World’s Top Real Estate Companies

One of the most important decisions in a person’s life is buying a home. It is also the most expensive transaction a customer can make in his life. But not everyone knows which are the best real estate companies in the world.
The process of buying a home can seem incredibly stressful, whether the customer is a newbie or a seasoned veteran. Fortunately, they can find a real estate agent who is willing to do the job for them.
That’s why we’ve put together a list of the world’s top real estate companies to find out which real estate agencies you can trust, as well as a list of the world’s best real estate companies to work for if you’re just starting your career as a real estate agent. Here is a list of the main real estate companies in the world:
RE / MAX
It is short for Real Estate Maximums, and has been in business since 1973. Remax is one of the largest international real estate companies with more than 100,000 agents worldwide, although most of the properties are focused on the United States.
In its 4 decades of existence, the company has grown to encompass more than 100,000 sales agents working in franchise real estate offices, operated in more than 100 countries and territories. RE / MAX is considered one of the most productive real estate sales forces in the world.
21st Century
Century 21 has been in the market since 1972 with thousands of affiliated independent brokers, entrepreneurs, and agents. It is a real estate powerhouse, and one of the most recognized brands in the real estate industry, with a large global presence. There are approximately 8,000 independently owned and operated brokerage offices, with 100,000 associates spread across 80 nations around the world. Century 21 has established itself as a leader in electronic marketing and has become one of the most respected real estate companies in the real estate market.
Coldwell banker
The Coldwell Banker brand is the oldest and one of the most established residential real estate franchise systems in North America, with 3,000 offices operating in 49 countries and territories around the world.
Coldwell Banker was founded in San Francisco in 1906, and has an extensive reputation for providing reliable real estate services to its clients. The company has 3,000 offices in nearly 50 nations around the world. This real estate company is known for providing high quality services and for training its agents.
Zillow.com
Zillow is one of the best real estate listing sites dedicated to empowering consumers with data since 2006, inspiration and knowledge about where they call home, and connecting them with top local agents who can help.
Rich Barton and Lloyd Frink are former Microsoft executives who also started Expedia, and founded Zillow in 2005. Since then, the company has grown tremendously to become the only online portal that strives to provide its users with the tools and applications to make sound real estate decisions independently. It has a database of more than 110 million homes and an arsenal of tools that can make it easy to rent or buy a home.
Sotheby’s International Realty
Sotheby’s International Realty was established in 1976 to provide autonomous brokerages with an incredible display and referral program for luxurious and extravagant properties. Its network was designed to connect the best independent real estate companies with the most prestigious clientele in the world.
The real estate company has many clients with a high net worth. Numerous residential sales for Sotheby’s fall in the million dollar range. More recently, the agency expanded its presence in Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines and Thailand.
Prospective buyers can easily find an agent with the local experience and background of the community they seek, to guide their expensive purchase decision. Sotheby’s Realty has more than 18,000 sales associates around the world.
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.
Keller Williams is one of the largest real estate franchises in the world by number of agents and a US leader in units and sales volume.
In 2012, Keller Williams achieved profitability in 91% of its offices nationwide. Today it operates in more than 700 markets around the world and in 2020 it is expanding even further in Latin America with new master franchises in Honduras and Turks and Caicos.
ERA Real Estate
ERA, which stands for Electronic Realty Associates, is operated by Realogy, the parent company of Century 21, Coldwell Banker, and Sotheby’s International Realty. Founded in 1971, ERA was motivated to champion a then-novel technology – fax – to bring real estate services to greater functionality.
ERA is a real estate agency that has grown a lot and now has offices in various countries around the world continuing its innovative role.
Redfin
Redfin started inventing map-based searches and became a residential brokerage company. It helps users in their search for a new home by filtering searches by property type and connecting with top real estate agents.
Redfin’s seller listing fee can be half the average fee, as low as 1.5%. However, a seller has to pay a commission to the buyer’s agent. From a buyer’s perspective, Redfin provides more information, compared to other real estate websites offering the same properties. The company surveys each customer about their experience with Redfin and associated agents, showing all reviews in agent profiles.
Corcoran Group
Since 1973, Corcoran agents have been earning and maintaining the trust of their clients with an unwavering commitment to service, experience, and integrity.
Real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran used a trick known as a one-day sale to sell 81 apartments in a 24-hour period. His tactic was to take a variety of properties in the city and sell them all at the same price to the best friends of his agents.
In 1995, the Corcoran website debuted and became one of the first online portals for the real estate industry. Corcoran is now one of the largest private residential real estate companies in New York City, combining real estate experience with unmatched knowledge of the market and fluency in the neighborhood.
Colliers International
Colliers International opened its first Latin American office in Mexico City in 1993, becoming the country’s industry leaders.
Colliers International is a leading professional real estate and investment management services company. They have operations in 68 countries providing expert advice to maximize property value for real estate occupants, owners, and investors.
Alfa Mexico
Real estate network with more than 100 offices in Mexico, 200 in the world and more than 5000 in available furniture. In 1996 it became the number one Real Estate Network in Spain. In 2000, it became the first real estate company to offer Network Software with an Internet connection (InmoAlfa). And in 2006 Alfa arrived in Portugal and Mexico and the Master’s office was established in Mexico.
The best real estate companies to work for
A real estate company is a brokerage, whether national or local, that employs licensed real estate agents who represent local buyers and sellers. We compare real estate brokers and choose the best ones to work for, including the best overall, based on commissions, fees, training, brand recognition, and marketing efforts.
An agent is required to associate their real estate license with a broker before they can begin work. You can read here: How to get certified as a real estate agent.
According to our criteria, you are with the best real estate companies to work with today:
- Keller williams
- RE / MAX
- 21Century
- Coldwell Banker Realty
- Sotheby’s International Realty
- Redfin
We have used the following criteria to choose the best real estate companies:
commission division, desk fees, training and mentoring, brand recognition, and marketing.
Based on these criteria, we consider Keller Williams to be the best real estate broker to work for. The well-known brand offers agents a generous commission structure with affordable desk fees, ongoing training opportunities for professional growth, and profit sharing.
The secret of the real estate professionals who sell the most
The real estate market stands out for its difficulty and high cost when it comes to attracting and retaining clients. Every lost customer represents a lost sales opportunity. That is why today it is not enough for real estate agents to use only listing sites to promote properties. Sometimes starting your career at one of the best real estate companies in the world will help you have a great resume right from the start, before you decide to go independent.
That is why every day, more and more real estate agents choose to invest in technology to stand out in a market characterized by its increasingly competitive environment.
With the unexpected arrival of covid-19, real estate agents are rapidly using new technologies such as online listings, real estate CRM and virtual reality to provide superior services to buyers and improve the relationship between the consumer and the agent. The position of real estate agents is changing with advances in technology, from being just an information referee to a local industry specialist and service provider.
Since CRM programs entered our lives, we have been able to carry out increasingly simple and efficient business processes. Successful real estate brokers and agents take a step forward in the new digital age by investing in a real estate CRM like the 1top.company app, which allows them to upload and update their properties from multiple listing websites in an easy and secure way.