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For real estate agents · Published fees, 2026
AXEN Realty vs Compass: which costs an agent less?
Compass publishes no fee schedule. It sets each agent's split one by one and has no public cap, so there is no single Compass number to compare. AXEN publishes one schedule for every agent (2026): no split, $500 a closing, capped at $6,000 a year on Pro, plus $295 a sale and $50 a month. Get your Compass offer in writing and compare.
Only what each company publishes itself, dated, with sources at the bottom.
- The split until you cap
- The cap, in dollars
- Every per-file and monthly fee
Compass publishes no company-wide schedule. The full table is below.
01Side by side
AXEN and Compass fees, line by line
Each company's own published numbers: AXEN as of November 2026, Compass as of September 2026. Where Compass publishes nothing, the cell says so.
| Fee | AXEN | Compass |
|---|---|---|
| Commission split | None. You keep 100%. Flat $500 per closing on Pro, $1,000 on Elite | Negotiated agent by agent |
| Yearly cap | $6,000 a year on Pro; $12,000 on Elite | No public cap |
| After the cap, per deal | $0 file fee until your AXEN anniversary (the $295 admin fee still applies) | Not published |
| Per-file fees | $295 admin fee per sale. Sales under $2,500 of commission: 10% file fee. Leases, rentals and referrals: 10% (max $500 Pro, $1,000 Elite) plus $50 | Not published |
| Monthly or yearly fee | $50 a month, or $500 a year, or $600 taken from your first closing | Not published |
| Sign-up fee | $0. Nothing is charged until your license is active with AXEN | Not published |
| Included on every file | A Deal Desk coordinator on every sale and a state broker file review, paid by the $295 admin fee | Not published |
| Revenue share | 5 levels: $100 a level per closing by a Pro agent, $200 by an Elite agent. No quota. Not a promise of income | Not published |
| Company stock | No stock program | Not published |
02Straight talk
Who each one fits
No brokerage is best for every agent. Here is when Compass is the better pick, and when AXEN is.
Compass
Compass may fit you better if
- You want a big-name brandCompass now owns Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby's International Realty and Corcoran.
- You can negotiate a strong dealCompass sets splits agent by agent, so a top producer may get a split they like.
- You want a local officeA desk and a sign out front. A traditional office may suit you better.
AXEN
AXEN may fit you better if
- You want fees you can read firstOne published AXEN schedule, the same for every agent. No haggling.
- You want no split from your first dealYou keep your whole commission and pay a flat fee per closing instead.
- You want a capAXEN Pro caps at $6,000 a year (November 2026). Compass has no public cap.
- You want rev shareAXEN pays 5 levels, no quota. Compass publishes no revenue share plan. Not a promise of income.
03If you move
Moving from Compass to AXEN
Four steps. Tap one to open it.
Read your exit terms
How you are paid on deals that close after you leave, and what happens to any revenue share, is in your Compass contract. Ask Compass in writing.
Move your license
Your state sets who files and what it costs. See how to transfer your license, state by state.
Use the checklist
Listings, deals under contract, MLS and ads, in order: the switching checklist.
Look inside first
See the AXEN portal and every fee before you move anything: look inside free. Nothing is charged until your license is active with AXEN.
See every AXEN fee, AXEN vs eXp vs Real, line by line, which brokerages let you keep your whole commission and Compass fees for agents.
Where every number comes from
Sources
- AXEN Realty fee schedule: axenrealty.com/plans and axenrealty.com/join (November 2026).
- Compass: no agent fee schedule is published. The Anywhere Real Estate purchase closed January 2026. The same figures are on our Compass fees page, as Compass published them in September 2026.
- Compass and Anywhere: Compass SEC filing on the Anywhere merger (closed January 9, 2026); Keller Williams still independent: Real Estate News, February 2026.
Costs only, not an earnings claim. Your income depends on your own sales. "Not published" means the figure is not in Compass's own published schedule as of September 2026. AXEN fees as of November 2026; Compass fees as published in September 2026. Each company may change its fees at any time, so confirm current fees with each company in writing before you decide. Revenue share is not a promise of income. Compass is a trademark of its owner, which does not endorse this page.
04Straight answers
AXEN vs Compass questions
Short answers from the published schedules. Tap a question to open it.
Is AXEN cheaper than Compass?
It depends on the split Compass offers you. Compass negotiates splits agent by agent and publishes no fee schedule or cap, as of September 2026. Get your offer in writing and put it next to AXEN's: no split, $500 a closing, capped at $6,000 a year on Pro.
What is the Compass commission split?
Compass negotiates each agent's split and publishes no company-wide schedule or cap, as of September 2026. Ask for your split, every fee and any cap in writing.
Does Compass own Coldwell Banker and Century 21?
Yes. Compass bought Anywhere Real Estate, the parent of Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby's International Realty and Corcoran. That deal closed on January 9, 2026.
Did Compass buy Keller Williams?
No. Compass bought Anywhere Real Estate, and that deal closed on January 9, 2026. Keller Williams was not part of it and is still independent.
Does Compass pay revenue share?
Compass publishes no revenue share plan or stock program for agents, as of September 2026. AXEN pays revenue share 5 levels deep, with no quota. Revenue share is not a promise of income.
What does an agent pay at AXEN?
As of November 2026: no split. $500 a closing on Pro, capped at $6,000 a year, or $1,000 on Elite, capped at $12,000. Plus a $295 admin fee per sale and a $50 monthly platform fee.
Run it on your own numbers.
Your number of deals and your average commission decide which one costs less. Get every schedule in writing, then run your own year.
AXEN Realty, LLC. Commissions are negotiable and are not set by any brokerage. Costs only, not an earnings claim. Fees as published by each company as of September 2026.