Lost in the hallways of real estate? Compass Inc. is here to navigate you through the labyrinths of owning a home.

In the past, people used a compass to navigate, and find the direction to their location, but today, you can use Compass Inc. to find the best matching real estate for you, and find your place under the sky!

Owning a home is a lot more than hype, as it increases stability and sustainability. If you haven’t bought your home yet, now is the right time to do that. As the old saying goes: "Instead of waiting to buy a home, buy a home and then wait”.

Today, almost all home buyers are using real estate platforms for house hunting in the US, and many of them choose the popular Compass Inc. - a real estate broker that brings homeowners closer to their dream home.

So, sit back and relax as you read about 3 people that have made a difference in the real estate realm.

The Three Musketeers

All for one and one for all brought immense success for entrepreneurs Robert Reffkin, Ori Allon, and Avi Dorfman, otherwise known as the founders of Urban Compass or just Compass.

Compass Inc. wouldn’t be here today if destiny didn’t bring Robert Reffkin to the USA, the land of opportunities.

Robert, an African American Jewish, grew up in Berkeley, California with his mother who emigrated from Israel. As luck would have it, Robert didn’t enjoy a happy-go-lucky childhood.

Growing up in sunny California, Robert was surrounded by all kinds of people, musicians mostly. Since Robert’s late father was a jazz musician, young Robert was drawn into the lyrical world of music.

In 1994, at the age of 15, Robert built his first business using his babysitting and bar mitzvah savings. He started a DJ company and was a part of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, as well.

The new millennium brought a stroke of real luck for Robert because he left Columbia University with a Bachelor’s degree in 2000, and an M.B.A in Business in 2003. Doing this and that, Robert held different job positions until he met Ori Allon and felt confident enough to build a new company.

Let’s move on to Ori Allon, a computer enthusiast, born and raised in Israel. As a young boy, Ori had his focus set on all things computerized. As years passed by, it was only natural for Ori to delve into the vast world of computer sciences.

As soon as he earned his Bachelor's and Master's degree from Monash University, Ori wanted to continue his education in another country and moved to Australia. In 2009, he was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, and became a doctor in computer sciences.

Robert and Ori were a match made in entrepreneurial heaven, and in 2012, they decided to build Compass Inc. - the virtual real estate company.

The inspiration for this online real estate company came from Robert’s mother, Ruth, who was a real estate agent. Seeing his mom getting elbow-deep in papers and all things real estate, Robert became motivated to use modern technology to improve the capacity of agents to create their business, conduct market research, and analyze data to build their brand more proficient and profitable.

Last but not least, Avi Dorfman, the third musketeer, is the missing part of the puzzle that led to the creation of Compass Inc. Avi, a well-known entrepreneur, and bold investor enjoys working with experienced people who understand the power of computer technology. He holds a Finance and Economics degree from Columbia University in New York City.

Win-Win Strategy

Compass Inc. made its debut only focusing on rentals.

Robert and Ori introduced the company as a platform for customers to schedule online appointments after browsing for real estate on the website. In May 2013, Compass Inc. had its public launch in NYC, and the then-mayor Michael Bloomberg, was there to celebrate with New Yorkers.

Following the public launch, Compass Inc. seemed to reel in a lot of interest from people. It showed that the public launch, accompanied by the presence of the mayor, was a great advertisement, earning the company about $20 million in September 2013.

Robert didn’t hide his thrill and, together with Ori, decided that it is high time for the next step. So, at the beginning of 2014, geared up on knowledge and boldness, Compass Inc. changed its business model. The company contracted independent real estate agents and agreed to a fraction of their usual commissions.

Ori and Robert were psyched with what they had created and praised the fact that the company was constantly growing; it drove them to open new offices and expand the company to Hamptons, Boston, South Florida, and Brooklyn.

Robert was more than happy to help people find their homes, and as demand grew - Robert started employing more people in his team. While the company was growing bigger and bigger, in 2015, Ori was thinking about modernizing the company, making it an even more user-friendly platform.

Thanks to Ori’s creative mind and marvelous ideas, Compass Inc. launched a mobile application in August 2016. This app provided real-time information about the real estate market, and customers fell in love with it instantly. Except for the mobile app, 2016 was a significant year for Robert, Ori, and Avi, as Compass Inc. expanded into Los Angeles, Aspen, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara.

Unstoppably Fruitful

Compass Inc. 's founders' dream was becoming a reality, and the following year the company hired several new managers, enlarging its super-powerful and skillful leadership team.

The same year, in September 2018, the company announced a $400 million funding at a valuation of a stunning $4.4 billion. Except for Softbank Vision Fund, the F funding series was led by the prominent Qatar Investment Authority that controls Qatar's independent wealth fund. Other investors on the list included Fidelity Investments, Institutional Venture Partners, and Wellington Management.

Ori and Robert announced their plans for a portion of these funds to go into international markets and continue creating innovative technology. They also promised to launch new offices in Denver, Houston, and Nashville, since demand and revenue grew.

Compass Inc. became unstoppably fruitful, and their competitors, including Agorafy, Elegran, Home61, and Zumper, could use a crash course with Compass Inc. to learn what it takes to succeed if they want to taste the fame and progress of Compass Inc.

With over 3,000 employees and creative yet knowledgeable executives, Compass Inc. continues to conquer new markets from one coast to the other, and beyond.

Compass’ IPO Sensational Debut

Compass Inc. spent a lot of time preparing for its IPO debut. Initially, the company planned to offer 36 million shares for $23 to $26, but they changed their mind just before they went on the market.

So, Compass made its memorable IPO debut on March 31, 2021, with $18, which was the bottom of its lowered range of $18 to $19. They offered 25 million shares to get $450 million, which is half of their initial plan for raising $882 million.

Based on the middle-point of the latest price range, the market cap was estimated at $7.2 billion down from $9.8 billion, or to be more precise, $7158.21 million down from $9749.29 million, on the initial terms.

Over the course of 2020, the well-educated and user-friendly Compass agents have presented both buyers and sellers with more than 275,000 homes, worth about $300 billion. Reaching 4% of the U.S. market, Robert and Ori boasted Compass turning into the biggest independent real estate brokerage. Since they have been even more successful this year, we are yet to see their achievement in customers and dollars for 2021.

Going in the Right Direction

Compass offers an end-to-end platform that enables residential real estate agents to bring outstanding service to buyer and seller clients and is a must-try for someone on the prowl for a new home.

This online platform covers an integrated set of cloud-based software for client relationship management, customer services, and marketing, making it a perfect choice for buyers and sellers, too.

It includes tailored services for the real estate industry and supportive basic brokerage.

Today, the company’s headquarters are still in the place where it all began - New York City, with Robert and the founder and CEO, Ori as the founder and Chief Strategist and Executive Chairman. Avi Dorfman, on the other hand, is still the founder of Compass but has moved on to starting up other companies, as well.

Essentially, Compass believes that its agents are, and will always be, vital to residential real estate transactions. Maybe next time you’re on the lookout for a new home, check out Compass Inc. and let it show you the right direction -straight to your dream home!