REMAX is heading toward a significant leadership transition as The Real Brokerage moves closer to completing its $880 million acquisition of the legacy franchisor, with several senior executives preparing to leave or change roles.
The changes come on the heels of shareholder approval of the transaction and as Real and REMAX contend with shareholder lawsuits challenging disclosures surrounding the deal.
Leadership changes emerge as closing approaches
Chris Lim | Credit: REMAX
REMAX President and Chief Growth Officer Chris Lim and Executive Vice President of Strategy Travis Saxton told broker-owners Monday that they will not continue with the combined Real REMAX Group, according to a recording obtained by Real Estate News, which first reported the departures Tuesday.
Lim and Saxton both joined REMAX in January 2025 and have been with the company for roughly a year and a half.
REMAX Holdings CEO Erik Carlson will also step down from his role once the acquisition closes and join the board of Real REMAX Group, The Real Brokerage confirmed to Inman Tuesday.
A spokesperson with Real said the company has announced Carlson’s transition internally but declined to comment on other leadership changes at REMAX because the acquisition has not yet closed, and REMAX remains a separate company.
Carlson’s expected seat on the combined company’s board had previously been disclosed in merger-related securities filings, although those disclosures did not explicitly state that he would step down as REMAX CEO upon closing. Carlson has led REMAX Holdings since 2023, when he joined the company after spending nearly three decades at Dish Network.
Erik Carlson | Credit: REMAX
Lim joined REMAX as executive vice president and chief growth officer in January 2025 before later becoming president and chief growth officer. Saxton joined the company at roughly the same time as executive vice president of strategy.
Their reported departures, coupled with Carlson’s move to the board, represent a significant reshuffling of REMAX’s senior leadership as the company prepares to come under Real’s ownership. Real co-founder and CEO Tamir Poleg will serve as chairman and CEO of the combined company.
Real operates a centralized, cloud-based brokerage, while REMAX relies on a global franchise network of independently owned offices. Poleg has said Real intends to preserve both brands while seeking efficiencies through technology and other shared operations across the combined company.
Inman has requested confirmation of Lim and Saxton’s departures from REMAX.
Shareholder lawsuits add a new wrinkle
The leadership transition is unfolding as Real and REMAX also contend with shareholder litigation tied to the acquisition.
According to public SEC filings from the companies, several purported REMAX shareholders challenged the merger disclosures through demand letters and two lawsuits filed in New York state court in July.
The SEC filings say the lawsuits, brought by John Burke and Keith Jones on July 22 and July 23, respectively, allege that the merger materials omitted or inadequately disclosed information concerning the background of the transaction, financial projections for Real and REMAX, and J.P. Morgan’s financial analyses.
The plaintiffs seek to block the transaction or, if the merger closes, recover damages stemming from the alleged disclosure deficiencies, according to the filings. Real, REMAX and the entity that will become Real REMAX Group dispute the allegations and said they do not believe additional disclosures were legally required.
The companies nevertheless issued supplemental disclosures earlier this month, saying they did so to reduce the risk that the litigation could delay or otherwise adversely affect the transaction.
The deal is nearing the finish line
Real and REMAX announced the $880 million merger in April following a roughly seven-month strategic review in which REMAX considered multiple potential deal partners and ultimately chose Real over a competing bid, as Inman previously reported.
Real executives have said they intend to preserve the Real and REMAX brands while seeking efficiencies through technology and other shared operations across the combined company. Shareholders of both companies overwhelmingly approved the transaction on Aug. 14, clearing one of the deal’s final major hurdles.
Approximately 99 percent of votes cast by Real shareholders supported the deal, while REMAX stockholders representing 78.8 percent of voting power approved the acquisition. The transaction still requires the satisfaction of remaining closing conditions, including a final order from the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
The companies said Friday that they expect the remaining conditions to be satisfied and the transaction to close within the next couple of weeks.
If completed, former Real shareholders are expected to own roughly 60 percent of Real REMAX Group and former REMAX stockholders roughly 40 percent, assuming the maximum available cash consideration is paid to REMAX stockholders. The combined company is expected to trade on Nasdaq under Real’s existing “REAX” ticker.
