Brokerage Beat: Compass, eXp gain luxury East Coast firms 

Editor's note: The brokerage business is a busy one, with frequent moves, mergers and milestones. Here we highlight some of the latest activity among brokerages across the U.S.

Compass acquires 150-agent DC powerhouse

Compass has further established itself in the greater Washington, D.C. metro with its recent addition of regional luxury giant Washington Fine Properties.

Ranking fourth in the D.C. region with an average home sales price of $1.6 million, Washington Fine Properties and its 150 agents bring connections, talent, and notoriety to Compass' extensive D.C. operations, the company said in a news release. The firm is led by Principal Broker Dana Landry, President Thomas Anderson, Managing Partner William Moody and Managing Partner Marc Schappell.

"Since launching 11 years ago in the Capital Region, our first market outside of New York City, we have welcomed nearly 2,000 top agents who have helped establish Compass as the leading brokerage in the region," said Compass Founder & CEO Robert Reffkin. 

"By joining forces with WFP, the most reputable local luxury brokerage, we have the opportunity to enhance our combined luxury offerings, and through innovative programs like Compass' 3-Phased Marketing Strategy, we can continue to create a company that better serves homeowners."

Washington Fine Properties has transacted over $43 billion in real estate sales in the last 25 years, in addition to having both the highest average sales volume per agent and highest average sales price annually in the DMV region, according to the announcement.

Luxury Florida firm joins eXp

eXp Realty welcomes Sarasota-based Living Vogue Real Estate, a luxury firm led by Mark Coppens and Matt Hickey, under its umbrella. The 50-agent brokerage, which generated $150 million in 2024, will become part of eXp Luxury.

Coppens and Hickey founded Living Vogue in 2019, and they said the move to eXp will allow them to pass much of the daily work of managing a brokerage over to eXp's in-house team, giving them more time to do what they do best: sales and agent mentoring. 

"We built something special, but the behind-the-scenes work of running a brokerage became overwhelming," said Coppens. "With eXp Realty, we get to keep our unique brand and culture while offloading the operational burden. It's the best of both worlds." 

Coppens also noted that eXp Luxury will provide the firm with additional tools to enhance their marketing and client services. 

"Living Vogue embodies the kind of high-performance, forward-thinking real estate company that thrives at eXp," said Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty.

Drew Backoff Joins Douglas Elliman as VP of Marketing 

Drew Backoff, an entrepreneur and marketing professional with more than 20 years of experience, has returned to Douglas Elliman as vice president of marketing for new development in Miami/Fort Lauderdale. He previously spent nearly four years as senior director of marketing for Elliman's Florida operations from 2012-2016.

In his new role, Backoff will be leading the strategic marketing efforts for The Delmore at Surfside, a new luxury condominium development by DAMAC International, Zaha Hadid Architects and HBA, to drive sales to the 37-unit, 55,000 square foot development in the "Billionaire's Triangle."

Prior to this latest stint with Douglas Elliman, Backoff spent seven years as a project director with Compass Development Marketing Group leading marketing strategies for high-profile residential development projects. 

Backoff's extensive marketing background has taken him across all disciplines within marketing, from branding to marketing strategy and data analysis.

West Virginia indie joins ERA

West Virginia natives Craig Allison and Chris Luzier, owners of Property Elite, LLC, have embraced the ERA brand as they look toward growth.

Now doing business as ERA Property Elite, the firm will gain access to the franchise brand's internal tools to help expand the business and improve marketing efficiency, which includes recruiting additional real estate professionals, according to a news release.

"Providing best-in-class customer service is in my nature," said Allison. "My entire career has been defined by the relationships that I've been able to build with clients across various industries and establishing those relationships have been some of the most fulfilling moments of my professional career."

Allison said it was important to find a partner that would allow his brokerage to retain that personal touch. "When I felt it was time to take our firm to the next level, I didn't want to do it at the expense of getting to experience those genuine interactions. Fortunately, ERA Real Estate provided us with the solutions that would still allow me to do both. With their centralized systems and services, we can quickly educate new agents, while affording myself extra time to focus on what really matters — getting to help more people."

More brokerage news

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Pathways has opened in Charlottesville, Virginia. Led by Marjorie Adam, Lance Hoover and Matthew Woodson, the experienced trio will be assisting clients throughout central Virginia with a range of real estate purchases and sales. The goal of the new firm is to provide a high-touch and personalized full-service real estate experience to clients, with each partner focusing on their unique specializations. Adam, Hoover and Woodson hope to use the Better Homes and Gardens branding to attract like-minded, service-oriented professionals, while also dedicating time and resources to philanthropy.

Century 21 Middleton is officially taking up the Century 21 banner in San Antonio, Texas, after operating as Middleton Group Realty for five years. With a background in law enforcement, owner Bobby Middleton focuses on assisting with military relocation and helping military veterans arrange financing through one of the largest VA lenders in the nation. In addition to working with veterans in San Antonio, C21 Middleton also assists residents of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex with both residential and commercial real estate transactions, including land sales and property rentals.

Engel & Völkers is expanding into Pikes Peak, Colorado. This new brokerage is a sister to the Engel & Völkers location in Castle Rock, Colorado. License Partner Travis Turner, owner of both agencies, is bringing his flare for unique and exceptional Colorado properties to Pikes Peak, where he, five managing brokers, and 33 real estate advisors will be focused on providing local insight and advice to buyers from across the country and the globe.