Is RE/MAX still an independent company in 2026?

No, RE/MAX is mid-acquisition. On April 26, 2026, it signed a definitive merger agreement with The Real Brokerage valued at about $880 million. DOJ cleared the deal July 13, 2026, shareholder votes are set for August 14, 2026, and close is expected in H2 2026.

Is RE/MAX profitable?

RE/MAX still generates positive EBITDA but revenue is shrinking. Q1 2026 revenue was $70.2 million, down 5.7% year over year from $74.5 million, with adjusted EBITDA of $15.6 million, per its May 8, 2026 earnings release.

Who is buying RE/MAX?

The Real Brokerage (NASDAQ: REAX) agreed to acquire RE/MAX Holdings in a deal announced April 26 to 27, 2026, at an implied enterprise value of about $880 million, roughly 7 times 2025 EBITDA, forming a new entity called Real REMAX Group.

Is RE/MAX losing agents to competitors?

In the U.S. and Canada, yes: combined agent count fell 2.3% year over year to 73,292 as of Q1 2026, even as RE/MAX's global agent count hit a record 149,192, up 2.1%, driven by international growth rather than North American gains.

Could AI replace RE/MAX real estate agents?

Not licensing or closing, which remain human gated, but lead capture is already shifting to AI. RE/MAX had 15 to 20 AI tools live or in development as of December 31, 2025, and incoming owner Real Brokerage plans to route about 1 million annual RE/MAX website leads through its HeyLeo AI concierge.

Who is RE/MAX's biggest competitor now?

Compass became the largest U.S. brokerage enterprise by sales volume after acquiring Anywhere Real Estate in January 2026, absorbing Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby's, Corcoran, ERA and BHGRE. Keller Williams had already overtaken RE/MAX on agent count back in 2013.

Real estate developers · acquisition pending · United States

RE/MAX

remax.com ↗

RE/MAX is a global real estate franchise brand now being absorbed by The Real Brokerage.

Protection under test

Assessed 24 July 2026 · Evidence as of 24 July 2026

Something worth protecting exists and is being tested right now.

On the recordSince 24 July 2026 · Checkable from August 14, 2026 · Every call on the record Checkpoint: Shareholder vote on the Real Brokerage merger

The call

RE/MAX's future is now tied to how well Real Brokerage integrates a shrinking U.S./Canada agent base into its AI-driven platform after the 2026 merger closes.

RE/MAX is a real estate brokerage that franchises its brand to local agents who buy leads and support from the company. It has been shrinking for over a decade because competitors like eXp Realty and Compass offer cheaper ways to sell homes, and now AI tools are starting to replace the leads RE/MAX used to sell. The Real Brokerage is buying RE/MAX and plans to merge it with its own AI-powered platform by late 2026, so the next few years will depend entirely on whether that merger works and whether Real can stop the agent exodus.

Why

AI pressure: The Real Brokerage's HeyLeo AI agent platform (post-merger integration). Real's AI-native reZEN and HeyLeo tools are live and will run RE/MAX's agent base after the deal closes, not the other way around. Could AI do the core job? Only partly.

Bigger players: Compass. Compass became the largest U.S. brokerage after absorbing Anywhere's Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby's, Corcoran, ERA and BHGRE in January 2026. Could a giant copy it? Yes, easily.

What protects it. A 149,192-agent global franchise network and brand recognition still bring in conversions like the 1,200-agent Ontario move in January 2026.

What would change this call

August 14, 2026 shareholder votes at RE/MAX and Real Brokerage on the merger. Shows whether owners endorse folding RE/MAX into Real's platform or the deal falters.
U.S./Canada agent count reported in quarterly filings for two quarters post-close. Shows whether Real's tech stack stems RE/MAX agent attrition or losses continue.
Any Denver corporate office closures or staff reductions announced within 90 days of deal close. Shows how much of RE/MAX's independent operation survives inside Real.

