American Real Estate Associations’ (ARA) latest members are all agents and brokers at Compass International Holdings brands.
Agents who are brokered at any of company-owned operations under the Compass International Holdings umbrella will receive complimentary membership for the remainder of 2026 and all of 2027, according to an announcement on Tuesday.
ARA’s current membership structure allows for agents to join the trade group for $20 per year or pay $1,500 to become a founding member, which covers dues for 10 years.
“Competition makes every industry better,” Robert Reffkin, the chairman and CEO of Compass International Holdings, said in a statement. “For too long real estate professionals have lacked real choice in national representation. By joining the American Real Estate Association, we are supporting a competitive alternative that must earn agents’ trust and prove its value. Our agents will have the choice to join this residential real estate association that is now competing for its members to provide better value.”
ARA was co-founded in 2024 by The Agency’s Mauricio Umansky and Compass agent Jason Haber.
“When we launched the American Real Estate Association, our mandate was clear: Build a unified voice of reason and deliver relentless advocacy for the true professionals who power this industry,” said Mauricio Umansky, Co-Founder of the American Real Estate Association. “Welcoming into ARA the incredible real estate professionals across the brands affiliated with Compass International Holdings is a pivotal moment for us. It proves that the future of real estate belongs to dedicated, highly skilled advisors who put clients first and demand a higher standard for our profession.”
The addition of Compass International Holdings’ agents to ARA comes roughly a month after the trade group announced it was welcoming REMAX president and chief growth officer Chris Lim to its board of directors and providing all REMAX agents in the United States with a complimentary first-year membership.
Douglas Elliman, which has more than 6,600 agents, recently aligned with the association, integrating its agents into ARA’s membership. Douglas Elliman president and CEO Michael Liebowitz and general counsel Deva Roberts both serve on the ARA board, as does Briggs Elwell, CEO and co-founder of real estate technology firm RLTYco.
“The decisions by brokerages of all different sizes, types and business models to join the ARA confirms how hungry the market was for competition and innovative, agent-first leadership,” Elwell said in a statement. “By pairing the association’s uncompromising advocacy with this massive agent footprint, we are equipping professionals with the tools and representation they need to thrive as true business owners.”
The association also absorbed the New York Residential Agent Continuum (NYRAC) as its foundational local chapter in January 2025. NYRAC represents many of New York City’s top-producing residential agents, giving ARA an operational foothold in one of the country’s most competitive and high-cost markets.
