| CURATED for Agents | Jobs Report Clears the Way for a Fed Hike as Mortgage Rates Dip, Compass Says 63% of New Listings Use Three-Phase Marketing & Real REMAX Offboards Upwards of 1,000 Agents |
FRIDAY · NOVEMBER 6, 2026 The real estate industry produced a lot of noise today. CURATED kept the five things worth knowing. |
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| 👋 Agents. Mortgage rates have fallen for three straight weeks, but a strong October jobs report clears the way for a December Fed hike, Realtor.com’s Jake Krimmel says.
Employers added 165,000 jobs, way above the 65,000 forecast. Compass CEO Robert Reffkin says 63 percent of new Compass-brand listings used its three-phase marketing this week in cities without restrictions. Real REMAX offboarded upwards of 1,000 agents in two months and expects sales to fall 5 to 10 percent in 2027. And eXp’s parent grew its agent count 5 percent from a year earlier to 87,457. Let’s get into all of it.
Enjoy, — CURATED. |
| 1st TakeMortgage Rates Fell Three Straight Weeks, but a Strong October Jobs Report Clears the Way for a December Fed Hike, an Economist SaysThe Quick TakeU.S. employers added 165,000 jobs in October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, way above the 65,000 forecast. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.1 percent from 4.2 percent. Revisions added another 84,000 jobs to August and September, said Realtor.com senior economist Jake Krimmel. He said the report clears the way for a Fed rate hike in December. A soft jobs report was the one thing that could have complicated it, he said. Read more →Why You’ll Feel ItKrimmel noted that mortgage rates have declined for three straight weeks after a 74 basis point surge from late August to mid-October. Wages are the other half of buying power, he said. The Iran War and its effect on inflation and mortgage rates remain the major wildcard, he said. | 📊 The Takes
Many agents expect a December hike to stall the recent rate slide, some want ready buyers to use the three-week dip, and others say paychecks matter more.
🏦 Braces for a Hike — ‘A December hike looks likely now. I am telling buyers not to count on rates sliding much further.’
🔑 Uses the Dip — ‘Rates fell three straight weeks after a big jump. My buyers who are ready should move while it lasts.’
💵 Watches Paychecks — ‘More jobs only help if wages keep up. Buying power is what brings my buyers off the sidelines.’ |
| 2nd TakeCompass CEO Says 63% of New Compass-Brand Listings Use Three-Phase Marketing in Cities Without Restrictions, and 89,000 Listings Showed on Compass.com FirstThe Quick TakeCompass International Holdings CEO Robert Reffkin said 63 percent of newly launched Compass-brand listings used its three-phase marketing strategy this week, on average. That is in cities with no restrictions on the public marketing of office exclusives. As of early November, 89,000 listings were on Compass.com before public portals could show them, he said. On Open Real Estate, he said, “In terms of joining or not, I think there’s definitely a path.” Read more →What’s ChangingOpen Real Estate was founded by four of Reffkin’s largest competitors. Compass’s owned brokerage ended the quarter with 85,476 agents, up more than 2,000 from the prior quarter. It lost 4,098 agents, and Compass said 58 percent had zero dollars in gross commission income in the past 12 months. | 📊 The Takes
Private-first marketing spreading as restrictions fall leads the talk, ahead of hopes for a Compass seat at Open Real Estate and doubts until it signs on.
🚪 Sees Private-First Spreading — ‘Sixty-three percent of new Compass listings go three-phase where no restrictions apply. I expect more listings to start private.’
🤝 Wants Compass In — ‘If Compass joins Open Real Estate, more listing data could sit in one place. That would make my searches easier.’