Key numbers

Q1 2026 revenue $70.2M, down 5.7% YoY (2026-05-08)
U.S./Canada agents fell 2.3% YoY to 73,292 (2026-05-08)
Share price $9.27 vs $67.50 all-time high (2026-07-23)

Named risks

US/Canada agent base continues shrinking (down 2.3% YoY as of Q1 2026). Severity: high
Merger could face shareholder litigation over deal price; BFA Law investigating board as of July 2026. Severity: medium
Revenue decline (5.7% YoY Q1 2026) amid housing market softness. Severity: high
Ongoing NAR-related commission antitrust litigation and claims process through August 2026. Severity: medium
Post-merger integration could wind down Denver corporate functions, disrupting operations. Severity: medium

Rivals, as read in July 2026

Rival	Direction	Evidence
The Real Brokerage	losing to	RE/MAX being acquired by Real for $880M, deal signed April 2026, vote Aug 14 2026
Compass	losing to	Compass became largest brokerage by sales volume after Anywhere acquisition closed January 2026
Keller Williams	losing to	KW overtook RE/MAX on US agent count in 2013 and sales volume in 2017
eXp Realty	losing to	eXp agent count grew 66% to 113% YoY 2022 to 2024 while RE/MAX stagnated, per May 2026 report

Questions people ask

Is RE/MAX still an independent company in 2026?: No, RE/MAX is mid-acquisition. On April 26, 2026, it signed a definitive merger agreement with The Real Brokerage valued at about $880 million. DOJ cleared the deal July 13, 2026, shareholder votes are set for August 14, 2026, and close is expected in H2 2026.
Is RE/MAX profitable?: RE/MAX still generates positive EBITDA but revenue is shrinking. Q1 2026 revenue was $70.2 million, down 5.7% year over year from $74.5 million, with adjusted EBITDA of $15.6 million, per its May 8, 2026 earnings release.
Who is buying RE/MAX?: The Real Brokerage (NASDAQ: REAX) agreed to acquire RE/MAX Holdings in a deal announced April 26 to 27, 2026, at an implied enterprise value of about $880 million, roughly 7 times 2025 EBITDA, forming a new entity called Real REMAX Group.
Is RE/MAX losing agents to competitors?: In the U.S. and Canada, yes: combined agent count fell 2.3% year over year to 73,292 as of Q1 2026, even as RE/MAX's global agent count hit a record 149,192, up 2.1%, driven by international growth rather than North American gains.
Could AI replace RE/MAX real estate agents?: Not licensing or closing, which remain human gated, but lead capture is already shifting to AI. RE/MAX had 15 to 20 AI tools live or in development as of December 31, 2025, and incoming owner Real Brokerage plans to route about 1 million annual RE/MAX website leads through its HeyLeo AI concierge.
Who is RE/MAX's biggest competitor now?: Compass became the largest U.S. brokerage enterprise by sales volume after acquiring Anywhere Real Estate in January 2026, absorbing Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby's, Corcoran, ERA and BHGRE. Keller Williams had already overtaken RE/MAX on agent count back in 2013.

Timeline

2026-08-14RE/MAX and Real Brokerage shareholder votes on merger scheduled
2026-07-28Final fairness hearing for $28.5M NAR commission antitrust settlement
2026-07-13DOJ grants early termination of HSR antitrust waiting period for Real merger
2026-05-08Q1 2026 results: revenue down 5.7% YoY, US/Canada agents down 2.3%
2026-04-27RE/MAX and Real Brokerage sign definitive merger agreement, ~$880M value
2026-02-19RE/MAX reports ~1,200 agent Ontario conversion, its largest brokerage conversion ever
2026-01Compass closes acquisition of Anywhere Real Estate, absorbing six major brands
2025-12-31RE/MAX SVP states company has 15 to 20 AI tools live or in development
2025-11-04Real Brokerage launches HeyLeo AI concierge and Leo CoPilot
2025-10-30RE/MAX tightens FY2025 revenue guidance to $290M to $294M

Revision history

24 July 2026

First assessed. Protection under test. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.

In the same band

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