Keller Williams still adding agents at break-neck pace

Real estate franchisor Keller Williams Realty continues to vacuum up agent recruits at a break-neck pace, seeming to reflect a continued focus on agent acquisition as a core part of the firm's growth strategy. Keller Williams Realty's number of associates, which include agents, office leadership, staff and coaches, surged 19 percent to 133,000 in 2015, widening its lead in associates over competitors, according to the Austin, Texas-based franchisor. Inman wasn't able to obtain updated numbers from various franchisors on their total number of associates, but a 2015 report on franchisors from Realtor Magazine suggests that Coldwell Banker (86,000 agents and brokers), Re/Max (57,000 agents and brokers) and Century 21 (53,000 agents and brokers) are the next three largest franchisors by associates. Mirroring Keller Williams' growth in associates, the number of transactions closed by Keller Williams agents in 2015 increased 19 percent year over year to 843,547, Keller W...