As Compass makes its bid to scoop up many of its most recognizable competitor brands, agents at these target brokerages have doubts about whether the move will be good for their careers.
But they’re not heading for the exits — at least, not yet.
The October edition of the Intel Index survey suggests that only a small fraction of Anywhere agents plan to leave their brokerage before it is absorbed into the Compass organizational structure late next year.
Many, however, have concerns about the transition. And their long-term future may hinge on whether Compass follows through on its pledge to keep business as usual.
“I expect to continue to work the way I have for many years,” one agent with an Anywhere brand told Intel. “If there are changes that affect my net income that are directly attributable to the merger I will change brokerages. If I feel pressured to use a business model that I do not believe in I will resist and/or move on.”
This perspective was consistent with many other anonymous responses from agents with Anywhere brands. Their viewpoints, combined with those of agents from Compass and the broader industry, provide a detailed and unvarnished assessment of an industry bracing for one of its most pivotal moments of consolidation.
Read the big takeaways in the full report.
1. Compass agents love the deal
Before getting to the anxieties that are rippling through the other parts of the industry, it’s worth noting that dozens of Compass agents who replied to the survey appeared to be largely pleased with it.
- 73 percent of Compass agent respondents told Intel that they believe the deal makes Compass stronger and will be good for their career.
- Only 25 percent suggested they had any concerns about the deal, and only 3 percent of Compass respondents said these concerns would cause them to leave the company.
Of the relatively small group of Compass agents who expressed concerns, most cited a potential culture clash between the two sides, and challenges related to agent recruitment and public messaging.
“We can’t recruit agents to our team if they are [affiliated] with any company under the Anywhere umbrella,” one Compass agent wrote as part of the survey. “I don’t like this at all.”
A few Compass agents additionally expressed concerns about the amount of debt that Compass would be taking on as part of the deal.
Compass agents were also high on the impact the massive merger might have on the industry as a whole.
- 72 percent of Compass agents told Intel in October that the deal will be good for the industry, compared to only 10 percent who said it will have a negative impact.
But their optimism wasn’t matched by other groups.
2. Anywhere agents set aside qualms, keep open mind
Agents affiliated with Anywhere brands have plenty of concerns — but few say they expect to bolt.
- 68 percent of Anywhere agent respondents expressed some degree of concern about the merger — but only 9 percent say they expect these concerns will cause them to flee before the deal goes through.
- Another 27 percent say that a move to Compass will be good for them long-term.
This indicates a degree of openness to the potential benefits of moving under the Compass umbrella. And whatever their concerns, agents with Anywhere brands are mostly willing to give Compass a chance.
To get there, however, Compass may need to address some of these top issues that were raised by Anywhere agents who expressed some degree of concern about the transition:
- 57 percent — I worry that potential changes to company culture might degrade the experience of working at my brokerage.
- 51 percent — Compass might use its newly acquired agent count, including me, to try to implement industry policy changes that I disagree with.
- 47 percent — I might be pressured to use a private-listing platform.
- 43 percent — I’m uncertain what effect the merger might have on my commission split or other compensation.
Although less frequently mentioned, some concerned Anywhere agents also pointed to the prospect of layoffs that might hamper their brokerage’s support for transactions. A few others said they had concerns that Compass tech platforms or ancillary services might not serve their needs as well after the dust settles.
Still, for 1 in 4 agents who fall under the Anywhere umbrella and responded to Intel’s October survey, there’s a lot to look forward to in joining such a fast-growing brokerage.
“I thought it was really exciting,” one agent wrote, especially “since I had been considering leaving [Coldwell Banker] prior to the announcement. I just don’t know if it would be a good fit for me or not.”
On the question of whether the deal is good for the industry, Anywhere agents were split.
- 34 percent of Anywhere agents told Intel the deal will be good for the industry — roughly as many as the 38 percent who thought it will have a negative effect on real estate.
But outside the two companies involved in the merger, optimism more rare.
3. Some suspect it’s more than business — and many Compass agents concur
Agents who are unaffiliated with either Compass or Anywhere are the most likely to see this step toward consolidation as a harmful thing for the industry.
- Only 11 percent of agents at non-Compass, non-Anywhere brokerages told Intel they believe the deal will have a positive effect on the industry.
- 64 percent, on the other hand, said the deal would have a negative impact.
Agents on the outside looking in were much more skeptical that the deal represents a simple business move by Compass to secure long-run market share and profitability.
- Only 23 percent of agents at other brokerages said that they believe these traditional financial metrics were what “weighed most heavily” on Compass’ strategic thinking.
- Instead, 30 percent of non-Compass, non-Anywhere agents said they believed the deal was mainly about gaining leverage over MLSs, associations or Zillow regarding private-listing policy. Another 25 percent of this group said they believe Compass is primarily trying to beef up its existing private-exclusives network.
Interestingly, Anywhere agents were less likely to ascribe to one of these theories.
- 40 percent of Anywhere agent respondents said they believed Compass was primarily seeking long-run market share or profitability potential in trying to acquire their brands.
- Anywhere agents were also twice as likely as other groups — at 19 percent — to say they thought the primary reason for the acquisition was the value Compass placed on scooping up their ancillary services and transaction and consumer datasets.
- Only 1 in 5 Anywhere agents named the fight to influence industry policy as the main purpose driving Compass to purchase. Even fewer said it was about simply expanding Compass’ existing private-exclusives platform.
But on the other side of the deal, Compass agents were more likely than any other group to suspect the deal was primarily about giving Compass CEO Robert Reffkin extra firepower in his efforts to sway industry policy.
- 34 percent of Compass agents surveyed in October said they thought their brokerage was primarily seeking additional leverage over industry players to influence private-listing policy.
- That share was second among Compass agents only to the raw business financials; 41 percent of Compass respondents named long-run market share and profitability as the top reasons motivating the deal.
Intel will revisit this topic in its surveys in the months to come.
Methodology notes: This month’s Inman Intel Index survey ran from Oct. 23-31, 2025, and received 681 responses. The entire Inman reader community was invited to participate, and a rotating, randomized selection of community members was prompted to participate by email. Users responded to a series of questions related to their self-identified corner of the real estate industry — including real estate agents, brokerage leaders, lenders and proptech entrepreneurs. Results reflect the opinions of the engaged Inman community, which may not always match those of the broader real estate industry. This survey is conducted monthly.
