realestate

Douglas Elliman's top talent joins rival brokerage Compass

Compass Attracts 39 Former Elliman Agents Across US Markets.

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ompass has been making significant gains by luring top agents from Douglas Elliman this year. Between January and September, 39 former Elliman agents joined Compass, bringing with them a combined self-reported sales volume of around $1 billion in 2023. These agents are spread across key markets in New York, California, Florida, and Texas.

    Notable recruits include Palm Beach agent Thor Brown, who left Elliman after finishing last year with $78 million in sales, and Boca Raton-based Bonnie Heatzig, a former Bex Realty agent who spent nearly two decades at the local firm before joining Elliman. In New York City, 10 agents have defected to Compass, including reality TV star Erin Lichy and Maggie Marshall, a former co-leader of a top-producing team at Elliman.

    Compass has also poached the Zweben Team, which spent 20 years at Elliman and achieved $65 million in sales last year. In Los Angeles, broker Josh Flagg joined Compass after a two-year stint at Elliman, despite controversy surrounding his departure from the firm. The "Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles" star's contract with Elliman was terminated in March due to a dispute over a home sale.

    The combined deal volume of Compass' recruits is more than 12 times that of agents who left Compass for Elliman during the same period, according to data provided by Compass. This discrepancy may be attributed to the firms' relative size, with Compass boasting around 33,000 nationwide agents compared to Elliman's roughly 6,500 at the end of 2023.

Real estate executives from Douglas Elliman join Compass in New York City.