Tuesday

The study, “Compass Expansion: New Data on Market Share and Double-Ending,” analyzed 5,000 recent home sales — 1,000 each in Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Austin and San Diego — and found that Compass controls between 30% and 40% of unit sales in those markets, with even higher shares when measured by dollar volume.

“In four of the five cities, Compass’s share of unit sales is at least four times larger than that of its main competitors and 2.5 times larger in the fifth market,” CPC senior fellow Stephen Brobeck, the report’s author, said in the announcement.

Brobeck said Compass’s share “is not only very large but also much larger than that of major competitors,” adding that the company is becoming “so dominant in some local markets that consumers will feel both pressure and attraction to list and purchase properties through Compass agents.” 

After its acquisition of Anywhere, which closed earlier this year, the CPC’s data shows that Compass has 32.4% market share in Boston, 39.5% in Washington, D.C., 35.0% in Chicago, 29.7% in San Diego and 29.7% in Austin. 

The report links Compass’s growth to its emphasis on private listings and elevated levels of double-ending, where one brokerage represents both sides of a transaction, often through one or two agents at the same firm.

In the first private listing phase of Compass’s three-phased marketing strategy, the CPC said, consumers can only access those private exclusive listings through a Compass agent. That closed access “appears key” to the company’s double-ending rates, the report found. In Washington, D.C., the double-ending rate for Compass prior to its acquisition of Anywhere exceeded 40%, according to CPC.

Compass says report relies on a partial dataset

In an emailed statement, a Compass spokesperson told HousingWire that these statistics “do not reflect the full scope of [Compass’s] business and appear to rely on a partial dataset.”

“Our real estate professionals are expected to act in their clients’ best interests, regardless of which brokerage or agent has written an offer on the property,” the spokesperson added. 

The company has previously stated that the majority of its private exclusive listings that sell off-MLS are co-brokered with a non-Compass agent. The firm has also continued to maintain that all buyers and real estate agents can access Compass’s private exclusive listings by contacting a Compass agent or visiting a brokerage office. 

The report also claims that Compass has a new policy that 10% of the commission an agent receives will be given as a referral fee to another Compass agent if they are the source of the referral, which the CPC believes will result in an increase in double-ended deals. 

Compass responds

In response to this, a Compass spokesperson told HousingWire that “buyer inquiries from listings on Compass.com have always been sent directly to the Compass listing agent, ensuring the real estate professional who earned the seller’s trust and knows the home best is the first to receive the opportunity.”

“In February, we announced a ‘Listing Agent Lead and Referral Program’ that provides Compass agents with added flexibility. They can handle buyer inquiries themselves or refer them to a vetted Compass buyer’s agent and earn a 10% referral fee if the transaction closes within 24 months,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. “This creates a new way for Compass listing agents to generate passive income while maintaining full control over their business.”

Dissecting Compass’s expansion strategy

The report also examines Compass’ expansion strategy, finding that it consists of a combination of acquisitions, partnerships, double-ending, which the report claims it will increase by steering more buyers to Compass agents through its partnership with Rocket-Redfin, and its expansion into ancillary services like mortgage and title. 

Other aspects of Compass’s growth strategy highlighted in the report include acquisitions and partnerships. Examples of this include Compass’s recent acquisition of Anywhere and its partnership with Rocket-Redfin to pre-market the firm’s coming soon listings, while also expanding access to mortgage services for agents and consumers through Rocket’s Preferred Pricing Program. 

“The dream of Compass Chairman and CEO Robert Redkin and other Compass leaders appears to be domination of the most profitable local markets through overwhelming numbers of agents and listings that attract and pressure consumers to list and purchase properties through Compass agents,” the report states. 

These strategic growth moves by Compass have not come without warning, as Compass founder and CEO Robert Reffkin, who now also helms Compass International Holdings (CIH) the parent company that oversees Compass, Anywhere and @properties Christie’s International Real Estate, has touted his goal of holding 30% market share in 30 markets. 

Compass’s growth impact on industry

While the report does raise concerns over how the firm’s market share will impact consumers, it also looks at how the company’s growth may impact the industry. As Compass has grown, it has “challenged, worked around or flouted traditional industry rules,” the CPC report said, pressuring the broader industry — including the National Association of Realtors (NAR), large brokerages and portals such as Zillow — to change policies and practices.

“Instead of inadequate industry rules, increasingly there are no rules effectively governing industry conduct,” Brobeck said in the release.

The report suggests that shifting norms around pocket listings, off-MLS marketing and private listing networks are reshaping how inventory is shared, how buyers find homes and how listing exposure is managed. For agents and teams, this could affect lead flow, referral dynamics and the value of MLS participation in markets where one brokerage controls a large share of listings.

As a result, moving forward, the CPC said Compass’s expansion raises risks for both competitors and consumers. As Compass’s presence grows in local markets, sellers may increasingly gravitate to its brand and distribution, including listings that omit information about days on market and price changes, the report said. Additionally, buyers may feel pressure to work with Compass agents to access private listings.

The report also forecasts that Compass will likely pursue stronger national branding through broad advertising campaigns, similar to recent Super Bowl ads by Rocket and heavy TV spending by large insurance carriers.

But while CPC does see an expansive runway for Compass, the report also identified several challenges that could complicate the firm’s growth trajectory, including the cost and integration challenges of acquisitions, potentially greater cooperation and coordination among rival brokerages, public and private antitrust actions related to alleged market power or exclusionary practices and consumer skepticism over conflicts of interest, transparency and data access. 

This article was written by Brooklee Han and generated with the assistance of HousingWire Automation. It was reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication. The system helps convert company announcements and industry data into HousingWire-style news coverage.