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Amid an ever-intense battle for prime actual property expertise, Compass introduced Thursday that it’s increasing into Arizona after scooping up a top-performing indie brokerage.

The brokerage, Launch Actual Property, is predicated within the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale. It’s the No. 1 brokerage by gross sales quantity in Scottsdale with “simply over 300 brokers,” in response to a press release from the businesses.

Rory Golod, Compass’ president of progress and communications, described the state of affairs as an “acquisition” within the assertion, however famous that the deal is funded on “a deferred foundation with no upfront capital.” The deal means Compass is “including a prime regional brokerage below a construction that aligns our pursuits long-term,” Golod additionally stated within the assertion.

The businesses didn’t disclose further monetary particulars in regards to the deal.

Launch will proceed to function below its personal banner however will ultimately rebrand to incorporate the Compass title. The brokerage’s management and help employees are remaining in place following the deal.

Sean Zimmerman

John Vatistas and Sean Zimmerman based Launch in 2017. Within the assertion, Zimmerman — the brokerage’s president — stated “we’re conserving our traditions and folks whereas benefiting from Compass’ nationwide community of brokers, lots of them in markets with pure synergies with Better Phoenix.”

Launch’s CEO Vatistas additionally commented within the assertion saying “we’ve a proud tradition of collaboration, and becoming a member of Compass permits us to construct on that basis all through Arizona and nationally.”

The acquisition comes at a pivotal time for Compass. Amid a weakening housing market that dinged most main corporations, Compass revealed final yr that it was trying to lower prices by, amongst different objects, ending profitable recruiting incentives for brokers. The transfer, whereas usually lauded by analysts, prompted questions inside the actual property trade about whether or not the corporate may maintain its regular progress with out spending huge for expertise.

Subsequent earnings experiences present that Compass has nonetheless managed so as to add brokers after slicing incentives — although that progress has not been particularly speedy in latest months. Living proof: Compass had a mean of 13,314 brokers through the third quarter of 2022 and a mean of 13,426 through the fourth quarter.

In that context, choosing up a 300-agent brokerage is a serious get for the corporate — although it stays to be seen what number of new brokers Compass will web this quarter, which after all is a determine decided by each recruiting and departures.

All of this additionally takes place towards a backdrop of a broader battle for agent depend that has seen all the main actual property corporations compete intensely for the best producers.

Robert Reffkin

Although observers must wait till Compass’ subsequent earnings report back to see how general recruiting has fared currently, the corporate struck an upbeat tone in its assertion on Launch. Robert Reffkin, Compass’ founder and CEO, finally concluded that he’s “excited to welcome Launch to the Compass household as we proceed to develop the Compass footprint in the US.”

“Launch is a premier luxurious brokerage and an ideal match for our model and tradition,” Reffkin added within the assertion. “We’re including a wonderful agent-centric company in a prime U.S. market, creating vital synergies inside our huge agent community.”

E mail Jim Dalrymple II