If you hang your license at a RE/MAX office in Louisville, a lot has changed above your head in the last two months. New owner. New people at the top. A mortgage franchise that stopped selling new locations. And now a lawsuit over the new RE/MAX president.

None of that means your office is about to fall apart. Your broker-owner still runs your office, and RE/MAX offices are independently owned franchises. But it is a good time to sit down with your broker and ask some plain questions. Below is a short recap of what happened, then the questions we would ask if we were in your seat.

What changed, in order

• August 24, 2026: Real Brokerage closed its roughly $880 million purchase of RE/MAX Holdings. The combined company is called Real REMAX Group and trades on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker REAX. Reports put it at more than 180,000 agents and about 8,500 franchisees.
• Leadership at the top: Real's chief executive officer (CEO), Tamir Poleg, became CEO and chairman of the combined company. Former RE/MAX CEO Erik Carlson stepped down as CEO and kept a board seat. RE/MAX president Chris Lim and strategy executive Travis Saxton did not stay with the new company.
• August 28, 2026: The company stopped selling new Motto Mortgage franchises. A spokesperson told RISMedia it would put its money into one combined mortgage platform instead. Existing Motto owners can stay and keep getting support, or they can agree with the company to end their franchise. Vic Lombardo, who ran RE/MAX's mortgage services, stepped down. Kate Gurevich, who runs Real's mortgage company, One Real Mortgage, took over that role.
• September 1, 2026: Alex Vidal, the former president of ERA Real Estate, was named president of RE/MAX.
• October 2026: Compass and ERA sued Vidal in the Delaware Court of Chancery. They say his move to RE/MAX breaks a one-year noncompete agreement he signed. Through his attorney, Vidal says the noncompete cannot be enforced. An earlier version of the case in Texas was dismissed so it could be heard in Delaware. This is a dispute about one executive. It is not a claim against RE/MAX agents.

What the company has said to agents matters too. On closing day, Poleg told RE/MAX agents and franchisees that "nothing about your business changed when you woke up this morning." The company has said the RE/MAX brand, the balloon and the independent broker-owner model "are not going away." Real has also said it plans to offer its own technology, including its reZEN transaction system and its Leo AI tools, to RE/MAX offices and agents on an opt-in basis. That means it is offered, not required.

One more piece of background. Real's CEO told HousingWire earlier this year that Real has raised its pricing and fees three times in the past three years. That is about Real's own agents, not RE/MAX franchise agents. It is still worth knowing who now owns the company your office pays.

Questions to ask your broker now

These are not "gotcha" questions. A good broker will be glad you asked. Write the answers down so you have them.

1. Will my fees change in the next 12 months?

Ask about every fee, not just your split. Monthly desk or office fees, per-deal fees, franchise fees passed down to agents, technology fees, and errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. Ask if anything is set to go up when your agreement renews.

2. Who sets my fees: my office or the parent company?

In a franchise, your broker-owner usually sets your split and office fees. The franchise fees your broker pays upstream can still change. Ask whether any change at the parent company would flow down to you.

3. What happens to our mortgage partner?

If your office works with a Motto Mortgage location, ask if that location plans to stay open, stay with Motto, or end its franchise. Ask what happens to buyers who are already in the middle of a loan with them. Your clients will ask you, so you want a clear answer first.

4. Is our technology changing, and do I have to switch?

The new owner says its tools are opt-in. Ask your broker if your office plans to opt in, when, and whether your current customer relationship management system (CRM), transaction software or website will go away. Ask who moves your data and contacts if it does.

5. Who answers the phone when a deal goes sideways?

Ask who your go-to person is at 7 p.m. on a Friday when an inspection response is due. Is it your broker, a manager, or a help desk? How fast do they usually get back to you? Changes at the top sometimes mean changes in support staff, so ask now, not during a deal.

6. What does my agreement say about leaving, and who owns my listings?

Read your independent contractor agreement. Look for notice periods, fees owed when you leave, how pending deals get paid out, and whether listings stay with the office. Knowing this is not disloyal. It is just good business.

7. Are my leads and our office plans staying the same?

If you get leads from the brand's website or a referral network, ask whether those programs and their referral fees are changing. Then ask your broker-owner straight out if they plan to renew the franchise and keep the same team. Most will tell you.

What Winner Realty offers, if you are comparing

We are a Louisville brokerage, not part of any national franchise. Rob Bergeron owns Winner Realty, Lisa Tucker is our principal broker, and Colleen Reilly is our chief operating officer (COO). Here is how we work.

• Three plans, and you pick: a $595-a-month plan where you keep 100% of your commission, for agents closing 10 or more deals a year. An 85/15 split at $100 a month, for agents closing under 10 a year. And a 60/40 "Foundation" plan at $50 a month for new and part-time agents. It is an entry point, not a ceiling. Every plan pays $295 per closed deal, plus a one-time $100 onboarding fee. That is one flat, published fee, with no surprises.
• Leads every weekday: every agent gets residential and commercial leads in their inbox at 6:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. They come from our own data company, not bought from Zillow. No one can promise how many deals leads will turn into, and we don't.
• A 15-minute answer: our brokers answer agents within 15 minutes. That is a rule, not a slogan.
• Contract-to-close help: Colleen's team helps carry your deals from signed contract to closing table.
• More eyes on your listings: you can put your own listings in front of the 70,000+ investor buyers on OffMarket.deals and get a mention in The Morning Bergeron, our daily real estate newsletter with 60,000+ subscribers.
• Rob's Brain: text the word "brain" to (502) 305-8915 to try our AI assistant.
• Giving back: Winner Realty gives 1% of net profits to Hand in Hand Ministries, and we are a GLAR Brokerage Spirit Honors award winner.

Want to see your own numbers side by side? Try our What You Keep calculator, or read the full details on our join page.

If you want to talk it through, book a time with Rob. Or text or email us. No pressure either way. Even if you stay right where you are, ask your broker the questions above.

Frequently asked questions

Is RE/MAX going away in Louisville?

No sign of that. The new owner, Real REMAX Group, has said the RE/MAX brand and its independent broker-owner model are staying. Local RE/MAX offices are independently owned franchises, so your own broker-owner still makes most day-to-day decisions.

What happened to Motto Mortgage?

On August 28, 2026, the company stopped selling new Motto Mortgage franchises and said it would focus on one combined mortgage platform. Existing Motto offices can keep operating with support, or agree with the company to end their franchise. Ask your local Motto office what it plans to do.

Does the Compass lawsuit affect RE/MAX agents?

Not directly. Compass and ERA sued Alex Vidal, the new RE/MAX president, saying his move breaks a noncompete agreement. Vidal says it cannot be enforced. The case is about one executive's contract, not about agents or their listings.

What does it cost to join Winner Realty?

A one-time $100 onboarding fee, then the plan you choose: $595 a month (keep 100%), $100 a month (85/15 split), or $50 a month (60/40 Foundation plan). Every plan pays $295 per closed deal. The join page lists every fee on one page.

Sources: Inman (Aug. 24, 2026) and RealEstateNews (Aug. 24, 2026) on the closing; NowBam on the new leadership team (Aug. 2026) and Alex Vidal's appointment (Sept. 3, 2026); RISMedia on Motto Mortgage (Aug. 28, 2026); RealEstateNews on Vidal (Sept. 1, 2026); Inman (Oct. 21, 2026) and HousingWire (Oct. 2026) on the Compass lawsuit; HousingWire, "The platform play" (2026), on Real's fees.