Max Stokes splits from Fox & Stokes to launch N.J. Compass team

As Compass finalizes its $1.6 billion merger with Anywhere, one of North Jersey’s most closely watched luxury real estate teams is undergoing a major transition.

Max Stokes — a founding principal of Compass’ Ridgewood, N.J., office and a top-producing agent in Bergen County — is splitting from the Fox & Stokes Team, which closed roughly $100 million in volume in 2025.

Stokes is launching a new specialist team under his own name while remaining at Compass, a move he said signals a shift away from the mega-team model toward a leaner, client-focused structure.

Fox & Stokes — which Stokes co-founded with Megan Fox five years ago — will continue operating as a separate team within Compass.

Stokes’ departure comes at a moment of heightened attention in the brokerage world, as consolidation reshapes how top agents structure their businesses.

For Stokes, the decision was less about corporate strategy and more about philosophy.

“The industry just keeps getting bigger and bigger and the teams keep getting bigger and bigger,” he told HousingWire. “I’m very client focused, very hands on. I felt like in order to get back to my kind of ethos, I wanted to be more present, omnipresent with my clients. As a team gets bigger and bigger, you start losing that.

“This is just kind of getting back to my roots. Truthfully, it’s just about service — hyper, hyper service.”

Fox & Stokes closed more than $57 million in volume across 43 transactions in 2024, according to RealTrends Verified.

Stokes said Compass’ infrastructure allows him to downsize his team without sacrificing operational support.

“With the resources that Compass offers, it’s kind of like a one stop on a technology end, to make sure my back office is incredible,” he says.

Stokes described his new operation as a highly selective group.

“We’re going to be bringing in a few like-minded agents, but we’re going to be very strict on the vetting,” he said. “[We’re making sure] that they’re really aligned and synonymous with my core beliefs and values — versus teams that are so fragmented and the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.”

Beyond his role as a licensed sales agent, Stokes is also a New Jersey certified appraiser and licensed real estate title producer.

A track record that stands out

Stokes’ move is expected to reverberate across Bergen County’s luxury real estate sector.

Over the past year, he led the No. 1 team in New Jersey’s Ho-Ho-Kus borough and the Northern Highlands school district.

In December, Stokes closed 7 Saddle Ridge Road in Ho-Ho-Kus for $3.6 million — tying the town record for non-land sales.

He is also a co-listing agent on one of the state’s most high-profile properties, the historic $19 million Crocker Mansion in Mahwah, N.J., alongside Carl Gambino and former partner Megan Fox.

Stokes’ path into residential real estate was shaped by both family influence and personal reinvention.

His family business is commercial real estate, and he said property discussions were a constant growing up.

Before committing fully to residential sales, he worked as a commodities trader on Wall Street while maintaining his real estate license.

“I had my real estate license in the background,” Stokes said. “I was working with friends and family, and I got to a point where my side hustle turned into a career. I was able to take the jump and leave finance — I never turned back.”

Licensed in 2013, Stokes was a platinum-producing solo agent before forming Fox & Stokes in 2020, during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advice for agents in a crowded field

Asked what has driven his success in one of the nation’s most competitive real estate markets, Stokes emphasized mentorship, authenticity and deep local knowledge.

“Having a great mentor is very, very important for somebody that’s getting into the business,” he said, noting the sheer number of licensed agents in New Jersey. “Make sure that you’re aligned with a great mentor, someone who can teach you the ropes. I would never advise someone to go it alone.”

Stokes added that his lifelong connection to the region gives him an edge.

“I’m from this area and I’ve had all these experiences,” he said. “I grew up in my market. I’ve been to the schools. I’ve commuted to Manhattan. It’s also about remembering it’s not about me. It’s about them — the clients — and really understanding their needs.”