Brand Dossier

RE/MAX

FDD-based analysis. Item-level data. No franchisor input.

Rank #180 on Entrepreneur 2026Real EstateFDD issued April 2026
Ranking ContextRanking from Entrepreneur Media's 2026 Franchise 500. Zorzee is independent and not affiliated with Entrepreneur Media.
Source File2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. Measurement period: Item 20 outlet data for fiscal years 2023-2025 (US offices). No Item 19 financial performance representation is made..
About the Brand

About RE/MAX

RE/MAX, LLC, together with subfranchisor RE/MAX Integrated Regions, LLC, franchises the development and operation of real estate brokerage offices, called Offices, that offer real estate listing, marketing, selling, purchasing, exchanging, auctioning, leasing and renting services to the general public under the REMAX name. Each Office operates under RE/MAX's high commission concept, which lets sales associates retain a very high percentage, typically 95 percent, of their earned commissions in exchange for paying fees, including office overhead and a marketing fee, to the Office. Franchises are granted for an address-only location with no territorial protection, and RE/MAX also offers Team Franchises and Commercial Real Estate Franchises that provide services solely with respect to commercial property.

Source: Entrepreneur 2026 ranking/profile data and Franchise Disclosure Document, rewritten by Zorzee

Investment Summary

The Numbers At a Glance

Total Investment Range
$29,350 to $302,500
FDD Item 7
Franchise Fee
$8,750 to $35,000,
Development fee: None. No separate area/development fee disclosed in Item 5.
FDD Item 5
Royalty + Fees
1%
Per-agent, not percent-of-sales: CFF $143-$170/mo per agent + Marketing Fee $127-$140/mo per agent + Annual Dues...
FDD Item 6
Earnings Claim
Not Disclosed
This FDD does not disclose an Item 19 earnings claim.
FDD Item 19

Every value here comes straight from the FDD; anything not yet source-verified stays blank rather than estimated. The Pro figures and full interpretation unlock with a Pro membership.

The FDD Data Table

Everything the 2026 Filing Discloses

Every data point Zorzee tracks for this brand, in FDD Item order. Missing source data stays blank; Pro-only interpretation remains locked.

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ItemData PointValueSource
Item 3Litigation Actions (total) 7 actions disclosed FDD Item 3
Item 5Initial Franchise Fee The Initial Franchise Fee is $8,750 to $35,000, depending on the population density of the market area (Item 5, p.23-24). FDD Item 5
Item 5Development Fee None. No separate area/development fee disclosed in Item 5. FDD Item 5
Item 6Royalty Fee 0% gross-sales royalty; RE/MAX uses fixed/agent and office fee schedules instead of a percentage royalty. FDD Item 6
Item 6National Media Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Corporate Ad & Development Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Total Ongoing Fee Burden Pro Calculated (Item 6)
Item 7Total Investment (low) $29,350 FDD Item 7
Item 7Total Investment (high) $302,500 FDD Item 7
Item 8Required Purchases (food/supplies) Pro FDD Item 8
Item 11Franchisor Assistance Pro FDD Item 11
Item 12Exclusive Territory Pro FDD Item 12
Item 12Territory Size Pro FDD Item 12
Item 15Operating Participation Pro FDD Item 15
Item 17Initial Term Length Pro FDD Item 17(a)
Item 17Renewal Terms Pro FDD Item 17(b)-(c)
Item 17Required Remodel at Renewal Pro FDD Item 17(c)
Item 17Termination Triggers Pro FDD Item 17(f)-(h)
Item 17Transfer Fee Pro FDD Item 17(m), Item 6
Item 17ROFR Provisions Pro FDD Item 17(n)
Item 17Post-Termination Non-Compete Pro FDD Item 17(r)
Item 19Revenue Metric Disclosed Pro FDD Item 19
Item 20Total Franchised Units (2025) 2994 FDD Item 20
Item 20Company-Owned Units (2025) 0 FDD Item 20
Item 20Total System Net Unit Growth (YoY) -155 (2025); -483 across the three-year window. All outlets are franchised; there are 0 company-owned outlets. FDD Item 20
Item 20Terminations Pro FDD Item 20
Item 20Agreements Signed, Not Yet Open Pro FDD Item 20
Item 21Audited Financials Pro FDD Item 21
Pro Data Points Locked
The free table maps every data point to its FDD source. Pro fills in the values and interpretation that require the full read.
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The Signal Tracker

Five Signals From the 2026 Filing

Each signal turns one part of the filing into a read a buyer can act on. Strength means the disclosed data is favorable. In Line means it is typical for the category. Deal-Specific means the term is populated but you still have to model it against your own deal. Concern means the disclosed data is a real risk. The read is free. The reasoning behind it is the Pro read.

Fee Structure
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 6
The Pro Read

RE/MAX's regional franchise discloses no financial performance representation, so there is no systemwide revenue figure to test the ongoing fee load against. The recurring fees are largely per-agent and headcount-driven rather than a percentage of sales, so the economics hinge on each office's actual agent roster and production. Build unit economics from the specific office's own records.

Unit Economics
Concern
FDD Item 19
The Pro Read

No Item 19 FPR disclosed; there is no AUV to underwrite.

Litigation History
In Line
FDD Item 3
The Pro Read

FDD Item 3 discloses 7 actions. Case names, allegations, procedural posture, and source quotes are locked in Pro.

Operator Validation
Concern
FDD Item 20
The Pro Read

The US RE/MAX system contracted in each of the last three years, with the largest exit channel being outlets that ceased operations for other reasons, and there are no company-owned offices in the validation pool.

Term & Exit Terms
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 17
The Pro Read

The office agreement runs five years with a single five-year renewal on the then-current form, a right of first refusal on any sale, a modest transfer fee, punitive holdover economics for late renewal, and a one-year, ten-mile post-term non-compete.

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You can see where each signal lands. Pro gives you the why: the math, the source detail, and what to validate before you act.
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Item 19: Earnings Disclosure

What the Earnings Claim Says, and What It Does Not

RE/MAX does not disclose an Item 19 earnings claim in the tracked filing. The caution below stays free.

Not Disclosed

This filing does not publish an Item 19 earnings claim. There is no earnings figure hidden behind the Pro gate.

What the Number Doesn't Tell You
Free, because misreading Item 19 is one of the costliest mistakes a first-time buyer can make.
  • Item 19 reports the disclosed sales or revenue metric. That is not profit, and not a forecast of what you would personally take home.
  • An average and a median are not the same number. Know which you are shown and how far apart they sit.
  • What reaches you is whatever survives operating costs and debt service. Item 19 never shows that figure.
The Rest of the Dossier Is Locked
Pro still covers the fee burden, unit trajectory, litigation, and the Zorzee read. It does not invent an Item 19 figure this filing does not publish.
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Unit Count and Trajectory

A System That Contracted

Total Units
2994
Latest sourced FDD year
Franchised
2994
FDD Item 20
Company-Owned
0
FDD Item 20
Total System Net Change (YoY)
-155
Latest total-system change
Total System Units, Latest Available FDD Years
3,358
2023
3,149
2024
2,994
2025

RE/MAX trajectory is shown only where source-backed. Missing Item 20 fields stay blank inside the locked layout instead of removing the section.

Source: FDD Item 20 where present. Total system units, franchised plus company-owned. Not financial advice.

Beyond the Net Number
A net unit count is not the same as healthy stores. Pro breaks out openings, closures, terminations, and what the trajectory signals.
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Litigation History

What FDD Item 3 Discloses

7 actions disclosed in FDD Item 3. Case-level detail remains locked in Pro.

Case 01
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
Case 02
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
Case 03
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
What a Litigation Count Doesn't Tell You
Free, because a raw lawsuit count is one of the most misread lines in any FDD.
  • A count means nothing without scale and time. Always compare it to system size and years covered.
  • The pattern matters more than the total. Repeated allegations matter more than isolated disputes.
  • Concluded and open matters are not the same weight. Open matters require different diligence than old resolved matters.
Litigation Read Locked
Pro gives the case-by-case read: allegations, status, scale context, and whether any pattern matters before signing.
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Editorial Analysis

The Zorzee Read

The Zorzee Take
The editor's synthesis: what the filing actually means once the numbers, diligence, and operator reality are weighed against each other. The Take names what matters, what does not, and what must be validated before any decision.
The Read · Pro
The Inversion
Charlie Munger's rule: to understand a thing, study how it fails. Zorzee stress-tests every brand against forecasting, site selection, management depth, and exit math. The framework is free. Which modes bite hardest for this brand, and the fix for each, is the read.
The Failure-Mode Read · Pro
The Editorial Read Is Locked
Pro unlocks the full Zorzee read on RE/MAX: the editorial synthesis, the math behind the numbers, and the failure modes the filing reveals. Zorzee briefs the decision; you make it.
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Zorzee editorial. Independent analysis. No franchisor review or approval. Not financial advice.

The Decision

You've Seen the Filing. The Read Is Still the Missing Piece.

The filing tells you what RE/MAX costs to open. Pro adds the read on whether the numbers work for you, in your market, and whether this brand is a business or a job you bought.

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This Dossier
  • The full read behind all five Signal Tracker verdicts
  • Pro FDD data points from fee burden through Item 17 and audited financials
  • The Item 19 earnings read where disclosed
  • The litigation and system-health read
  • The Zorzee Take and failure-mode analysis
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