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Recruiting powerhouse Compass this week announced that it has made yet another key get, scooping up luxury Seattle agent — and former firefighter — Brian D. Hopper.
A statement from Compass describes Hopper as an industry veteran with more than two decades of experience, who has a “client-centric” approach to home sales. Hopper himself said in the statement that he is excited to “collaborate with a team that shares my passion for innovation and excellence in real estate.”
Brian D. Hopper
“Together, we will continue to elevate the client experience by delivering personalized service and strategic solutions tailored to each client’s unique needs,” Hopper added.
According to Hopper’s LinkedIn page, he most recently served as a managing broker at Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty in Seattle. He also did stints at Keller Williams and Skyline Properties.
Somewhat uniquely for a real estate agent, Hopper’s LinkedIn resumé also shows that he worked for nearly a decade and a half as a firefighter in the Tacoma, Washington, area. He left that job, with the rank of lieutenant, in 2016.
Hopper joins Compass at a time of significant growth for the brokerage. In a May earnings report, for example, Compass revealed that it ended the first quarter of this year with 20,656 principal agents — a significant jump from the 14,591 it had at the end of Q1 2024. In addition to growing headcount numbers, Compass also grew revenue, free cash flow and other key metrics. The growth made Compass something of an outlier at a time when some other real estate companies have struggled with a sluggish market and higher mortgage rates.
Aside from Hopper, Compass also recently recruited Rachel Gallegos and Peter Blank, along with Blank’s six-person team, in Denver. Blank and his team did more than $100 million in sales in 2024, while Gallegos did more than $30 million, according to a statement from Compass.
Other recent recruiting victories for Compass include pulling in a group of agents in Aspen, Colorado, and winning The Tinka Ellington Group in Florida. In both cases, those agents left Douglas Elliman.
In Hopper’s case, Compass took a bullish position in its statement.
“As Compass continues to grow,” the brokerage said, “the addition of seasoned professionals like Hopper strengthens its position as a leader in the real estate industry.”
