Real Grows Michigan Footprint as Good Company Joins Through Private Label Program
The Real Brokerage has announced that Michigan real estate leader Jim Shaffer and his independent brokerage, Good Company, have joined Real through its Private Label program. Based in Royal Oak, Michigan, Good Company brings 172 agents to Real, including Shaffer’s 40-agent team, further strengthening Real’s presence across the Detroit metropolitan area.
Founded in 2020 by Shaffer and his sister, Gina Jones, Good Company has experienced rapid growth over the past six years by supporting both individual agents and team-based business models. In 2025, the brokerage closed approximately 1,900 home sales totaling $500 million in volume, ranking it as the fourth most productive brokerage in metro Detroit.
Real’s Private Label program enables independent brokerages to maintain their unique brand identity while accessing Real’s compensation programs, revenue share, equity awards and virtual platform. Real’s cloud-based community supports collaboration across business models and geographies, empowering both individual agents and teams.
The Agency Announces First Office in Houston, Texas
The Agency has announced the launch of its new office in Sugar Land, Texas, a few miles southwest of Houston. Known as The Agency Houston-Sugar Land, the new location will be led by managing partners and industry veterans Chris Sansone and Lizz Sansone. The opening marks The Agency’s eighth office in Texas, joining Austin, Dallas, Frisco, Tyler, San Antonio, Rockwall and Waco.
Consistently ranked among Texas’s safest and most desirable communities, Sugar Land draws professionals from the energy, healthcare and tech sectors, along with families seeking a balanced lifestyle. Residents enjoy dozens of local parks, 35-plus miles of trails and easy access to Houston’s dining, sports and entertainment—plus Galveston and the Gulf are just 45 minutes away.
“With its thriving economy, cultural depth and exceptional quality of life, the Houston area stands as one of the most compelling and diverse metros in the country,” said Mauricio Umansky, founder and CEO of The Agency. “Sugar Land, in particular, offers an unbeatable combination of top schools, safety, community amenities and proximity to major employment centers. It’s a natural fit for our continued expansion across Texas, and we are thrilled to partner with Chris and Lizz Sansone, whose leadership and industry expertise are widely recognized throughout the region.”
Bergen County Luxury Leader Max Stokes Launches Boutique Specialist Team at Compass
Max Stokes, a founding principal of the Compass Ridgewood, New Jersey, office and a force behind the region’s top-performing real estate teams, announced the launch of a new, high-touch boutique group. Stokes is departing the Fox & Stokes team—which closed $100 million in volume in 2025—to focus on a “small and mighty” specialist model designed to service high-end residential sales and luxury new development.
The move marks a strategic shift for Stokes, moving away from the traditional high-volume “mega-team” structure toward a leaner, advisory-based approach.
“The 2026 market demands a more surgical, high-touch approach for both developers and private clients,” says Stokes. “By streamlining our operation and leveraging my background in appraisal and finance, we can provide a level of specialized expertise that the mega-team model simply isn’t built to sustain.”
