Real Living vs Commission Express Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Real Living vs Commission Express including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$3,000 - $80,000 | $112,800 - $301,500 |
Franchise Fee |
$2,500 - $80,000 | $15,000 - $60,000 |
Royalty Fee |
5% | Varies |
Advertising Fee |
- | - |
Year Founded |
1976 | 1992 |
Year Franchised |
1981 | 1996 |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | 10 years |
Term Of Agreement |
10 years | 10 years |
Renewal Fee |
- | - |
Business Experience Requirements |
Experience |
- | General business experience |
Financing Options |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/No | No/No |
Start-up Costs |
No/No | No/No |
Equipment |
No/No | No/No |
Inventory |
No/No | No/No |
Receivables |
No/No | No/No |
Payroll |
No/No | No/No |
Training & Support |
Training |
- | - |
Support |
Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations | Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Internet, Field operations/evaluations |
Marketing |
Co-op advertising | Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising |
Operations |
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. |
15% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 1
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
US Expansion |
Yes | - |
Canada Expansion |
No | No |
International Expansion |
No | Yes |
Company Overviews
About Real Living
With a makeshift desk of two sawhorses and a door, Harley E. Rouda started Harley E. Rouda Realty Co. in Upper Arlington, Ohio, in 1956. Now working with his son Harley E. Rouda Jr., Rouda is still involved in this family-owned and -operated franchise company, which specializes in residential real estate.
Real Living Real Estate is a full-service real estate brokerage
franchise company with a comprehensive and integrated suite of resources
for franchisees and their sales professionals, as well as for consumers
who work with them.
Real Living Real Estate earned a record 98% customer satisfaction rating
for 2017, according to independent ratings service Quality Service
Certification, Inc. (QSC). This is the highest customer satisfaction
score ever earned by Real Living, and it places the brokerage network
atop the industry for customer satisfaction.
Real Living Real Estate is a network brand of HSF Affiliates LLC, which
is owned by HomeServices of America, Inc.™, a Berkshire Hathaway
affiliate. Visit
www.RealLiving.com About Commission Express
John L Stedman and Joseph M. Giovannelli founded Commission Express, based in Fairfax, Virginia, in 1992. With most real estate transactions, an agent waits between 30 and 90 days to receive his or her commission. In the meantime, the agent still has to cover the costs of running an office and paying employees.
Commission Express franchisees essentially offer agents cash advances by purchasing an agent's outstanding commissions at a discount. When the home purchase is completed and the commission is received, Commission Express withholds between 8 and 14 percent in fees. Franchisees provide their own capital to purchase the commissions.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Commission Express franchised business with a protected development territory ranges from $172,300 to $301,500. This includes $10,000 (for a small
territory), $25,000 (for a medium territory) or $50,000 (for a large
territory) that must be paid to the franchisor.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Commission Express franchised business with an open market development territory ranges from $112,800 to $192,500. This includes $25,000 that must be
paid to the franchisor.