10 biggest real estate companies in the US

Buying a house is a stressful, often confusing experience. The reason people hire a real estate agent is so that they can help you answer questions about homebuying, better understand what you want and can afford, and navigate the process from open house to closing table. About 86% of home buyers and sellers used a real estate agent in 2023, many of whom represented major real estate corporations.

While the real estate industry is gargantuan, with thousands of independent agents and local firms, the big players represent trillions of annual revenue. Across residential, commercial, industrial, and land-only properties, the industry giants go well beyond traditional home-buying. These are the ten biggest real estate companies in the United States today.

1. Keller Williams Realty

Headquarters: Austin, TX

Founded in 1983 in Austin, Keller Williams Realty was initially just Gary Keller and Joe Williams. However, by 1985, they had 72 agents working for them. Since then, Keller Williams Realty has grown into by far the world’s largest franchised real estate company, doing nearly $400 billion in revenue per year.

Known for their competitive commission cap policies, Keller Williams allows agents to keep 70% of their commissions while paying 30% to the brokerage office, plus a 6% franchise fee up to $3,000. It may sound like a lot, but it’s better than many smaller offices. Plus, when agents hit their local market cap (typically $18,000 to $25,000) for the year, they get to keep 100% of commissions.

As such, Keller Williams has been able to strike a balance between scaling the business significantly while still attracting top Realtor talent with attractive compensation plans.

2. CBRE

Headquarters: Los Angeles, CA

CBRE is the country’s largest commercial real estate broker, generating more than $30 billion of revenue per year. Not only that, but they’re active on six continents, giving them a foothold in most major markets in the world.

CBRE traces its roots back to the early 1900s, but today’s company looks very different from those early days, with a special focus on commercial properties and brokerage acquisition. Throughout the 1990s, CBRE grew its market share by acquiring other large brokerages like Westmark Realty Advisors and Koll Real Estate Services.

3. American Tower Corporation

Headquarters: Boston, MA

Unique to this list, American Tower Corporation specializes in wireless communication, owning, operating, and developing infrastructure like cell-phone towers. Founded in 1995 as an extension of American Radio Systems, American Tower Corporation is now the largest real estate investment trust (REIT) in the world. The organization makes more than $10 billion in annual revenue.

4. Cushman Wakefield, Inc.

Headquarters: Chicago, IL

Founded by a pair of brothers-in-law in New York City in 1917, Cushman Wakefiled exploded in reputation and revenue when they landed the project development contract for Chicago’s Sears Tower. Today, they operate real estate development firms and brokerages on four continents and do more than $10 billion in annual revenue.

5. Realogy Holdings

Headquarters: Madison, NJ

Realogy Holdings is the parent company of some of the nation’s most recognizable residential real estate brokerages. Realogy’s brands include Century 21 Real Estate, Coldwell Banker, and Sotheby’s International Realty, making them one of the largest real estate and relocation companies to focus primarily on residential real estate. They represent nearly $8 billion of the global annual market share.

6. Prologis

Headquarters: San Francisco, CA

Prologis is the world’s largest industrial real estate company, with an estimated 814 million square feet of industrial property in 19 countries. These properties include shopping centers, factories, warehouses, and other industrial properties, making them a bit different from most development companies which focus on office buildings or hybrid residential/commercial developments.

7. Welltower

Headquarters: Toledo, OH

Another company with a unique speciality, Welltower’s real estate portfolio primarily includes senior housing and healthcare facilities. It’s been that way since its 1970 founding as “Health Care Fund,” and today they own more than 1,400 healthcare properties in North America and the UK.

Since 2015, Welltower has been diversifying its portfolio, but it still places a heavy emphasis on housing and properties that deliver medical care.

8. Simon Property Group, Inc.

Headquarters: Indianapolis, IN

You may recognize the Simon name because they’re the largest operator of shopping malls in the US. Founded in 1995, Simon Property Group’s foundation was built on acquiring mails and retail locations across the US. Today, they have the majority stake of shopping center real estate in the US, but have also diversified into a commercial real estate brokerage firm doing more than $4 billion in annual revenue.

9. Annaly Capital Management

Headquarters: New York, NY

Another real estate investment trust (REIT), Annaly Capital Management primarily works with mortgage financing for homes and businesses in New York City. The value of their portfolio is driven largely by the premium value of real estate in New York City.

10. Boston Properties

Headquarters: Boston, MA

One of the country’s largest owners and operators of commercial office buildings, Boston Properties primarily operates in large, expensive cities like Boston, Los Angeles, and New York.

After building the NASA headquarters in 1990, Boston Properties rode a wave of prestige and revenue to acquire nearly 200 high-end commercial office properties across the US. Today, those properties generate more than $3 billion per year in revenue.

Is the biggest real estate company the biggest? 

While you may see names like Coldwell Banker and Century 21 all over the place, the biggest real estate companies in the US aren’t typically residential real estate companies. At least, not exclusively residential. While Keller Williams is by far the world’s biggest real estate company thanks to a diverse portfolio of residential, commercial, and industrial properties, many of the biggest real estate companies specialize in real estate that isn’t residential. Some operate real estate investment trusts (REIT), managing mortgage financing to generate revenue.