Market Data
Reading the 2026 RealTrends Rankings as a Recruiting Map
Compass leads on volume, eXp leads on sides, and independents have quietly grown to nearly 29% of the market. Each of those facts is a recruiting story.
By Devin Park · Apr 24, 2026 · 5 min read
The 2026 RealTrends Verified rankings dropped this week. Compass led on volume at $262.2B, eXp Realty led on sides at 343,091, and — the line that should grab every recruiter's attention — independents now make up 28.79% of the market.
That independent number is the highest it's been in the rankings era. It also tracks with what's playing out at the agent level: producers leaving large franchises are increasingly landing at boutique or regional independents rather than at another national brand.
Read as a recruiting map, the rankings are less interesting for who's at the top and more interesting for the slope of the curve. The Real Brokerage and LPT Realty both moved up. That kind of mobility tells you where agents are voting with their feet.
If you're a broker-owner trying to decide whether to spend the next twelve months chasing splits parity with the model brokerages or doubling down on what makes your shop specific, the independent share number is your answer. The market is rewarding specificity.
