On the East End, real estate has always been more than just buying and selling; it’s a mix of business and almost myth. It’s a place where architecture, social standing, privacy, and how people see things all come together, often in ways that connect to the wider world. In the last few years, few companies have shaken things up as much as Compass.
It started as a real estate company focused on technology, but it has grown into one of the biggest players shaping today’s luxury market, including on the East End. Things like brand image, the agent’s reputation, and selling a whole lifestyle now matter just as much as where a property is located.
We chatted with Joe Fuer, who manages Compass in the Hamptons, Neda Navab, Compass’s President, and Robert Reffkin, the Chairman and CEO of Compass International Holdings. We discuss their brand, what goes on in buyers’ minds, and how the Hamptons market is changing over time.
Walk into a Hamptons open house, and you can often tell it’s a Compass listing before you see the sign. How intentional is that aesthetic — and does branding risk making everything feel the same at the top end?
Joe Fuer: The aesthetic is intentional to a point. While we like the consumer to identify the Compass branding, as they will automatically associate that with a professional, curated experience, and a knowledgeable, trusted professional waiting to greet them, we still personalize the aesthetic to fit the overall mood, design, and feel of the home.
In the Hamptons, some agents are as powerful as the firms they work for. Do you see Compass as building agents’ brands — or ultimately vying with them?
Neda Navab: While we have branding guidelines and best practices, we support the uniqueness of individuals and teams. The reason many of the top real estate professionals chose Compass is that we deliver the advantages of a big firm but with a boutique feel. Big is our engine, but boutique is our edge.
Big is the power of the platform that we have built for them. Big is the incredible referral network they have. Big is the fact that we have an opportunity to partner with Redfin.com, a top-three search portal in the U.S., to give coming-soon listings more visibility and more options for sellers and their real estate professionals.
But boutique is our edge. It’s that feeling our real estate professionals get when they walk into the local office and the person at the front desk knows to ask about how their grandfather is doing, or how their closing went on Sunday, or whether the inspection came through as they hoped. And I think our real estate professionals deliver the power of big and boutique for their clients.
The Hamptons saw a once-in-a-generation surge during the pandemic. Now that the urgency has cooled, what’s the reality on the ground that people aren’t talking about?
Joe Fuer: People don’t need to sell and don’t need to buy. It’s very discretionary.
Has Compass changed who gets access to this market?
Neda Navab: Our role has been to modernize the real estate experience with greater transparency and more tools and services that benefit all consumers.
We’ve seen record-breaking sales — but do you think the Hamptons has a true ceiling, or are we still early in the global ultra-luxury cycle?
Joe Fuer: I don’t think there’s a true ceiling. The Hamptons has always been a luxury market anchored by its proximity to New York City, which connects it to a global buyer base. As long as wealth continues to expand and inventory remains limited and highly selective, there’s room for new benchmarks. Many buyers quietly wait on the sidelines for these trophy properties, and they’re ready when the right one comes to market.
Hamptons agents are famously independent. What does Compass offer that makes a top local broker stay when another firm comes calling?
Neda Navab: They’re famously independent, but we attract those who are also highly collaborative. Strong leadership, branding, and support all play a role, but a big part of what keeps agents here is their ability to work together locally and tap into an unparalleled network of top agents nationwide.
There’s a perception that Compass is both collaborating with and competing against legacy Hamptons firms. Is that tension intentional?
Neda Navab: Collaboration and competition can coexist and be healthy, not mutually exclusive.
When you walk through the Hamptons now, do you see it as a market, a status symbol, or something else entirely?
Robert Reffkin: The Hamptons is one of the most beautiful parts of the world. It attracts residents and visitors worldwide while also supporting a strong local community and full-time residents, all in one place.
Five years from now, does the Hamptons feel more exclusive — or more accessible — and what role does Compass play in shaping that?
Joe Fuer: I think it will be both. The market will become more exclusive as exceptional properties continue to push pricing higher, but also more accessible as it expands further west. Affordable housing is a major topic right now, and while some progress is being made, there’s still a lot more that can and should be done. We are always looking for opportunities to help everyone find their place in the world.
What’s something you believe about the Hamptons market right now that most people in the industry are getting wrong?
Joe Fuer: Even though inventory remains historically low, the fact that over 40% of listings have seen price reductions tells you this is really a pricing conversation, not as much a supply issue. Sellers came out with elevated expectations, and the market is correcting that in real time. Demand is still there, but it’s highly selective, and the right properties, priced correctly, are still moving.
