Bottom line
- Total investment $36K – $473K including a $25K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed — the franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Rated MODERATE with a risk score of 63/100. SBA loan default rate of 0.0% across 153 loans (below the industry average).
- 18 litigation matters disclosed in Item 3 — higher than typical. Review the summary for patterns (franchisor-initiated vs. franchisee-initiated).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Yale framework · single-unit ROIC
Returns Analysis
Pulls Item 7 (investment) and Item 19 (revenue) from this brand's FDD into the Yale unlevered-ROIC formula. Override any input to stress-test it against your own assumptions.
The model · Yale framework
What would one CENTURY 21® unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
42%
In Yale's "attractive" band (30–60%)
Overview
About
Century 21 franchisees operate as independent real estate brokers, managing agents who buy/sell residential and commercial properties within their local market. Franchisees handle agent recruitment, training, commission splits, compliance, and local marketing while paying 6% of gross revenue to the franchisor for brand use and support services. Daily operations include managing client transactions, MLS participation, and agent supervision.
Item 7 · what it costs
The Vitals
Item 19
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 19 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator — not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee phone area codes (Item 20). Approximate — ported numbers may show the original state, not the franchisee's current location.
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
CENTURY 21 faces systemic risks from industry antitrust litigation, a contracting franchise network, undisclosed financials, and unprotected territories—making this a HIGH RISK investment in a real estate brokerage model under regulatory threat.
Score breakdown · what drove the 63 / 100 rating
- 01MINORShrinking franchise system: 1,685 units declining 2.8% YoY indicates market contraction and franchisee exits
- 02MEDNo financial transparency: Average revenue and net income not disclosed makes ROI assessment impossible
- 03HIGHExistential litigation risk: Antitrust case against NAR and parent company (Anywhere Real Estate) threatens core commission model and industry structure
- 04MINORUnprotected territory: No territorial protection means franchisees compete directly with other CENTURY 21 agents in same area
- 05HIGHHigh litigation exposure: Multiple TCPA class actions, franchisee royalty disputes, and ongoing antitrust proceedings create legal and financial uncertainty
- 06HIGHGoing concern status: False designation suggests potential financial instability at franchisor level
- 07MINORNo Item 19 financials: Inability to validate realistic earnings claims or benchmark against competitors
- 08MINOR10-year term lock-in: Long commitment during industry transition and antitrust uncertainty limits exit flexibility
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
Item 11
Training & Operations
Item 20
Franchisee Contacts
Phone numbers extracted directly from this brand's FDD Item 20. After purchase, you'll also receive a list of validation questions tailored to this brand.
Franchisee contacts
100 numbers
One-time purchase · CSV download · Validation questions included
FDD download
CENTURY 21® · FDD (2026) PDF