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Real Brokerage and RE/MAX combine into Real REMAX Group

Real Brokerage and RE/MAX combine into Real REMAX Group

Money Moves

A cloud-based brokerage buys a 51-year-old franchise brand, and shareholders just cleared the way

Yesterday: Shareholders approve the combination

Overview

RE/MAX has sold homes under its red-white-and-blue balloon logo for 51 years. On August 14, 2026, its shareholders voted to hand the company to a 12-year-old, tech-driven rival. Real Brokerage's own investors approved the same deal.

The combined firm will trade on Nasdaq as Real REMAX Group. It brings more than 180,000 agents under one roof, pairing Real's software with RE/MAX's franchise network in over 120 countries. The vote clears the biggest hurdle to closing.

Why it matters

One of the oldest names in U.S. real estate is being absorbed by a tech upstart, testing whether software can revive a fading franchise brand.

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Key Indicators

$880M
Enterprise value of the deal
The value assigned to RE/MAX Holdings, including debt.
180,000+
Combined agents worldwide
Roughly 80,000 of them work in the United States.
~60%
Real owners' share of the combined company
RE/MAX stockholders get about 40%.
78.8%
RE/MAX holder approval
Real securityholders backed the deal with about 99% support.
120+
Countries in RE/MAX's network
The global reach Real gains through the franchise.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

April 2026 August 2026

4 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. Shareholders approve the combination

    Latest Vote

    Real securityholders vote about 99% in favor and RE/MAX holders 78.8% in favor, clearing the main hurdle to closing.

  2. Merger set for August shareholder votes

    Procedural

    Both companies schedule special meetings for August 14 and mail proxies covering the merger and a 10-for-1 Real share consolidation.

  3. Real executives visit RE/MAX headquarters

    Integration

    Poleg and other Real leaders meet RE/MAX staff at an all-team meeting, pitching agents on Real's technology and growth model.

  4. Real agrees to buy RE/MAX

    Deal Announcement

    Real Brokerage announces a definitive agreement to acquire RE/MAX Holdings at an enterprise value of about $880 million, forming Real REMAX Group.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

March 2024

National Association of Realtors antitrust settlement (2024)

The National Association of Realtors agreed to pay $418 million and change how agent commissions are set, following jury verdicts that its rules inflated seller costs. Buyers and sellers gained room to negotiate fees that had long hovered near 6%.

Then

Brokerages scrambled to rewrite contracts and defend their commission splits.

Now

Fee pressure squeezed margins across the industry, rewarding low-cost, tech-driven models over traditional franchises.

Why this matters now

That margin squeeze is the backdrop for RE/MAX's stall and its decision to sell to a cheaper, software-first rival.

2018-2023

eXp Realty's cloud brokerage surge (2018 onward)

eXp Realty grew from a niche firm to tens of thousands of agents by ditching offices and offering software, revenue sharing and stock. It showed that agents would follow technology and incentives instead of a storefront.

Then

Legacy franchises lost recruits and struggled to match the model.

Now

The cloud brokerage became a template that Real Brokerage later copied and scaled.

Why this matters now

Real is the same kind of disruptor, now buying the exact franchise model eXp undercut.

April 2021

Compass Wall Street debut (2021)

Compass, a venture-backed brokerage selling itself as a technology company, went public at a roughly $7 billion valuation. It spent heavily on software and agent recruiting, betting that better tools would win market share.

Then

The stock fell sharply as investors questioned whether it was really a tech firm.

Now

It survived by cutting costs, showing that tech branding alone does not guarantee profit in brokerage.

Why this matters now

Real REMAX Group makes a similar tech-plus-agents bet, and Compass shows how hard it is to prove out.

Sources

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