✍️ Waits for a Yes — ‘A path is not a yes. I will believe Compass is joining when it actually signs on.’ |
| 3rd TakeReal REMAX Offboarded Upwards of 1,000 Agents in Two Months and Expects Sales to Fall 5% to 10% in 2027The Quick TakeReal REMAX Group told investors it offboarded upwards of 1,000 agents over the past two months. More agents left the industry in September, and Real was not immune, Chairman and CEO Tamir Poleg said. Real’s agent count fell to about 36,200 this week from 36,610 at the end of the third quarter. Poleg said most departing agents contributed very little revenue. Read more →Why It’s HittingThe company expects sales to fall 5 to 10 percent in 2027, while industry forecasts show sales flat. CFO Ravi Jani said it does not want to plan for a recovery. REMAX’s U.S. and Canada agent count fell 3 percent to 72,118. Since late August, 104 of Motto Mortgage’s 151 offices have closed. | 📊 The Takes
Cutting low producers draws the widest nods, while others plan for a leaner 2027 and REMAX agents watch what their own offices do next.
✂️ Backs the Cleanup — ‘Most of the agents who left brought in very little revenue. Trimming agents who do not produce is overdue.’
📉 Plans a Lean 2027 — ‘A big brokerage is planning for sales to fall next year. I am trimming my own costs now.’
🏢 Watches My REMAX Office — ‘REMAX lost 3 percent of its agents in the United States and Canada. I want to know what my office does next.’ |
| 4th TakeeXp Parent AGNT Grew Its Agent Count 5% to 87,457 but Swung to a Loss, and Its CEO Says the Market Will Stay Difficult for a WhileThe Quick TakeAGNT, the eXp Realty parent, had 87,457 agents as of Sept. 30, up 5 percent from a year ago. Third-quarter revenue rose 6 percent to about 1.4 billion dollars, but the company swung to a 4.3 million dollar loss. AGNT CEO Leo Pareja said the company expects the market to stay difficult for a while. He said it is not broken but resetting to normal after two record booms. Read more →The Bigger PicturePareja said 44 percent of new joiners are part of teams, which he said are statistically more productive than individual agents. He expects the churn of agents leaving the company to lessen. It was AGNT’s first earnings report since founder Glenn Sanford left the CEO role. | 📊 The Takes
Budgeting for a slow stretch tops agent talk, some agents eye joining a team, and others credit eXp for growing its roster.
🧮 Budgets for a Slog — ‘eXp expects the market to stay difficult for a while. I am budgeting for a slow stretch, not a quick rebound.’
👥 Eyes a Team — ‘Forty-four percent of eXp’s new joiners came on teams. Joining a team looks smarter in this market.’
📈 Notes the Agent Gain — ‘eXp still added agents, helped by buying NextHome. If churn eases like Pareja expects, that model holds up.’ |
| 5th TakeA Texas Man Pleaded Guilty in a $1.5 Million Deed Fraud Scheme That Targeted Vacant Land in Four StatesThe Quick TakeMoshe Levi, 61, of Carrollton, Texas, pleaded guilty in a Boston federal courtroom to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The fraudulent property sales totaled more than 1.5 million dollars, according to prosecutors. According to court filings, Levi and his alleged co-conspirators targeted vacant, unencumbered properties in Massachusetts, Georgia, Indiana, and Tennessee. Read more →Why It MattersProsecutors say the group posed as out-of-state owners with fake driver’s licenses and passports, then persuaded real estate agents to list the properties. In a September American Land Title Association survey, 59 percent of title firms reported seller impersonation fraud in the prior year. Levi will be sentenced Feb. 11, 2027. | 📊 The Takes
Tighter ID checks on remote sellers top the list, with vacant lots singled out as risky and some agents calling in title sooner.
🔍 Verifies Remote Sellers — ‘The scheme used fake IDs and new email accounts. I verify any out-of-state owner before I list.’
🌳 Treats Land Carefully — ‘They went after vacant, unencumbered lots. A land listing from an owner I never meet gets extra scrutiny.’
📜 Brings In Title Early — ‘Fifty-nine percent of title firms reported an impersonation incident. I loop title in as soon as I sign the listing.’ |
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