Royal LePage urges agents to pause as Risi family brokerages plan move to Remax

Julie Risi, Justin Risi, Vivian Risi and Michelle Risi ( yourcommunityrealty.com )

Royal LePage president and CEO Phil Soper is urging agents affiliated with Royal LePage Your Community Realty and Connect Realty to carefully consider their options following news that the Risi family intends to move its brokerages to Remax.

In a direct message to agents posted on YouTube, Soper said the decision was made without agent consultation and emphasized that Realtors are not required to follow the brokerage’s move.

“You do not have to let that family’s decision negatively impact your career and your family’s future, move your professional life from Royal LePage to Remax without consulting you,” Soper said.

Soper said Royal LePage brokerages are positioned to support agents affected by the change.

Remax confirmed the conversion news on Thursday.

A legacy brokerage and reports of a major move

Your Community Realty is led by Vivian Risi and her children, Michelle, Julie and Justin Risi, according to the brokerage’s website, and has grown to more than 1,000 Realtors across 10 locations, serving communities from Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe, and has long been Royal LePage’s largest franchise by agent count. Royal LePage reports the brokerage accounts for roughly 80 per cent of real estate sales within York Region.

Connect Realty has six locations across the GTA, with Michelle Risi serving as president and broker of record.

Combined, the brokerages have “over 16 locations,” according to Connect Realty’s website.

’Almost certainly financial’

Soper questioned the decision to align with a U.S.-based brand, particularly in the current economic and political climate.

“I’ll be honest, I struggle to understand why in today’s political and economic climate any Canadian business owner would choose to align with an American brand when the buy Canadian movement has never been stronger,” he said.

“This decision was almost certainly financial, but not with your finances in mind — the brokerage owner’s finances.”

Soper also cited market share trends, saying Royal LePage gained ground in 2025 while U.S.-based brands operating in Canada lost share.

“In 2025, Royal LePage gained meaningful market share across Canada,” he said. “Remax, along with other U.S.-based brands operating here, lost share. The data is clear.”

Productivity and pressure tactics

Soper warned agents against making rushed decisions, citing what he described as “false urgency.”

“In the coming hours and days, you will hear a lot of noise and a lot of disinformation,” he said. “There will be the ‘you need to sign now’ false urgency.”

He also pointed to independent data on agent performance following brand changes.

“Independent industry data shows that agents who switch from Royal LePage to Remax in your market are on average 13 per cent less productive in their first year,” Soper said.

There are reports the conversion could represent the largest brokerage move to Remax in Canada, and potentially the largest in the country overall.