Compass, the largest US real estate brokerage, has delivered exceptional second-quarter results that surpass analyst expectations while the broader real estate market contracted by 0.9%. The company reported a remarkable 20.9% explosion in transaction volume, achieving revenues of $2.06 billion—a 21.1% increase year-over-year. This performance exceeded analyst projections of $2.05 billion. Even more impressive was the 63% surge in adjusted EBITDA to $125.9 million, while GAAP net profit skyrocketed by 90.3% to a record $39.4 million. The company’s success stems largely from its ability to attract talent, with 832 principal agents organically joining Compass in Q2 alone, bringing the total to 20,965 agents—a 23% increase. This expanded workforce facilitated 73,025 transactions worth $78.3 billion collectively, boosting market share by 96 basis points to an all-time high of 6.09%.
Acquisition Strategy Yields Mixed Investor Response
Despite record achievements, Compass stock declined 1.76% to $7.37 following the earnings announcement. The market’s lukewarm reaction comes despite significant acquisition momentum, with Compass recently purchasing Christie’s International Real Estate, Washington Fine Properties, and a title company in Texas, followed by two smaller brokerage firms in July. This aggressive expansion strategy has improved free cash flow by $27.6 million to $68 million. Management’s third-quarter guidance projects revenue between $1.725-1.85 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $60-80 million, while reducing the full-year cost estimate to $1.01-1.02 billion. However, these projections and record-breaking results apparently weren’t enough to fully convince investors in the current challenging market environment.
