United States / Best brokerage / California

California brokerages ranked by agents

The twenty largest brokerages in California by agents with a published profile, with the brand behind each and, where the brand publishes one, its national pay plan in short.

How to read this

Size is not quality, but it is information. The biggest brokerage in California, Keller Williams with 8,296 agents, has the most colleagues to learn from and the most competition for leads inside its own walls. A brokerage with 25 agents in the state can mean more attention and more room.

What you keep is the number that matters, and most brands do not publish it. Franchise networks set splits office by office, so two offices of the same brand across town can differ. In California, Fathom Realty publish a national plan; the rest are shown as "set by each office". Take the offer you actually receive, put it in the commission calculator next to the published plans, and compare at your own volume.

Agents with their own website tend to carry their business with them; a brand's rate is shown on its head-to-head pages.

What each brand in California publishes about pay

Coldwell Banker 12,650 agents in California

Coldwell Banker publishes no single compensation model: Set by each franchisee. The split, cap and fees are agreed with the office you join, so use the calculator with the numbers that office gives you.

Keller Williams 8,296 agents in California

Keller Williams publishes no single compensation model: Split and cap are set by each market center; KW does not publish a single national figure. The split, cap and fees are agreed with the office you join, so use the calculator with the numbers that office gives you.

Compass 8,022 agents in California

Compass publishes no single compensation model: Negotiated per agent; not published. The split, cap and fees are agreed with the office you join, so use the calculator with the numbers that office gives you.

Century 21 5,892 agents in California

Century 21 publishes no single compensation model: Set by each franchisee. The split, cap and fees are agreed with the office you join, so use the calculator with the numbers that office gives you.

Real Brokerage 5,359 agents in California

Real Brokerage publishes no single compensation model: Its public pages did not expose a plan to an automated read; treated as set by each office until read by hand. The split, cap and fees are agreed with the office you join, so use the calculator with the numbers that office gives you.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 4,295 agents in California

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices publishes no single compensation model: Set by each franchisee. The split, cap and fees are agreed with the office you join, so use the calculator with the numbers that office gives you.

RE/MAX 3,717 agents in California

RE/MAX publishes no single compensation model: Set by each franchisee; plans vary from high-split with desk fees to traditional splits. The split, cap and fees are agreed with the office you join, so use the calculator with the numbers that office gives you.

HomeSmart 3,294 agents in California

HomeSmart publishes no single compensation model: Advertises a 100% commission model; the per-transaction and monthly fees are not stated on its public join page, so it is treated as set by each office until they are. The split, cap and fees are agreed with the office you join, so use the calculator with the numbers that office gives you.

LPT Realty 2,317 agents in California

LPT Realty publishes no single compensation model: Its public pages did not expose a plan to an automated read; treated as set by each office until read by hand. The split, cap and fees are agreed with the office you join, so use the calculator with the numbers that office gives you.

First Team Real Estate 1,854 agents in California

First Team Real Estate publishes no single compensation model. The split, cap and fees are agreed with the office you join, so use the calculator with the numbers that office gives you.

Better Homes and Gardens 765 agents in California

Better Homes and Gardens publishes no single compensation model: Set by each franchisee. The split, cap and fees are agreed with the office you join, so use the calculator with the numbers that office gives you.

Fathom Realty 679 agents in California

Fathom EDGE: 7% of each commission to the brokerage until a $9,000 annual cap; $165 per transaction after the cap; a $350 minimum per transaction; $35 errors-and-omissions per sale; $75 a month. Fathom ELEVATE: 20% of each commission to the brokerage, with no annual cap; a $350 minimum per transaction; $35 errors-and-omissions per sale; $75 a month. Read from Fathom Realty's own recruiting page on September 5, 2026; Split is the brokerage's share of gross commission until the annual cap. Residential leases and commercial deals are priced separately on the source page.

By city

Brokerage rankings by city: San Diego · Los Angeles · Beverly Hills · San Francisco · Newport Beach · Pasadena · Sacramento · Irvine · San Jose · Long Beach · Torrance · Santa Monica.

How many real estate agents are in California?

Where the data comes from

Counted from the public agent directories of the 18 brands operating in California on September 5, 2026. Brokerages outside those networks are not counted. Every agent in these counts has a published email on file with usrealtorlist.com, which sells the per-agent California real estate agent list; this page publishes totals only.

Questions this page answers

What is the best brokerage to join in California as a new agent?

The one whose split, cap, fees and training fit your expected volume; there is no ranking that answers it for everyone. By size, Keller Williams leads California with 8,296 agents; Fathom Realty publish their plan, which makes them the easiest to compare against an offer.

Which brokerages in California publish their commission split?

Fathom Realty, as read on their own pages (dates on this page). The other brands present set terms per office.

How many brokerages are there in California?

168 with at least one agent holding a published profile in September 2026, 107 of them with 25 or more; 58,902 agents in total.

Cite this page

Realty Census (2026). Brokerages in California ranked for agents choosing where to join: 168 brokerages, 18 brands. Count dated 2026-09-05. https://realtycensus.com/best-brokerage/california/