US Industry Hub

Real Estate & Insurance Franchises

Real estate brokerage franchises let an established agent or team operate under a national brand, drawing on its listings network and marketing systems, usually without opening a retail storefront. Pricing varies sharply by brand: one may use a fixed per-agent fee, while another keeps part of each commission. Treat the numbers below as individual brand figures, not one blended average.

What a real estate franchise actually costs
Century 21$35,770 Coldwell Banker$37,050 RE/MAX$37,100 Sotheby's International Realty$47,250 EXIT Realty$60,800 Goosehead Insurance$66,000 HomeVestors$150,000 Keller Williams$183,647
$35,770entry floor$54,025median$553,700top of range
8 of 8 brands publish an Item 7 range $37,088–$87,000 is the middle half 8 of 8 file Item 19 earnings

Each dot is one brand's minimum total investment (FDD Item 7). An entry-cost distribution only — not a promise of return.

8 Real Estate & Insurance brands, ranked by entry cost
1Century 21FPRReal Estate Brokerage $35,770–$286,100 $25,000 6% 1,685+
2Coldwell BankerFPRCommercial Real Estate Brokerage $37,050–$553,700 $20,000 Not disclosed in FDD 1,781+
3RE/MAXFPRReal Estate Brokerage $37,100–$336,500 $8,750 1% 2,994+
4Sotheby's International RealtyFPRLuxury Real Estate Brokerage $47,250–$331,950 $25,000 6% 672+
5EXIT RealtyFPRReal Estate Brokerage $60,800–$209,000 $7,500 Not disclosed in FDD 518+
6Goosehead InsuranceFPRInsurance Agency Franchise $66,000–$111,500 $50,000 20% 1,008+
7HomeVestorsFPRReal Estate Investment & Property Flipping $150,000–$477,250 $85,000 2% 862+
8Keller WilliamsFPRReal Estate Brokerage $183,647–$336,495 $35,000 6% 735+

Bar shows each brand's Item 7 range across the $35,770–$553,700 span of this category; the lighter block behind it is the middle half of the category (25th–75th percentile). Ranked by lowest entry cost.

Head-to-head inside this category
RE/MAX vs Century 21 RE/MAX vs Keller Williams RE/MAX vs EXIT Realty
Related US industry hubs
Home & Senior CareHome Repair & Trades
Straight answers
How much does a real estate franchise cost?

Across the 8 real estate & insurance brands FRANticc tracks in the US with a disclosed investment range, entry cost runs from $35,770 (Century 21) to $183,647 (Keller Williams), per each brand's FDD Item 7.

Which is the cheapest real estate franchise?

Century 21 has the lowest disclosed minimum investment on this page at $35,770 (FDD Item 7). That is a starting figure, not the total cost of getting to opening day — franchise fee, working capital and any real estate are on top where applicable.

How much do real estate & insurance franchise owners make?

Financial Performance Representations (FDD Item 19) are optional under FTC franchise rules, so not every brand publishes one. 8 of 8 brands on this page disclose earnings data in their current FDD; check the individual brand page for what each one discloses. FRANticc does not estimate or promise returns — only figures a brand has itself put in writing.

Can I get SBA financing for a real estate franchise?

Many brands in this category are listed on the SBA Franchise Directory, which is what SBA 7(a) lenders check first — but directory listing and loan approval are two different things, and approval also depends on the individual applicant's credit and collateral. Confirm current SBA status directly with the brand and with an SBA-approved lender; FRANticc does not verify per-brand SBA eligibility.

Every figure above is from the brand's current Franchise Disclosure Document (Items 5, 6, 7, 20) on file with FRANticc, US-scoped (country_code=US) — no India data mixed in.
If any figure is incorrect, write to [email protected]