Coldwell Banker Commercial®Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Coldwell Banker Commercial® franchise requires a total initial investment of $36K – $734K, including a $20K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 13 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $36K – $734K
- 18th pct Real Estate
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 25th pct Real Estate
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 21st pct Real Estate
- Units
- 139
- 53rd pct Real Estate
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Real Estate · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Real Estate avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Only 0.0% of 13 SBA loans charged off, well below the 16% franchise average.
Franchising since 1998. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
13 legal cases disclosed in the FDD. Read Item 3 before signing.
Bottom line
- Total investment $36K – $734K including a $20K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 29/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 13 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- 13 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
- Legal entity
- Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC
- Parent company
- Anywhere Real Estate Inc.
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 175 Park Avenue, Madison, New Jersey 07940
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $6.9B
- vs $5.6B prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate commercial real estate brokerage offices under the Coldwell Banker Commercial brand, generating revenue through buyer/seller commissions, tenant/landlord leasing, and property management services. Day-to-day operations involve recruiting and managing sales agents, marketing commercial properties, servicing client relationships, and maintaining compliance with local/federal real estate regulations.
- CEO
- Susan Elizabeth Yannaccone
- Headquarters
- NJ
- Founded
- 1981
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 39
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $20K | $20K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $15K | $100K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $500 | $614K |
| Total initial investment | $36K | $734K |
Source: Coldwell Banker Commercial® 2024 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $36K – $734K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $100K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Gross Revenue · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Real Estate averages
How Coldwell Banker Commercial® Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 139
- Opened
- 15
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 7
- Turnover rate
- 5.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 8.3%
- Net growth (yr3)
- +6.2%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +11.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 35 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 contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 13
- Loan volume
- $6.8M
- Median loan
- $235K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 7
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Coldwell Banker Commercial®'s SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 7 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 7 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 6-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 13 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Coldwell Banker Commercial presents moderate-to-high risk due to absent financial disclosures, significant pending litigation (antitrust/commission disputes), slow unit growth, unprotected territory, and regulatory scrutiny—making it difficult to validate ROI or franchisee viability.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 29 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo Item 19 financial performance disclosure—cannot validate average revenue or profitability claims
- 02MEDFive pending class actions involving antitrust and buyer-broker commission disputes create systemic legal uncertainty and potential regulatory liability
- 03MINORSlow unit growth (6.2% YoY) with only 139 locations suggests market saturation, franchisee underperformance, or brand weakness in commercial real estate segment
- 04MINORUnprotected territory means franchisees compete directly with other CBC franchisees and company-owned offices for the same clients
- 05MINORTiered royalty structure (6% up to $1M, then 3%) incentivizes franchisees to cap growth artificially to avoid higher tax burden
- 06MINORMultiple trademark infringement cases and regulatory proceedings (HUD, FTC, Washington AG) indicate compliance and brand integrity risks
- 07MINORModerate-to-high initial investment ($35.5K–$733.5K) with no performance benchmarks to justify cost
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 0 |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New Jersey |
| Litigation count | 13 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 122 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- POS system
- CBCDesk
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: CBCDesk
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
100 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Coldwell Banker Commercial® · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Coldwell Banker Commercial® franchise?
The total investment to open a Coldwell Banker Commercial® franchise ranges from $36K – $734K, with an initial franchise fee of $20K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Coldwell Banker Commercial® franchise owners earn?
Coldwell Banker Commercial® does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Coldwell Banker Commercial®'s franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Coldwell Banker Commercial® has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 13 loans, meaning 0.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Coldwell Banker Commercial® franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Coldwell Banker Commercial® has 139 total units in the United States, including 123 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 15 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Coldwell Banker Commercial® a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Coldwell Banker Commercial® as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 29 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.