Every agent weighing a brokerage move asks the same two questions: who has actually done this, and what happened next? This post answers both with documented stories: named teams that made the switch public, and the company numbers underneath their decision. Here is what success really looks like at the Real REMAX Group in 2026, and how Tory Akene helps agents write their own version of it.
The short version is this: winning agents and teams keep choosing REAL's economics, technology, and culture in large numbers, and the reason is structural, not sentimental. Higher splits, no monthly desk fees, company-paid revenue share, stock awards, and an AI stack included free add up to a platform that rewards production differently than the traditional model does.
The Numbers Underneath Every Success Story
Stories are easier to trust when the company behind them is growing, and the recent numbers are public and verifiable. In Q2 2026, REAL (now Real REMAX Group, NASDAQ: REAX) reported revenue of $700.6 million, up 30% year over year, on 62,380 closed transaction sides (up 27%) and $26.3 billion in transaction value. The agent base reached 35,348 at June 30, 2026, up 26% from the year before.
Then came the headline of the year: the RE/MAX acquisition closed on August 24, 2026, creating the Real REMAX Group, which began trading on NASDAQ under REAX the next day. The combined platform spans roughly 180,000 agents in more than 120 countries and territories, with over 100,000 in the United States and Canada. Agents who join now are building inside one of the largest agent networks in the industry, running on REAL's technology.
The takeaway: Success stories at REAL sit on top of real, reported growth. When a brokerage grows revenue 30% while adding tens of thousands of agents, the economics are working for the people inside the network, not just the company.
Winning Teams That Made the Switch Public
REAL has repeatedly and publicly announced high-performing teams as they joined. These are real names from company announcements, and they are worth reading because of what they prove: agents who already had strong businesses made the same calculation this site walks you through.
agentinc, Southern California
In 2023, agentinc, co-founded by John McMonigle, a five-time RealTrends No. 1 team winner, and Scott MacDonald, joined REAL. When a team that has already been ranked No. 1 in the country moves, it is fair to ask why. The answer is the same economics any agent can check: an 85/15 commission split, no monthly desk fees, and an included AI tech stack.
The Barron Team, San Diego
Announced in February 2023, the Barron Team's move included a detail that still gets quoted in agent circles: the team signed seven new listings within a month of joining. That is the pattern you see repeated, a lower-fee, higher-tech platform frees up time and capital to go generate business instead of paying overhead.
FresYes Realty, Central Valley, California
In October 2023, Jason Farris brought roughly 50 agents with him to REAL. Fifty agents do not follow a leader to a worse deal; they follow a structure that improves everyone's economics. Team moves like this one are why the site's team-building resources and Tory's team transition support exist.
David Newman Partners, Phoenix and Scottsdale
David Newman, a luxury market agent, and his 12-member team joined in August 2023. High-end production is where split differences turn into six figures of kept income fast, which is exactly why luxury and production-focused agents are so heavily represented in REAL's growth.
Speicher Group, Washington, DC metro
Chris and Peggy Lyn Speicher moved their group to REAL in May 2023. Top-producing teams across different markets, price points, and geographies keep arriving for the same structural reason: the model keeps more of what agents earn and builds equity on top.
"Agents today want access to innovative technology, meaningful professional development, a supportive community and opportunities to build long-term wealth."
That quote, from Jason Cassity, REAL's Chief Growth Officer and a 13-year San Diego agent, appeared in the company's June 2026 announcement celebrating 35,000+ agents. It is the clearest summary of what agents tell REAL they are looking for when they switch brokerages: tech, growth, community, and wealth.
What the Successful Agents Are Actually Using
Strip away the branding and every documented story above rests on the same four pillars. Here is what agents who join REAL get to build on, and it is the honest content behind "best brokerage for agents" claims:
An 85/15 commission split with no monthly fees
Agents keep 85% of every commission, with $0 in monthly desk fees. The annual cost is $1,200, collected across your first three transactions, and once you reach the $12,000 annual cap on the company side, you keep 100% of the rest of your production for the year. Traditional brokerages often pair lower splits with monthly fees that arrive whether you sell or not; that math is why so many agents compare splits and switch.
