RE/MAX vs Keller Williams franchise USA 2026: is the $147K investment gap worth it?
RE/MAX is 5.0× cheaper to get into — $37K vs $184K (about $147K less). RE/MAX runs the bigger network at 2994 vs 735 outlets. RE/MAX takes less off the top (1% royalty vs 6%).
01 What actually matters
Numbers that separate them on a 5-year horizon — not the franchise-development pitch.
The operational model splits the room: RE/MAX expects medium involvement; Keller Williams expects 0 involvement. If you're an absentee investor this matters as much as the capex — the wrong match burns you via under-managed operations.
RE/MAX has 4.1× more outlets than Keller Williams (2994 vs 735) — more brand recognition and supplier scale, but also denser intra-brand competition in saturated markets.
Keller Williams charges 6% royalty on revenue — recurring, uncapped, and deducted before your own margin is calculated. Factor it into every pro-forma.
02 The numbers, visualised
Primary format per brand, from FDD Item 7. A brand's smaller express or non-traditional formats can cost materially less.
Initial investment (FDD Item 7)
Total initial investment, low end of each brand's FDD Item 7 range for its primary format. Several US brands also run smaller express, non-traditional or conversion formats at materially lower investment — check the brand page for the full Item 7 table.
Network scale — total outlets
Total US outlets from FDD Item 20. Bigger networks mean more brand recognition and supplier scale; smaller ones mean less intra-brand competition in your trade area.
Customer ratings
Which brand's outlets are rated higher by customers, aggregated across locations. Exact star rating and review volume are in Brand Health.
Direction only — the underlying rating & review count are Pro data.
03 Side-by-side
Straight from each brand’s FDD. Green badge marks the more favourable value for a typical first-time operator.
| Metric | RE/MAX | Keller Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Initial investment (Item 7) | $37K ↓ Lower | $184K |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 1% ↓ Lower | 6% |
| Gross margin | — | — |
| Min space (sq ft) | 600 ↓ Smaller | 2000 |
| Total US outlets (Item 20) | 2994 ↑ Bigger | 735 |
| Franchise fee (Item 5) | $9K ↓ Lower | $35K |
| Additional funds | — | — |
Not sure if RE/MAX or Keller Williams actually fits *you*?
BrandFit asks 6 visual questions about your operator profile, capital, and location — then ranks all 182 brands by predicted success-fit for your situation. See where these brands really stand for someone like you.
Ready to talk to RE/MAX or Keller Williams?
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04 Explore these brands in depth
Same data plus the full FDD breakdown, fee load, contract fairness and SBA lending picture — free on every brand page.
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05 Frequently asked
Wrapped in FAQPage JSON-LD for SERP rich-result eligibility.
Is RE/MAX or Keller Williams better for first-time franchisees?
For a first-time franchisee, capital preservation matters more than brand prestige. RE/MAX has the lower entry capex here, which caps downside if the location underperforms. That said, first-time operators should also weigh how much hand-holding the brand provides in site selection, training, and SOP enforcement — not just the sticker price.
What is the minimum space required for a Real Estate Brokerage franchise?
Among these brands, the smallest footprint is RE/MAX at 600+ sqft. Square footage is only half the site test — most US franchisors also specify traffic counts, co-tenancy, parking ratios and a trade-area population in the franchise agreement, and will reject a site that hits the minimum footprint but misses those.
Are these Real Estate Brokerage franchises still awarding territory in my state?
FDD Item 20 lists every outlet by state, plus openings, closures, transfers and terminations for the last three years — the fastest way to see whether a brand is still expanding near you or has gone quiet. RE/MAX runs the largest network here at 2994 outlets. Note that fourteen states — California, New York, Illinois, Virginia, Washington and others — require franchise registration, so a brand may simply be unregistered in yours.
How many Real Estate Brokerage franchise brands are available in the US?
FRANticc's database lists 2 brands matching this comparison with verified investment data, store counts, and format details. Several more are covered across our full directory. Every figure is traced to the brand's Franchise Disclosure Document.