Overview
- In a Dec. 18 letter, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden asked DOJ Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater and FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson to investigate the deal and block it if it violates antitrust law.
- The senators argue the merger could sustain high broker commissions and restrict access to property listings, harming homebuyers already facing elevated costs.
- They highlight Compass’s use of private or pocket listings as a fair‑housing and transparency risk that could disadvantage smaller brokerages and make discrimination harder to detect.
- Announced Sept. 22 as an all‑stock transaction, the combination would unite roughly 340,000 agents across brands including Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Corcoran and Sotheby’s, with reported valuations ranging from about $1.6 billion to $4.2 billion and an estimated $10 billion enterprise value for Anywhere.
- Compass says the deal is pro‑competitive and expects approval, while regulators have not announced any action, with the review occurring against a backdrop of recent moves such as DOJ clearing Rocket–Redfin and the FTC suing over a Zillow–Redfin partnership.