San Francisco, CA - Friday, March 8, 2024 - Compass, the largest residential real estate brokerage in the United States by volume[1], announces that Compass East Bay founding agent Rick Richetta is teaming with Alex Michas, a leading producer in the Oakland/Berkeley market to create a powerful new luxury team. With more than 40 years of combined East Bay real estate experience, both leaders independently have earned a reputation for success in the market. Michas joins Compass from a Keller Williams team with earnings topping $137M according to Real Trends’ 2023 Verified Performance. As one of four founders of Compass East Bay in 2017, Richetta has been instrumental in helping to grow the East Bay’s nearly 1000 real estate professionals team.
"We are excited to welcome this outstanding new team," says Kevin Patsel, Compass Regional Vice President of Northern California. “Rick brings the institutional knowledge of Compass and our luxury capabilities to the table while Alex brings his luxury experience and tech savvy. It's a great collaboration."
Prior to joining KW, Michas spent a decade with Sotheby’s. His top sale in 2023 included bringing the buyer for a home in Woodside once owned by actor Michele Pfeiffer and producer, David E. Kelly’s for $33M. Michas has a Ph.D. in Psychology.
Richetta has built a broad and robust practice in the elite Piedmont, Berkeley and Oakland markets. His past experience as a global equine broker for ultra-high networth buyers allows him to deliver unparalleled service with special acumen for equestrian properties. Richetta has a master’s degree in Psychology.
This spring the Michas Richetta Team is bringing a legendary Piedmont estate to market with the top listing price for the region at $23M. Now, supported by Compass, this impressive new team has access to the industry’s leading technology platform and a vast network of known colleagues to drive their sale efforts to new heights.
“Compass offers the platform we need to be the very best storytellers, to create evocative marketing, and to ensure that each listing is announced and distributed to the right buyers,” says Michas. “At Compass we are better prepared to do what we say we're going to do. This frees us to enjoy our work and the people we serve.”
“I brought a well-established book of business with me when I came to Compass in 2017. But the team of specialists that Compass provides to support me with my clients is truly remarkable and a game changer,” says Richetta. “Robert Reffkin inspires as a leader and his "dream big and achieve" energy is contagious.”
Compass has continued to invest in strengthening its agent-focused tools and programs. Last fall, Compass AI, a machine learning tool that empowers agents to craft compelling listing descriptions and design effective marketing strategies, was introduced. Additionally, Compass recently announced an international referral program in partnership with Barnes International, a leading European brokerage.
About Compass
Founded in 2012, Compass is the largest residential real estate brokerage in the United States. The technology-enabled brokerage provides an end-to-end platform that empowers its residential real estate agents to deliver exceptional service to seller and buyer clients. The platform includes an integrated suite of cloud-based software for customer relationship management, marketing, client service, brokerage services and other critical functionality, all custom-built for the real estate industry. Compass agents utilize the platform to grow their business, save time and manage their business more effectively. For more information on how Compass empowers real estate agents, one of the largest groups of small business owners in the country, please visit www.Compass.com.
¹ 1. T. Velt, "eXp Realty, Compass earn No. 1 spots in RealTrends 500 brokerage rankings," RealTrends, Online, HW Media, 3/9/2023, https://www.realtrends.com/articles/realtrends-500-exp-realty-jumps-to-no-1-sides-compass-no-1-volume/.
