Commission Express Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $173K – $299K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Commission Express is a financial services franchise that advances cash to real estate agents against their pending commissions. Franchisees run local operations, underwriting and purchasing commission receivables from agents and brokers.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A COMMISSION EXPRESS franchise requires a total initial investment of $173K – $299K, including a $10K – $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 9.0% 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. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored4 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $173K – $299K
- 82nd pct Real Estate
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 9.0%
- 60th pct Real Estate
- Units
- 38
- 26th pct Real Estate
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Real Estate · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Real Estate median · 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 $173K – $299K including a $10K franchise fee, 9.0% 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 C (Average), verdict score 40/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -2 franchised outlets in the latest year (4 opened, 6 closed) (Item 20).
- 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
- Commission Express National, Inc.
- CEO title
- President, Treasurer, Director, and Chairman
- John L. Stedman
- Incorporated in
- VA
- HQ
- 8306 Professional Hill Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031
- Auditor
- Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates, P.A.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $609K
- vs $560K prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchisee Advisory Board
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- that is also a franchisee
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- John L. Stedman
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 1994
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 21
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 77% above the typical real estate franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown19 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feenot refundable | $10K | $50K | |
| Leasehold improvementsnot refundable | $0 | $2K | |
| Leasehold depositnot refundable | $0 | $500 | |
| 1st month's rentnot refundable | $0 | $500 | |
| Office equipmentnot refundable | $0 | $500 | |
| Furniturenot refundable | $0 | $5K | |
| Opening inventory (capital pool)not refundable | $150K | $200K | |
| 1 computer accounting package (QUICKBOOKS)not refundable | $420 | $1K | |
| 1 computer systemnot refundable | $0 | $3K | |
| 1 telephone systemnot refundable | $0 | $1K | |
| 1 copiernot refundable | $0 | $3K | |
| Travel, lodging and meals for initial trainingnot refundable | $800 | $2K | |
| Supplies (stationery, brochures, banners, etc.)not refundable | $1K | $1K | |
| Business licenses, permits, etc.not refundable | $200 | $400 | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $500 | $800 | |
| Pre-opening advertisingnot refundable | $2K | $3K | |
| Local real estate association membershipnot refundable | $100 | $200 | |
| Professional feesnot refundable | $1K | $1K | |
| Additional fundsnot refundable | $7K | $25K | |
| Total initial investment | $173K | $299K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $173K – $299K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $7K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $10K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 9.0%
- Tiered by sales volume · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 9.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% |
| Technology fee | $587 |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $6K |
| Renewal fee | $1K |
| Inventory (initial) | $150K – $200K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
COMMISSION EXPRESS 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 COMMISSION EXPRESS 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: 2025 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 10.0% — above the Real Estate median of 7.5%.
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 -2.6% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Multi-unit rate
Only 17% 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 medians
How Commission Express Compares
Category median of published Real Estate brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 38
- Opened
- 4
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 6
- Turnover rate
- 15.8%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 16.7%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -2.6%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -2.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 4
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 2.6%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Ceased ops
- 13.2%
- Units that stopped operating
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 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Washington
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
27 current owners across 19 states.
- CA 3
- FL 3
- TX 3
- NY 2
- VA 2
- AK 1
- AZ 1
- CO 1
- CT 1
- IL 1
- KY 1
- MA 1
- +7 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Shrinking unit base, missing financial disclosure, and declining royalty tiers indicate a maturing franchise in contraction with insufficient transparency for ROI validation.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates, P.A.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 40 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 5.1% YoY (38 units) — shrinking franchise system indicates market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MINORDeclining tiered royalty structure (9% down to 1%) suggests franchisor relies on volume incentives rather than proven unit profitability
- 03MINOR10-year term with $50,000 upfront fee locks franchisee into relationship with shrinking brand
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | AAA office nearest franchisor's home office, currently Fairfax, Virginia |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | VA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 30 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Fairfax, Virginia, or virtually by Zoom or Microsoft Teams
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Commission Express proprietary software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Commission Express proprietary software
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
27 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a COMMISSION EXPRESS franchise?
The total investment to open a COMMISSION EXPRESS franchise ranges from $173K – $299K, with an initial franchise fee of $10K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do COMMISSION EXPRESS franchise owners earn?
COMMISSION EXPRESS 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.
Who owns COMMISSION EXPRESS?
COMMISSION EXPRESS is franchised by Commission Express National, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the COMMISSION EXPRESS 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 COMMISSION EXPRESS FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is COMMISSION EXPRESS's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for COMMISSION EXPRESS (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many COMMISSION EXPRESS franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, COMMISSION EXPRESS has 38 total units in the United States, including 37 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is COMMISSION EXPRESS a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates COMMISSION EXPRESS as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 40 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
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent COMMISSION EXPRESS, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Real Estate franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Real Estate category
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.