Diverse paths, one finish line for 2026 RealTrends Verified success stories

More than 50,000 agents and teams earned a spot on the 2026 RealTrends Verified rankings and impressive aggregate numbers tell a compelling story; there’s no single blueprint for success in today’s real estate landscape.

From a Pennsylvania team leader who views his $264 million year as “average” to a Maine brokerage that started with an internship and grew into a national contender, 2026 rankings showcase a remarkable diversity of business models and philosophies.

Yet common threads emerge — consistency, culture and an unwavering focus on the client — that bind these top performers together.

Gary Mercer Sr., whose LPT Realty-affiliated Gary Mercer Team reported $264 million in volume across 431 sides — good enough for a No. 3 volume and No. 5 sides rank among mega teams in Pennsylvania, with respective national ranks of No. 55 and No. 72 — chases fundamentals instead of headlines.

“We have done over 500 transactions in the past,” he told HousingWire. “I think consistency in the approach and time on task, doing the things that work and sticking with that has been key. What we find is if we’re sticking to the basics, training and teaching and having the agents follow that, it doesn’t matter whether it’s an up market or a down market.”

That philosophy echoes across the rankings.

Joe McNally, whose REMAX Together team in Big Rapids, Mich., earned the No. 28 national ranking among small teams for transaction sides after closing 203 transaction sides last year, put it bluntly.

“It’s pretty boring,” he said. “It’s just really about being committed and consistent every single day of the year, and I’ve always been good at that.”

McNally personally closed around 138 transactions last year — down from 172 the year before — with 110 coming from direct word-of-mouth referrals, a testament to a relationship-based business built over 20 years.

The Ivan & Mike Team, a Compass-affiliated ultra-luxury real estate group serving South Florida, finished No. 19 among medium-sized teams by sales volume, recording $298.32 million in 2025 volume.

While that was down roughly $50 million from the previous year, co-founder Ivan Chorney said the market remained active.

“I would say all in all, it was a transitional year,” he said. “ It was just a little more difficult to get deals done. You had all this tariff stuff going on and there were just many headwinds on various fronts. But that’s led into this year, which will end up being our best year ever.”

The team model launchpad

For many top performers, the team structure isn’t just an organizational choice — it’s a competitive advantage.

Mercer, who began his career in 1987 and spent nearly 30 years with an independent company before moving to LPT Realty in May 2025, has long been an advocate.

“I think for an individual agent, it’s really important for them to be aligned with successful people, and in my opinion, they get the best opportunity through a team situation,” he said. “That’s because a team will be able to generate leads to help them while they’re developing and cultivating their database for a long-term referral business.”

The Perry Group — founded by Jack Perry and his two sons and brokered by The Real Brokerage — took that model to an extreme.

In 2025, the team was made up of 250 licensed real estate professionals with five offices serving clients across much of Utah, closing 1,547 transaction sides totaling $892.80 million in sales volume — earning the enterprise-sized team the No. 8 and No. 5 ranks in the country by sides and volume, respectively.

Emily Martin, the team’s chief operating officer, attributes much of the growth to clear systems agents can easily plug into.

“They can run their business without having to think about the operational side,” Martin said. “We help agents do what they do best, which is connect with people.”

TruAdvantage Team in York, Pennsylvania — which closed 283 transaction sides and nearly $78 million in sales volume in 2025, securing the No. 17 national placement among medium-sized teams for sides — has taken a different approach to growth, focusing on building structured paths for struggling agents.

“We hold everyone to a certain standard,” said Director of Operations Sara Cain. “There is a very high standard where if it’s not being met, we’re going to have the conversations and we’re going to get it corrected. Everybody wants everyone else to continue performing. We love to celebrate each other and also compete against each other.”

Culture as a growth engine

James Harris — leader of the Beverly Hills-based Harris & Partners — runs what he calls a “lean and mean” team.

His Carolwood Estates-brokered team closed 83 transaction sides totaling $938.0 million in sales volume in 2025, earning the No. 2 rank in the country for sales volume among large teams.

