What Real Buying RE/MAX Means for DFW Realtors [2026]

The Real Brokerage acquisition of RE/MAX is officially closed—here is what it actually changes for working agents in DFW. In this episode of This Week in DFW Real Estate, hosts Nick Good and Brian Force look past the corporate hype to analyze what this $880 million deal means for your daily business. We also unpack the latest tax proposal stirring up the industry: doubling or even completely eliminating capital gains taxes on primary homes and investment sales. Plus, we dive into new data showing that 84% of NAR members haven't closed a deal this year, why average commission rates have unexpectedly risen to 5.7%, and how major brands like Compass are joining the American Real Estate Association (ARA) to challenge NAR's long-standing dominance. Key Topics Covered in This Episode: ✅  Real & RE/MAX Finalized: Why agents need to stop celebrating corporate M&A hype and get back to daily lead generation. ✅  Capital Gains Proposal: How doubling exemptions or eliminating gains for first-time buyers could unlock stranded housing inventory. ✅  The 84% Statistic: The stark truth about market participation and why proactive prospectors are dominating local market share. ✅  Average Commissions Up: Why Texas buyer agent commissions climbed to 2.95% despite post-settlement fears. ✅  The ARA Shift: Why Compass and 9 major real estate brands are backing a brand-new national trade association alternative. Join the Community & Sponsors: DFW Realtors Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/531847711158328/ Homeward Property Management: https://homewarddfw.com/ Armadillo Home Warranty: https://armadillo.one/ Utility Direct: https://utility-direct.com/ TORE Studios: https://torestudios.com/ Get Residual Agent: https://getresidualagent.com/ Chapters 0:00 - Real Brokerage & RE/MAX Deal Officially Closes 3:29 - The Real Estate M&A Reality: Does It Help the Working Agent? 4:30 - RE/MAX Agent Count & Global Footprint Breakdown 7:33 - Moving Past Commission Rollercoasters: Building Portfolio Assets 9:15 - Shocking NAR Data: 84% of Members Have Zero Sales in 2026 11:35 - The Real Reason Brokers Are Buying Up Licenses 12:45 - Building Your Own Ancillary Revenue Stack 14:00 - The Tech Stack Illusion: Proprietary CRM vs. Open AI API 16:45 - The DNC & TCPA Challenge: Shifting from Cold Calling to Community Events 18:50 - Fundamentals Never Change: Focusing on Your Database 21:30 - Trump’s Capital Gains Tax Proposal: Doubling Exemptions to $1M 23:30 - Indexing Capital Gains to Inflation 25:00 - Eliminating Capital Gains for First-Time Homebuyer Sales 27:00 - Depreciation Recapture: The Hidden Investor Tax Trap 29:15 - Unlocking Investor Inventory in North Texas 31:25 - What is ARA? American Real Estate Association vs. NAR 33:00 - Compass & 9 Major Brands Join the NAR Alternative 34:50 - MLS Rules Change: MLS Access Without Mandatory NAR Dues 36:40 - Is the Word "Realtor" Just a Made-Up Marketing Term? 38:35 - Episode Wrap-Up & Final Takeaways