How Compass' new portal works for buyers, sellers and agents 

Compass isn't just a leader in residential sales — it has long positioned itself as a technology innovator, touting its agent platform and other tech products as a key advantage and a driver of recent recruiting wins.

And this week, the company, which ranks No. 1 in sales volume among U.S. brokerages, introduced a new consumer-facing portal that company leaders say will not only make the homebuying and selling process more seamless for clients, but will also help agents do more business. 

There's also a benefit to the brokerage itself: capturing more private listings. 

Dubbed Compass One, the platform allows for streamlined communication and document-sharing among agents, clients and other service providers involved in a deal, such as lenders, inspectors and title insurers. It also includes a step-by-step timeline of the purchase or sale process and all of the documents needed to complete a transaction.

How it works for buyers: Now that NAR's industry practice changes have been in effect for several months, the Compass One portal aims to make it easier for agents and clients to review and complete buyer agreements, which are integrated into the platform.

Buyers can also see when each step in the transaction process will occur and which tasks they need to complete themselves, and they can browse and share their favorite listings with their agent — which helps Compass keep clients on its platform instead of sending traffic to real estate search portals. Other features include home tour details and comparative market analyses for specific properties.

And consistent with the brokerage's push to promote its exclusive listings, Compass agents will be able to share individual private listings with buyers via the dashboard. The brokerage currently has roughly 5,500 so-called Private Exclusives, a representative told Real Estate News. 

How it works for sellers: Similar to the buyer dashboard, the seller portal will include a transaction timeline, integrated forms and disclosures, and a communication channel where clients can engage with their agent and any service providers involved in the sale process.

Sellers also have access to comparative market analyses and can review individual comps. 

The company's "3-phase marketing strategy," which encourages agents to pitch sellers on the Compass Private Exclusives and Compass Coming Soon channels rather than going straight to the open market, is also integrated into the dashboard, which alerts sellers to consult with their agent about those channels. Agents can share feedback and insights on the sellers' home — and notes from their consultation — via the dashboard as well. 

What it does for agents: "In today's real estate landscape, success belongs to those who can clearly articulate and prove their value — and Compass One was built to help agents do precisely that," a spokesperson said over email. 

Compass' president of growth and communications, Rory Golod, made similar comments to Real Estate News recently, but also highlighted how the integration of the brokerage's 3-phase marketing strategy and access to its Private Exclusives can be leveraged as a competitive advantage.

"Taking a listing and just throwing it on the MLS and aggregators on the first day you launch it without getting any feedback from the market, understanding if you're priced right, understanding what the demand is and building up interest — you're not serving your clients' best interests," Golod explained. 

Compass Founder and CEO Robert Reffkin said in the launch announcement that the dashboard will help agents build trust with clients and drive repeat business.

"By enabling agents with technology that delivers 24/7 transparency before, during, and after the transaction, Compass One showcases the agent's value well beyond just facilitating transactions: It reinforces their role as trusted, full-service real estate advisors, providing clients with expert guidance at every stage of homeownership."