Our Culture
From coast to coast, our agents describe the process of making the leap to Compass and how from Day 1 they recognized the difference.
Stacey Froelich
Compass New York agent since September 2015
Years in real estate: 14 ½
Neighborhoods of note: Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Midtown East
Where she calls home: A post-war Upper East Side co-op apartment
What do you remember most about your first week at Compass?
“I was blown away by the level of support. We met with so many divisions the first week, and everyone wanted to know more about our team, how we work, and what we needed them to build. It was really exciting to be a part of developing all of the systems that exist today.”
How was Compass different than your previous brokerages?
“The culture was the number-one draw for me. The staff was so excited to have us there, and we could tell that everyone was committed to our growing our team and to achieving success. And as the company has grown, that hasn’t changed!”
What was the first deal you closed as a Compass agent?
“My first pitch as a Compass agent was a referral from a client. I had only been with Compass a week, and the seller did not know that I was no longer with my previous brokerage. She had never heard of Compass, so I spent a lot of time telling her all about the company and why I switched. Ultimately, she said my enthusiasm and passion for Compass was so exciting that she had to choose me.”
Ari Afshar
Compass LA agent since October 2015
Years in real estate: 9
Neighborhoods of note: Beverly Hills, Sunset Strip, Bel Air
Where he calls home: A Cape Cod-inspired home in Sherman Oaks Hills
When did you first hear about Compass?
“Three years ago, when an early investor in the company told me about their plans.”
What was it like launching the LA office?
“We original agents all really nurtured one another. The office support has been incredible, culture has been highly impressive, and the leadership is always around and accessible.”
Favorite piece of Compass technology?
“The app. Clients simply peruse all our properties online and let me know their interests, all within our own mobile software. Brilliant!”
Tyler Mattson
Compass Hamptons agent since November 2015
Years in real estate: 15
Neighborhoods of note: Southampton through Montauk
Where he calls home: A classic home in East Hampton
What stands out from your first week at Compass?
“The one-on-one attention I got to make sure everything I needed was handled properly and quickly. There was—and is—an excitement and drive I saw in everyone at Compass to build a great company.”
What made Compass right for you?
“The sheer volume of support and the energized atmosphere here got us excited about real estate all over again. The thing that impresses me most is the team working to tailor the technology to our market here in the Hamptons.”
Any particularly notable deals since joining?
“A home that had been on the market for several years. I made the move to Compass and it went into contract within six weeks.”
Julie Wolfe
Compass Hamptons agent since November 2015
Years in real estate: 15+
Neighborhoods of note: Southampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton
Where she calls home: A modern East Hampton home
What were your first reactions to the Compass culture?
“My first thought when I walked into the office back in November was how great this experience and change was going to be. There as so many creative, intelligent people we are collaborating with to think out of the box. Together we’re bringing real estate into this technology-driven century and make buying a home easier for our clients.”
The Shafer-McHale Team
Compass New York agents since September 2014
Years in real estate: 24, combined
Neighborhoods of note: Downtown Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens
Where they call home: Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, East Village
If you had to condense it to one reason, what made you join Compass?
“The leadership. Robert Reffkin had such a crystal-clear vision of what the future looked like and was able to articulate it in a way that resonated with us very strongly. We knew the industry was ripe for a change, but we’d never seen anyone bold enough to declare it and then back it up. We knew we needed to be on board immediately.”
What do you remember most about your first week at Compass?
“It was so amazing to come from a traditional real estate environment into one that focused so much on technology and marketing. We met with everyone — product, marketing, engineering, management — and everyone seemed as excited to be there as we were. It was a whole different world. And a damn good one.”
What differentiates Compass?
“We came for the leadership and the technology, but what we didn’t anticipate was the power of the culture. There is a serious difference in the vibe at Compass. People are encouraged to collaborate and listen, and there’s an impetus to learn, grow, and evolve that trickles all the way down. In a word, it’s fun. Our technology saves us time. Our marketing is the most sophisticated. But to truly love where you work and who you work with never gets old.”
Less Arnold
Compass agent since September 2015
Years in real estate: 13
Neighborhoods of note: Greater Boston
Where she calls home: A brick-and-beam loft in Fort Point Channel
What was your first thought when you walked into the office on Day 1?
“I mostly felt intense relief. As a founding agent of the Boston office, I’d been keeping my move to Compass secret from almost everyone in my life, including my previous brokerage and colleagues across the city. It was very liberating to come into the light and to be able to fully embrace the change that I’d long been eagerly anticipating.”
What was the first deal you closed as a Compass agent?
“Long-time clients turned friends closed on their dream home — a modern, streamlined townhouse with three bedrooms in Cambridgeport near the Charles River — just days before their first child was born. It was a thrilling sale for many reasons, but largely because it was the culmination of a prolonged, intense, and very spirited search with what turned out to be a perfectly timed ending.”
If you had to narrow it to one reason, what made you join Compass?
“I wanted to reinvent and rebrand myself and was thrilled at the opportunity to become part of the most innovative, creative, and intelligent company that I ever could have dreamed up.”
Eugene Litvak
Compass agent since September 2014
Years in real estate: 15
Neighborhoods of note: Williamsburg, Upper East Side, greater Manhattan and Brooklyn
Where he calls home: A contemporary Williamsburg condominium
What made you join Compass?
“Everything Compass does has a highly positive impact on our business. From the tools, to the culture, to the layout of the office — it all promotes collaboration, creativity and production. I was blown away by my initial meeting with Rob Reffkin, Alex Stern, and Rob Lehman and immediately knew I had found a new home.”
Do you remember your reaction on your first day?
“I’ve been building my own team for the past six years and we’re like a little family. My first thought was, ‘Wow, we’re joining a bigger version of ourselves.’”
How was your first week at Compass?
“It was a whirlwind. Our immediate priorities were all centered around getting listings up and running as quickly as possible, sending out the marketing collateral announcing our move, and setting up all of our basic business functions. But we also met with so many people and started brainstorming ways to work together for the long haul.”
What was the first deal you closed as a Compass agent?
“It was a rental in the Naftali Group. The combo of Compass’ reputation and my own as one of Brooklyn’s best secured the entire portfolio, and I rented the first two-bedroom within days. They were immediately impressed, and I’ve handled the account since.”
