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As the merger closes quickly, Cara Ameer offers questions that still haven’t been answered and insights on the future possibilities.

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Invest in yourself, grow your business—real estate’s biggest moment is in San Diego!

Well, that was fast. With the Anywhere-Compass merger complete, a new era of real estate is on the horizon. While some things have been addressed, there’s a lot we don’t know yet. What does this new company look like, and what does this mean for Anywhere-affiliated agents? These are just a few lingering questions I still have.

13 lingering questions from the Compass-Anywhere deal

1. Will Anywhere be rebranded?

The words “Compass” and “Anywhere” have different meanings. One focuses on direction; the other references no specific place. How the Anywhere brand will be connected to Compass, other than “Anywhere powered by Compass” or something similar remains to be seen.

2. What will the integrated company look like?

Despite hearing “nothing will change,” this merger is too significant for that not to happen. Those in the know may not have shared yet, but are there plans to consolidate or rename certain brands? Will some brands be packaged and spun off? Will this provide an opportunity for other players in the marketplace to acquire smaller brands that were divested after the merger?

3. What about all that debt?

No one likes to pay other people’s bills, so what does this mean for the day-to-day running of Anywhere? Will cost-cutting measures be implemented from the consolidation of executive and regional leadership, branch management, staff, and ultimately, the reorganization and closure of offices?

4. How will overlaps between the 2 organizations be handled?

Streamlining is inevitable, and it’s a matter of if, not when, a lot of duplicate functions will be consolidated, merged or eliminated. What stays and what goes that impacts the operational side of Anywhere and the day-to-day functions of offices and agents.

5. What happens with compensation and fees?

Will Compass agent compensation structures extend to Anywhere agents? How will this merger impact current agent compensation and fees that agents pay to Anywhere brands? Will their fees increase? Will they have to pay for tools and services they previously did not have to? Will new independent contractor agreements need to be signed that reflect Compass policies and procedures?

6. Who’s who in the new paradigm?

Although it’s been said that the respective brands will stay in their lanes and continue doing their own thing, we need to understand who’s who in the newly merged company. Therefore, Anywhere agents will need an orientation to their new parent company.

A “Compass 101” will be a must to understand the organizational structure, the different departments, who does what, and what services and tools, if any, will be offered and/or integrated to Anywhere agents.

7. What happens with the relocation and referral network?

Now that the merger has closed, what’s in store for the relocation business and the broker-to-broker referral network? Will Compass be integrated into the Anywhere Leads Group to work with corporate relocation, affinity and broker-to-broker referrals?

Will the broker-to-broker network be expanded across all brands that Compass owns, effectively making this one of the largest broker-to-broker referral networks in the country?

8. Will Anywhere agents have to adopt Compass technology?

Compass has always touted itself as a technology company that sells real estate. It was mentioned that Anywhere agents will have access to Compass’s tech stack. Will Compass ultimately ditch Anywhere’s tools and tech to streamline systems for ease of use and efficiency by agents and Anywhere employees?

9. Will the franchise network be impacted by the merger?

How will Compass manage franchise relationships? Will some or all of the existing Anywhere leadership that manages these relationships be integrated? Will franchisees continue to operate independently with their own platforms to run their offices as they see fit, or will they need to integrate into Compass’s systems?

10. What happens with private listings?

As many have speculated, will Compass use this merger as leverage for a private listing network? How will the merger affect how listings are displayed, syndicated or prioritized? Could this attract more sellers to work with agents affiliated with Compass brands that may want greater off-market exposure before opting to go public, if at all?

11. How will the Compass-Zillow lawsuit affect Anywhere brands?

Speaking of private listings, let’s look at the catalyst that sparked a fight between these two companies. As a knock-down, drag-out court battle over seller choice versus portal mandates unfolds, what lasting implications will this case have for all Compass-affiliated brands?

Could it potentially hurt Anywhere brand inventory and the ability of agents to provide exposure across Zillow if Zillow decides to fully flex its muscle and ban Compass-affiliated listings from ever appearing on the platform?

12. How will Compass use its leverage with NAR, MLSs, and state and local associations?

This merger is sure to have significant impacts across Realtor associations and MLS platforms used by Compass-affiliated agents nationwide. Will Compass’s sheer size give it more leverage on how, where and when listings appear? Will Compass-affiliated agents leave membership in these associations or feel they need to be a member in them any longer?

13. How will the rest of the industry be impacted?

What implications will this merger have for Compass and its influence on the way real estate policy and procedure is shaped at a local, state and national level? Will they become an influential voice in Washington, D.C., and across key markets, such as New York City, Southern California and South Florida? How will their dominance as a big market player impact its agents?

Now that the merger is complete, will this spark acquisition and consolidation activity amongst other brands? Will some Anywhere brand franchises opt to leave and merge with other companies outside of the Compass? Will this merger reshape the post-commission-lawsuit landscape?

The company’s combined strength and size give it significant leverage on many levels — finding the best vendors, platforms and offerings to make it a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

At the end of the day, much remains to be seen. Because so much happens behind the veil, Anywhere agents are on a need-to-know basis until we aren’t.

The implications of this merger will be fascinating to watch on all levels, along with its impact on the brokerage landscape, agents, portals, NAR, state and local associations, and MLSs. Stay tuned.

Cara Ameer is a bi-coastal agent licensed in California and Florida with Coldwell Banker. You can follow her on Facebook or on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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