“I would rather have 10 superb agents than 100 where the vast majority are mediocre,” Harris said. “If I have a smaller team, it helps with camaraderie, but it also allows me to be more hands-on in an individual way with each of those team members and ensuring that I am doing everything I can as a team lead to support each of them.”

That focus on culture extends to the David Banks Team in Portland, Maine, which ranked No. 40 for transaction sides among medium-sized teams, closing 240 last year, and No. 26 nationally by sales volume, generating $282.15 million in closed business.

Teddy Piper, who started as an intern in 2012 and is now broker-owner, emphasized the team’s collaborative spirit.

“Everyone gets everyone gets paid — regardless of who sells the property,” he said. “So, we work together to get these deals done. A lot of teams, they set up distinct hierarchies and distinct roles for each agent, and we certainly have roles and structure for our agents.

“What we don’t have is, ‘You get this lead and you get this lead.’ We all work together to make sure the deal closes.”

The Horak Group, a three-agent team operating under REMAX Boone Realty in Columbia, Missouri, earned a No. 16 national ranking among small teams for transaction sides — closing 247 in 2025.

Molly Horak, whose mother founded the business in the 1980s and who literally grew up in the office, says the key to making a family business work is simple.

“You’ve got to like each other,” she said. “I genuinely love working together. Frequently, we’ll be at the office till 8:30 at night or longer, just to get more done after the staff has left.”

For Noble Black and his New York-based mega team Noble Black & Partners, culture was central to a major decision.

The team of 25 licensed agents closed 220 transaction sides totaling $546.03 million in sales volume, earning the No. 7 rank in the nation among mega teams for sales volume.

After a decade at Douglas Elliman, the team moved to Corcoran in September 2025.

“Culture was part of why we moved to Corcoran from Elliman last year,” Black said. “Culture has always been important at Corcoran — what they value, how they treat people — and I think everyone on the team has recognized and really appreciated the support, culture and how well the company is run, since we moved here.”

Tech tools, human touch

While technology plays an increasingly important role, top performers treat it as a tool, not a solution in itself.

The Horak Group takes a pragmatic approach.

“The websites used to crash if you had more than nine photos, because the internet just wasn’t what it is now, and the technology has just gotten so much better — so much faster,” Horak said. “I don’t feel like we spend a ridiculous amount buying every new shiny thing. But we do invest in people. We have a dedicated, full-time graphics and marketing [person].”

Kelli Salter, who launched Anchor Real Estate in 2020 and earned the No. 16 spot for transaction sides among medium-sized teams — closing 285 transaction sides last year and accounting for nearly $86 million in volume — said relationships trump technology every time.

“The people that win in real estate are the people who talk to the most people who want to buy and sell real estate,” she said. “The tech is great. I have wonderful tech partners that I absolutely love and would consider friends, but your tech, your platform, your broker — all of the tertiary things mean nothing if you don’t actually work your business and go talk to the consumer.”

Specialization, market focus

The Gedalje Group, an eXp Realty-brokered large team in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, closed 468 transaction sides totaling $245 million in sales volume in 2025, earning the No. 10 and No. 48 ranks in the nation for sides and volume, respectively.

Leader Eric Gedalje credits both the drive and productivity of his agents — each averaging roughly 25 units per year — as well as his strong roots in Lake Havasu City.

“A lot of my team members have come from firms or teams that gave them really strong foundations in the business — and we have seen them join us and just really take off,” he said.

The Yeatman Group, a Long & Foster-brokered mega team, closed 747 transaction sides for a total of $371.68 million in sales volume, earning the No. 10 and No. 26 rankings in the country among mega teams.  

Leader Kyle Yeatman came from the homebuilder space and built his team around new construction.

“We feel like we have built a business that can withstand even a bit of a recession,” he said. “We haven’t had any major economic challenges yet, but the couple of blips we’ve seen, we have been able to get through pretty easily.”

As you can see, success comes in many forms, but the through lines are the same: consistent, relationship-focused real estate agents and teams excel in any housing market.

This article was written by Jonathan Delozier and generated with the assistance of HousingWire Automation. It was reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication.