FirstTeam begins national expansion, introduces new agent compensation plan

FirstTeam, an independent real estate brokerage based in Southern California, has begun its national expansion by opening new offices in Idaho and Washington, with plans to establish operations in Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon.

Founded in 1976, FirstTeam operates more than 46 offices with 2,200-plus sales agents. The firm is among the largest privately held U.S. brokerages and is a founding member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.

“FirstTeam’s impressive growth is fueled by a robust ecosystem designed to nurture agents at every stage of their career,” said Michele Harrington, the company’s CEO. “Our transformative ‘Behind the Agent’ philosophy provides unrivaled access to elite coaching, personalized business and marketing strategies, and cutting-edge technology that allow agents to build and amplify long-lasting businesses.”

The company reported $6.13 billion in sales in 2024 and recruited 512 agents during the year. As part of its expansion, FirstTeam is offering a unique ownership model for agents that aims to “shift them from commission-based roles to business ownership with equity value.”

The brokerage said this model focuses on recruitment, retention and revenue, creating what it describes as a pathway to build long-term assets instead of relying solely on transaction income.

“In just two years since joining FirstTeam, we’ve grown from $41.5 million to $155 million in sales — and that’s no accident,” said Dave Archuletta of The Archuletta Team. “The masterminds, coaching, and culture of collaboration at FirstTeam gave us the playbook to scale faster than we thought possible.”

Anna Bennett, FirstTeam’s vice president of business development, said the expansion will allow the company to support more agents looking to scale their businesses.

“FirstTeam is made by Realtors, for Realtors. This expansion allows us to deliver on our promise of building meaningful careers for more agents and teams across the country,” Bennett said.

FirstTeam is part of a larger global relocation network that encompasses 134,000 sales associates in more than 70 countries.