Every Friday, we round up the most popular, most read, most critical stories of the week to give you a quick catchup on the big headlines you might have missed in the hustle and bustle of the workweek. Here’s this week’s Top 5 as chosen by our readers.
P.S. Don’t miss The Download, our weekly column that breaks down one of the week’s top stories and equips you with what you’ll need to meet next Monday head-on.
Real Brokerage to acquire REMAX in $880M consolidation play

The Real Brokerage featured in Times Square
Real’s deal for REMAX would create a 180,000-agent platform as consolidation reshapes brokerage competition.
How Compass built the biggest empire in real estate history

Robert Reffkin
How Compass International Holdings supercharged its growth — and what that means for consumers.
Chicago MLS expands private listing network nationwide, teams up with Compass

MRED will offer any licensed agent at a brokerage access to its Private Listing Network that allows for pre-marketed listings.
‘Scale will be increasingly important’: Real, REMAX CEOs on $880M merger

“The industry has started to consolidate, and consolidation is probably in the future for residential real estate,” Erik Carlson told Inman.
What REMAX agents can expect from Real’s technology suite

Credit: Nutthaseth Vanchaichana/Getty Images
By mid-2026, REMAX franchisees have an interesting choice: Stick with their current technology, or test out what their new owner, Real, has to offer. Here’s an overview of Real’s tech suite.