Commission Express vs 1st Class Real Estate Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Commission Express vs 1st Class Real Estate including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees

 
Commission Express Franchise
1st Class Real Estate Franchise
Investment $112,800 - $301,500$14,420 - $209,475
Franchise Fee $15,000 - $60,000$5,000 - $25,000
Royalty Fee Varies-
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 19922012
Year Franchised 19962018
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements

 
Commission Express Franchise
1st Class Real Estate Franchise
Experience
  • General business experience
  • -

    Financing Options

     
    Commission Express Franchise
    1st Class Real Estate Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/NoYes/-
    Start-up Costs No/NoYes/-
    Equipment No/No-/Yes
    Inventory No/No-/Yes
    Receivables No/No-/Yes
    Payroll No/No-/Yes

    Training & Support

     
    Commission Express Franchise
    1st Class Real Estate Franchise
    Training - Classroom Training: 16 hours Additional Training: Virtual training
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Internet, Field operations/evaluations Ongoing Support Newsletter Grand Opening Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
    Marketing Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising Co-op Advertising Ad Templates Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
    Operations 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)

    Number of Employees Required to Run: 3

    Expansion Plans

     
    Commission Express Franchise
    1st Class Real Estate Franchise
    US Expansion --
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion Yes-

    Company Overviews

    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.



    About 1st Class Real Estate

    "1st

    1st Class Real Estate is a full-service real estate company that desires to help YOU grow your business! Like everyone else we offer competitive splits & support; however, it is our culture that sets us apart from the rest! We’ve made it possible for you to grow your business with a team of individuals without breaking the bank!

    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a 1st Class Real Estate Full-Service Model is $55,870- $209,475.
    This includes $25,950 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.
    The total investment necessary to begin operation of a 1st Class Real Estate Incubation Model is $14,420-$71,795.
    This includes $5,950 that must be paid to the franchisor or affiliate.

    Seeking new franchise units in the following regions/states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming