Franchise Facts Report → rankings → Real estate
Cheapest Real estate franchises to open
The 15 lowest-cost real estate franchises by total initial investment (FDD Item 7) — the low-cost end of the category, ranked from the disclosure documents themselves rather than from anyone's marketing. Every figure is read from the brand's most recent FDD — not marketing copy.
| # | Franchise | Total investment | Investment | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Realty Executives | $15,500 | $1,000 – $30,000 | High |
| 2 | United Country Real Estate | $27,680 | $10,480 – $44,880 | High |
| 3 | 1st Class Real Estate | $37,250 | $31,050 – $43,450 | Medium |
| 4 | 1 % Lists | $40,715 | $21,870 – $59,560 | Medium |
| 5 | Simply Full Service Reality | $45,000 | $29,200 – $60,800 | High |
| 6 | Help-U-Sell Real Estate | $48,650 | $29,650 – $67,650 | Medium |
| 7 | Real Estate Solutions · Item 19 ✓ | $62,816 | $54,366 – $71,266 | Low |
| 8 | 1st Class Real Estate (Area Rep) | 1st Class Real Estate (Area Representative) · Item 19 ✓ | $68,500 | $23,500 – $113,500 | Medium |
| 9 | HomeLife | $72,100 | $34,200 – $110,000 | Medium |
| 10 | Sperry Van Ness | SVN | SVN Commercial Real Estate Advisors · Item 19 ✓ | $81,545 | $33,780 – $129,310 | Medium |
| 11 | SVN · Item 19 ✓ | $81,545 | $33,780 – $129,310 | Medium |
| 12 | Iron Valley Real Estate | $99,000 | $54,500 – $143,500 | Medium |
| 13 | Realty World | $106,800 | $18,600 – $195,000 | High |
| 14 | PMI | Property Management Inc. | Property Management, Inc. | Property Managment · Item 19 ✓ | $109,063 | $70,125 – $148,000 | Low |
| 15 | Valbridge Property Advisors Franchising System | $116,722 | $69,914 – $163,529 | High |
Ranked from FDDs filed with state franchise registries. Figures are as disclosed by each franchisor; “best” reflects the single metric above, not an overall recommendation. Tap any brand for the full cost, earnings, litigation and benchmark breakdown.
This page ranks one number. The report on a single brand gives you the actual Item 19 earnings, every fee line, the litigation detail, outlet churn, and where each figure lands against real estate peers — plus the questions to put to the franchisor before you sign.