Circa Real Estate

What Circa Real Estate does

Circa Real Estate (operating as the Circa Houston Group) is a privately-held, full-service residential real estate brokerage founded in 2011 by Mary Wassef in Houston, Texas. The firm operates from two storefronts in the Houston Heights neighborhood and serves home buyers, home sellers, and first-time buyers through a team of more than 30 licensed Realtors who provide customized pricing and listing plans, digital and traditional property marketing, staging, photography, open houses, and guided closings. Underlying technology is conventional — a brokerage platform with digital marketing capabilities, listings syndicated to HAR.com and Realtor.com, and a 15-year-running neighborhood blog (heightsblog.com) as a top-of-funnel content engine — with no disclosed AI/ML components, APIs, or proprietary software IP.

The company's revenue model is transaction-based: it earns commissions on residential buy and sell transactions, with pricing customized per client and a percentage of each transaction retained by the brokerage from its network of agents. Distribution is sales-led and multi-channel — direct agent relationships, physical storefronts, marketplace listings (HAR.com, Realtor.com), events (30+ per year), organic social (Instagram, Facebook), and earned media in outlets such as Forbes, Texas Monthly, Houston Chronicle, Modern Luxury, and Houston Business Journal. In 2024 Circa transitioned to operating as the "Circa Houston Group, powered by Realty of America (ROA)," trading some autonomy for access to a national agent network, expanded marketing tools, and back-office scale while retaining its Houston brand identity; Realty of America functions as a strategic parent/operating partner. Customer concentration is structurally low because the book of business is composed of individual residential transactions across the Houston metropolitan area, with primary geographic emphasis on the Houston Heights and surrounding historic neighborhoods.

Name

Circa Real Estate

Legal name

Circa Real Estate, LLC

Website

https://circahouston.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Circa Real Estate (Circa Houston Group) is a Houston-based, full-service residential real estate brokerage founded in 2011 that serves Houston-area home buyers, home sellers, and first-time buyers through a team of 30+ licensed Realtors across two Houston Heights storefronts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Real Estate Brokerage

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (531210), Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Real Estate (6500)

akta.pro primary industry

Traditional Residential Brokerage (Existing Homes) (BPAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable Housing & First-Time Buyer Brokerage (BPAJAAAD)

Keywords

• Residential real estate brokerage
• Home buying services
• Home selling services
• Real estate commission
• Houston property sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Real Estate Commission: Traditional real estate brokerage earning commissions on home buy and sell transactions. Agents receive marketing support, coaching, and access to the broker network while the company takes a portion of transaction fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Circa Real Estate is a Houston-based residential real estate brokerage that provides full-service representation for home buyers and sellers through a team of more than 30 licensed Realtors. Services include customized pricing and listing plans, personalized property search, negotiation and closing support for buyers, and staging, photography, open houses, and digital marketing campaigns for sellers. The brokerage is community-rooted in the Houston Heights and operates as the Circa Houston Group powered by Realty of America (ROA).

Product overview

Circa Real Estate (operating as the Circa Houston Group) is a full-service residential real estate brokerage that offers two core services — Home Buying and Home Selling — supported by a team of over 30 licensed Realtors. The brokerage is built on a community-centered model offering customized marketing plans, personalized agent guidance, digital and traditional property marketing, and ongoing client engagement through local events. The firm operates as part of a platform model powered by Realty of America (ROA), which provides expanded national agent network resources while maintaining local Houston branding and community roots.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Homes sold under contract in less than 30 days
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Realty of America (ROA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCirca Houston Group is now 'powered by' Realty of America (ROA), representing a strategic partnership that aligned values between the companies. This partnership allows Circa to expand while staying true to their Houston heritage, providing greater resources and innovation while maintaining commitment to the local community. ROA empowers Circa with national agent network access, expanded tools, and elevated marketing capabilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Compass: Tech-enabled national residential brokerage combining agent-focused technology with full-service representation. Compass competes directly with Circa for agents and clients in major U.S. metros including Houston.
• eXp Realty: Cloud-based residential brokerage with a commission-split and equity participation model for agents. Operates nationally and competes with Circa for agent recruiting and listing share in the Houston market.
• Redfin: Tech-enabled residential brokerage offering direct buyer/seller services with a salaried-plus-bonus agent model. Competes with Circa on listings and buyer representation in major U.S. metros including Houston.

Broad incumbents

• RE/MAX: Global residential brokerage franchise with a large agent network. Competes with Circa for residential listings and buyer representation in the Houston metro area.
• Sotheby's International Realty: Luxury-focused global residential brokerage brand. Competes with Circa in the higher-end segments of the Houston market, particularly for premium listings in historic neighborhoods.
• Keller Williams Realty: Largest U.S. residential brokerage franchise by agent count with strong presence in Texas. Competes with Circa for agent recruiting and listings across the Houston metro.
• Coldwell Banker: Large legacy residential brokerage franchise with national reach and brand recognition. Competes with Circa for agents and clients in the Houston Heights and broader Houston market as part of its broader residential portfolio.
• Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices: National residential brokerage franchise leveraging the Berkshire Hathaway brand. Operates broadly in the Houston market and competes with Circa for premium listings and agent talent.

Others

• Realty of America: Parent strategic platform of Circa Real Estate since 2024. While not a direct competitor, ROA's strategy, commission structure, and platform economics directly shape Circa's operating model and growth path.

Regional players

• Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty: Established Houston-based luxury residential brokerage serving the same Houston market as Circa. Competes for premium listings and buyer representation in Houston's inner-loop and historic neighborhoods.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Circahouston
• Instagraminstagram.com/circarealestate
• Xx.com/circarealestate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Circa Real Estate