Revenue share that runs five levels deep
REAL's revenue share pays you a percentage of the gross commission of agents you bring into the network, five levels deep, with the tiers weighted toward the agents you sponsor directly. Critically, it is paid from the company's 15% side, never out of the recruited agent's commission. That makes it a genuine real estate revenue share, a leveraged income stream for agents who build teams, and one of the most searched reasons agents switch brokerages in 2026.
Stock awards and equity
Because REAL is publicly traded, agents can earn REAX stock awards tied to production milestones, including grants when you cap and incentive shares through the stock purchase plan. Add Elite status, which recognizes top producers with an additional stock award, reduced post-cap transaction fees, and recognition, and commission stops being the only way your work pays you.
Leo AI, HeyLeo, and reZEN, included free
Leo AI is REAL's voice-first AI assistant: property search, transaction monitoring, marketing generation, and client-workflow automation. HeyLeo is the consumer-facing AI search tool that hands buyers and sellers to you. reZEN is the workflow and transaction platform that runs underneath. Other brokerages charge thousands for weaker tools; at REAL, the whole AI stack comes with your membership, which is a core reason AI real estate tools searches bring agents here.
Stories are a great starting point, but your numbers are different from everyone else's. Bring me your average commission, your deal count, and your current split, and I will show you exactly what the switch is worth in your market.
Book a Free Strategy CallWhy Teams Talk About Switching Differently at REAL
Individual agents switch for the split. Teams switch for the split plus the structure: REAL supports Domestic Teams, ProTeams, and Marketing Groups, so a team leader can keep their brand, run their own recruitment, and earn revenue share from their team's production on top of their own deals. That combination, real estate team building plus passive income real estate, is why so many of the documented moves above are team moves, not solo sign-ups.
And after the merger, there is a timing argument too. The Real REMAX Group now has the network scale of one of the most recognized brands in the world, combined with the technology and economics of REAL. For an agent building a business inside that, the compound effect of commission, revenue share, and stock builds faster the earlier you are in the cycle.
How Tory Akene Helps Agents Turn This Into a Plan
I'm Tory Akene, one of the world's first AI-certified REALTORS® and a coach and business manager with Kathleen Black International. I help agents do this properly: not just click a join link, but move with a plan, because the agents with the best stories are the ones who brought a system and let a better structure amplify it.
When you join REAL through my referral link, you also get a FREE AI Training Session, my personal bonus, so you can put Leo AI, HeyLeo, and reZEN to work from day one. It is the difference between owning the tools and actually using them, and it is the part of the testimonials nobody mentions: the support to make the model real for your business.
Make your business the next story.
Join REAL through Tory Akene, claim your free AI training, and position yourself inside the Real REMAX Group's 180,000-agent platform.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Stories
Are these agent success stories real?
Yes. The team names above come from company announcements published when each team joined, and the company numbers come from quarterly earnings releases. What we do not do is invent anonymous quotes or fake testimonials; the honest version of the story is more useful to you anyway.
Do revenue share and stock awards really pay out?
They are part of the public, published model. Revenue share is funded from REAL's 15% side of the split, five levels deep, and stock awards are tied to production milestones, including cap grants. Both are recurring reasons agents give for staying and building inside the network.
Is the merger a good reason to switch now?
It is excellent positioning. The Real REMAX Group combines 180,000+ agents with REAL's technology, and agents who build their network and production now do so while the combined platform is still early in its growth curve.
The Bottom Line
What the winning teams share is not luck. It is a structure that keeps more of their commission, pays them company-side revenue share, awards them stock, and hands them an AI stack for free, all on a platform that just became one of the largest in real estate. That is why agents keep comparing, switching, and staying.
Ready to make the switch?
- Join REAL through Tory: bolt.therealbrokerage.com/register
- Book a free consultation: calendar.app.google
- Call Tory: 289-814-TORY (8679)
- Explore Leo AI: tech.onereal.com/leo