Welcome to The Weekly Close.
Every Friday I go live and walk through the brokerage news that actually matters for agents, team leaders, and broker owners. Then I put the same stories here so you can skim them, click the sources, and decide what to dig into.
This week is busy. Real REMAX Group is pulling back on Motto. REMAX has a new president. Compass settled with Northwest MLS. eXp is winding down a mortgage JV. And Keller Williams is rolling AI marketing tools to its agents.
Real REMAX Hits Pause on Motto Growth
Real REMAX Group is stopping growth of the Motto Mortgage franchise network.
That means no new Motto franchise sales. Existing Motto franchisees can choose to exit their agreements. Shops that stay keep support under their current contracts.
This shift came days after the Real–REMAX combination closed. The company says it wants one scalable mortgage platform for the wider agent community, not more Motto franchise growth.
Leadership on the mortgage side moved too. Vic Lombardo stepped down from leading REMAX mortgage services. Kate Gurevich, CEO of One Real Mortgage, took that role.
Inman also notes that when the deal was announced in April, Motto franchisees were told the Motto brand would stay intact as a franchise model. The late-August pullback is a change in direction from that message. Real REMAX Group declined to answer Inman’s questions on buyouts, forgiveness, or extra pay for franchisees who leave.
Alex Vidal Is the New President of REMAX
Alex Vidal is the new president of REMAX.
He came over from ERA Real Estate. He reports to Real REMAX Group CEO Tamir Poleg. HousingWire says he’ll lead the REMAX brand globally and work with a network of more than 145,000 agents.
He replaces Chris Lim. Lim was named REMAX president earlier this year and left that role last week. Lim stays at Real REMAX Group as Growth Ambassador.
Poleg said Vidal knows the business from the ground up and has spent his career helping agents and broker-owners level up. Vidal said he’s ready to pair REMAX’s network with technology so agents can run tighter businesses and spend more time with clients.
This hire landed a little over a week after the Real REMAX Group close. Same window as the Motto news above. Watch both if you work under the REMAX flag or care how the combined company is staffing the brand.
Compass and Northwest MLS Settle the “First Look” Fight
Compass and Northwest Multiple Listing Service settled a long legal fight over pre-market listings.
The case ran about 17 months. Both sides called the settlement a win.
Under the deal, Compass can market a home for up to 21 days as a “First Look” before it counts as active. First Look starts September 4, 2026. NWMLS says the agreement also blocks off-MLS “shadow” markets. Compass had sued in April 2025, arguing NWMLS rules blocked innovation. NWMLS said its rules kept the market open and fair.
Compass CEO Robert Reffkin said the company got what it set out to get for sellers and brokers. NWMLS CEO Justin Haag said sellers still get prep-time flexibility, while buyers stay protected from private networks.
If you sell or list in that NWMLS footprint, read the full piece. Local rules and “First Look” timing matter more than the press quotes.
eXp Winds Down Success Lending — Newrez May Be Next
eXp World Holdings and Kind Lending are shutting down their mortgage joint venture, Success Lending.
Both sides called it a mutual strategic decision. eXp said the next chapter may be a new joint mortgage venture with Newrez. Newrez confirmed to HousingWire that the two companies are exploring that deal.
Success Lending started in 2021. HousingWire cites production figures from InGenius and notes Success Lending had 113 sponsored loan officers across 22 active branches as of the article’s reporting window.
Nothing is signed as a Newrez JV yet. It’s “exploring.” If you originate or attach mortgage through eXp’s world, watch for a formal follow-up before you change how you work deals.
Keller Williams Teams Up With Rejig.AI for Agent Marketing
Keller Williams announced a collaboration with Rejig.AI.
KW-affiliated agents get an AI marketing assistant meant to help them create hyperlocal, agent-branded posts, videos, and market reports. Content can auto-generate when a listing hits the MLS. Agents still review and approve before anything is scheduled or published.
KW ties this to its open tech strategy and Command CRM platform. Chris Cox, KW’s chief technology and digital officer, said the goal is faster, smarter marketing without agents losing control of their brand.
If you’re at KW, this is a tools story, not a commission-split story. Check how Rejig.AI shows up inside your Market Center before you assume it’s live for you.
