Coldwell Banker Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Coldwell Banker is a residential real-estate brokerage franchise. Franchisees run full-service offices that recruit and support agents, earning revenue from commission splits on home sales in their local market.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Coldwell Banker franchise requires a total initial investment of $34K – $334K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.5% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. SBA 7(a) loans show a 16.3% charge-off rate across 78 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $34K – $334K
- 16th pct Real Estate
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- 21st pct Real Estate
- Units
- 1,781
- 87th pct Real Estate
- SBA charge-off
- 16.3%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Real Estate · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Real Estate avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $34K – $334K including a $25K franchise fee, 5.5% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 55/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 16.3% across 78 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- DATAThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC
- Parent company
- Anywhere Real Estate Services Group LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Compass, Inc.
- CEO title
- President and Chief Executive Officer, Compass International Holdings
- Elisabeth Gehringer
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 175 Park Avenue, Madison, New Jersey 07940
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (Florham Park, NJ)
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $6.0B
- vs $5.7B prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Elisabeth Gehringer
- Headquarters
- NJ
- Founded
- 1981
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 50
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 16% below the typical real estate franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25K | $25K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $15K | $100K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $0 | $209K |
| Total initial investment | $34K | $334K |
Source: Coldwell Banker 2026 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
- $34K – $334K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $100K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- Tiered by sales volume · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.5% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Coldwell Banker makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Coldwell Banker unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.0% — below the Real Estate average of 9.3%.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System contracting at -4.0% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Multi-unit rate
Only 15% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Real Estate averages
How Coldwell Banker Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 1,781
- Opened
- 46
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 48
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 9
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 4.5%
- Company-owned
- 484
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 73%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 15.4%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -4.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -4.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 46
- Closed (3yr)
- 48
- Terminated (3yr)
- 1
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 9
- Transfers (3yr)
- 25
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Transfer rate
- 1.4%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 95.7%
- Units that stayed open
- Termination rate
- 0.6%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 2.7%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 50 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
- 78
- Loan volume
- $34.9M
- Median loan
- $442K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 16.3%
- 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)
- 83.7%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 32
- Defaults
- 8
- Typical loan rate
- 5.3%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 14.8%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 101
- 4.1 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 17%
- top lender's share
Franchise vs independent — in offices of real estate agents and brokers, franchised businesses charge off at 14.8% vs 29.6% for independents — franchising is associated with 50% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Coldwell Banker franchisees
Showing 3 of 32 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Coldwell Banker's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 6 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 5 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 3-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans here charge off near the 16.0% national average.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Mature, declining real estate franchise with significant litigation exposure, no profitability transparency, and unprotected territories—moderate-to-high risk for capital deployment.
Litigation (Item 3)
Multiple pending and resolved matters including: trademark/breach suit vs former franchisee (won); TCPA class action settled $200K; antitrust commission suits (Moehrl/Burnett settled $83.5M); Nosalek MLS antitrust; Batton buyer-side antitrust/Tuccori opt-in settlement $9.6M; Chinitz TCPA Anywhere Advisors (preliminary settlement); Homie antitrust (dismissed); merger-related stockholder suits (mostly resolved).
Largest disclosed settlement: $83,500,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (Florham Park, NJ)
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Item 21 includes only the audited consolidated financial statements of the parent guarantors Anywhere Real Estate Inc. and Anywhere Real Estate Group LLC; no separate stand-alone statements of the franchisor (Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC) are provided. All figures are consolidated, in millions, for the year ended December 31, 2025. Net revenues comprise gross commission income $4,849M, service revenue $607M, franchise fees $372M, and other $132M. Company reported a net loss of $(89)M (net loss attributable to Anywhere/Anywhere Group $(90)M). Total equity including noncontrolling interests was $1,490M; total stockholders' equity $1,487M. Auditor firm name not present in extracted text (report dated February 25, 2026, Florham Park, New Jersey).
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 55 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORDeclining unit count (-0.9% YoY) suggests market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction in a mature 1,900-unit system
- 02MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosure (missing Item 19) prevents assessment of actual franchisee profitability and ROI
- 03HIGHMultiple active litigation categories including antitrust commission structure claims and TCPA class actions indicate systemic operational/legal risks
- 04MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk between franchisees and potential margin compression
- 05MEDHigh investment ceiling ($521,775) combined with undisclosed returns creates asymmetric risk/reward profile
- 06MINORDeclining royalty structure incentivizes growth but may signal prior franchisee profitability concerns at standard 5.5% rate
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 0 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 120 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | NJ |
| Litigation count | 7 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Multiple pending and resolved matters including: trademark/breach suit vs former franchisee (won); TCPA class action settled $200K; antitrust commission suits (Moehrl/Burnett settled $83.5M); Nosalek MLS antitrust; Batton buyer-side antitrust/Tuccori opt-in settlement $9.6M; Chinitz TCPA Anywhere Advisors (preliminary settlement); Homie antitrust (dismissed); merger-related stockholder suits (mostly resolved).
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 17 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Virtually (phone/Zoom)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 0 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Productivity Suite
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Productivity Suite
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1,261 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Coldwell Banker · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Coldwell Banker franchise?
The total investment to open a Coldwell Banker franchise ranges from $34K – $334K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Coldwell Banker franchise owners earn?
Coldwell Banker makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
What is Item 19 in the Coldwell Banker FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Coldwell Banker FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Coldwell Banker's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Coldwell Banker has a charge-off rate of 16.3% across 78 loans, meaning 16.3% 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 franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Coldwell Banker has 1,781 total units in the United States, including 1,297 franchised units and 484 company-owned units. 46 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Coldwell Banker a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Coldwell Banker as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 55 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.
For franchisors
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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.