REMAX CEO Erik Carlson delivered a message centered on culture, competition and a renewed push for growth — highlighting new initiatives, fresh partnerships and what he described as a defining moment for the brand — at last week’s REMAX R4 conference in Las Vegas.
Carlson, who joined REMAX just over two years ago after leading DISH Network Corp., reflected on his early days listening to agents and broker-owners across the network.
“I spent a lot of time my first year listening to you and learning about this extraordinary network because I saw this amazing opportunity to do something great,” he told attendees. “The more REMAX people I talked to, the more offices I visited, the more events I attended, I realized that this was not an opportunity for just me. It belongs to all of us.
“So, the industry right now, it needs REMAX. It needs trusted, productive professionals. It needs you, not hobbyists, not those self-proclaimed disruptors that are limiting access to listings.”
Financial performance amid market headwinds
Carlson’s comments come as REMAX navigates a challenging housing market.
In 2025, the company reported net income of $8.2 million, up from $7.1 million the prior year, despite revenue falling 5.2% annually to $291.6 million.
Fourth-quarter revenue declined 1.8% year over year to $71.1 million — while quarterly net income dropped from $5.8 million in Q4 2024 to $1.4 million in Q4 2025.
Agent count trends told a more nuanced story. At the end of Q4 2025, REMAX reported 148,660 agents globally, up 1.4% year over year. International growth drove the increase, with agent count outside the U.S. and Canada rising 7.9% to 75,683.
That offset a 6.1% decline in the U.S., where the network ended the year with 48,165 agents and a 1.4% drop in Canada to 24,812 agents.
Carlson acknowledged the macro challenges but emphasized resilience.
“(2025), could it have been a better year from a macro perspective? Sure, it might have been a bit challenging,” he said. “But guess what? This team pushed through the noise. You kept producing, because that’s what REMAX professionals do. We are a team that wins in any market, and fortunately, this year should be a better market.”
A ‘North Star’ for agents
Throughout his remarks, Carlson returned to a simple value proposition for agents.
“Every day we wake up thinking about three things; helping you win more listings, doing it in less time and making more money,” he said. “Is anybody interested in that? That’s our purpose, a North Star, if you will. It definitely defines this new chapter at REMAX. It’s our job. We are leaning in, and we are moving forward with a clear goal of being number one in every single market. We’re not going to be shy about it.
“The new direction, it resonates with productive people, and it’s leading to growth. More and more entrepreneurs are attracted to it. They’re talking to us. They’re choosing to be part of it.”
He pointed to major brokerage conversions as proof.
In Hawaii, a top brokerage brought more than 170 producers and six offices into the network as REMAX Hawaii. In Canada, a Toronto-based real estate family joined with 17 offices and nearly 1,200 agents — the largest conversion in REMAX Canada history and, according to the company, the largest in Canadian real estate history.
Carlson also highlighted investments in leadership, blending long-tenured REMAX executives with new industry talent.
“This group has led brands, built brokerages and driven major tech innovations,” he said. “We had high hopes for each of them when they first came on board, and they’re actually exceeding expectations, which is rare for me to (say). Plus, when you combine these new teammates with the existing leaders, you really have something special. You’ve got over 100 years of industry experience coupled with 100 years of REMAX experience.”
A major portion of Carlson’s speech centered on new technology and marketing initiatives designed to boost agent productivity.
Over the past year, the company launched seven innovation groups with more than 100 broker-owners and agents to test and refine new offerings.
Among the tools rolled out: REMAX Marketing Studio, Max Engage, Max Refer, Max AI, the Master Pitch series, Global Passport and the Home View app.
“Action produces momentum,” Carlson said, quoting author and R4 confertence speaker James Clear. “The more we get done, the faster we can go.”
Early results from the REMAX Marketing Studio — evolved from the company’s marketing-as-a-service offering — were strong, he said, citing thousands of users, millions of clicks and tens of millions of impressions.
Listings promoted through the studio reportedly saw three times more views, six times more active users and five times more actions taken on landing pages.
Carlson also spotlighted new partnerships with Realtor.com, Zillow and Canva, encouraging agents to explore the offerings in the R4 marketplace.
“We’ve got a faster pace of play at headquarters,” he said. “We are moving quickly. We are strengthening the advantages of being with REMAX, and we’re doubling down on the winning culture that defines this unbelievable brand.”
Brand buzz, 10 million transactions
Carlson cited an important business accomplishment that was cemented last year; 10 million transactions closed since Jan. 1, 2020.
“I like to say 10 million served, 10 million customer experiences or 10 million lives changed,” he said. “Ten million is a big number. Just think about that for a second. For context, since we’re in Vegas, that’s like all visitors 100 days straight in Las Vegas, or 530 sold out shows at The Sphere.”
He closed with a direct message to agents facing increased competition and tech-heavy pitches from rivals.
“When competitors come to you and say, ‘We’re making this billion dollar tech investment,’ or, ‘Let’s get together to have a big hug in a virtual environment,’ or, ‘There’s a three-phase marketing (approach),’ you can say this, ‘That’s all fine, but we’re focused on delivering the absolute best for buyers and sellers.’ REMAX is winning the decade, and nobody in the world sells more real estate than REMAX.”
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