Counselor Realty Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Counselor Realty is a real estate brokerage franchise offering an agent-owned, full-service brokerage model. Franchisees run local offices, recruiting agents and managing listings, sales, and transactions.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A COUNSELOR REALTY franchise requires a total initial investment of $23K – $106K, including a $8K – $15K franchise fee. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $23K – $106K
- 9th pct Real Estate
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 10
- 14th pct Real Estate
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
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 $23K – $106K including a $8K franchise fee.
- RETURNSItem 19 contains no financial performance representation; Franchisor explicitly makes no representations about franchisee financial performance.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 63/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Counselor Realty Franchising, Inc.
- Parent company
- Counselor Holding, Inc.
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Gayle Miller
- Incorporated in
- Minnesota
- HQ
- 3200 NW Main Street, Suite 110, Coon Rapids, Minnesota 55448
- Auditor
- Baker Tilly US, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $72K
- vs $71K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Gayle Miller
- Headquarters
- Minnesota
- Founded
- 2001
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 70% below the typical real estate franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Monthly Fee | $371 | $371 | |
| Continuing Agent Fee | $32 | $53 | |
| Advertising Fee | $25 | $60 | |
| Website Fees | $75 | $75 | |
| Website Set Up Fees | — | — | |
| Mobile App Fees | — | — | |
| Technology Tools and Additional Tools Fees | — | — | |
| One-Time Fee for each Additional Office and each Extension Office | $750 | $750 | |
| Transfer Fee | $2K | $2K | |
| Late Charges | — | — | |
| Insufficient Funds/Return Fees | — | — | |
| Training Fees | $175 | $175 | |
| Legal Fees | — | — | |
| Total initial investment | $3K | $3K |
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
- $23K – $106K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $30K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $8K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- Base Monthly Fee of $371 (includes first 5 licensed agent…
- Ad fund
- Advertising Fee $25-$60 per agent per month depending on …
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | Base Monthly Fee $371/month plus tiered Continuing Agent Fee $32-$53 per licensed agent per month |
| Technology fee | $75 |
| Training fee | $175 |
| Transfer fee | $2K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $500 – $1K |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
COUNSELOR REALTY did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one COUNSELOR REALTY unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
125%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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
Item 19 contains no financial performance representation; Franchisor explicitly makes no representations about franchisee financial performance.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
Net unit growth roughly flat at 0.0%.
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 Counselor Realty Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 10
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 50%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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
Very small, undisclosed-revenue system with unsubstantiated profitability claims, going concern uncertainties, and unprotected territory creates substantial investment risk.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Baker Tilly US, LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 63 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) — impossible to assess profitability or ROI
- 02MINOROnly 11 units system-wide with unknown growth trajectory — suggests minimal scale, market traction, or franchisor confidence
- 03HIGHGoing Concern indicator is FALSE — potential financial viability concerns at franchisor level
- 04MEDPer-agent monthly fees ($32-$53) create variable cost structure that could squeeze margins if agent count declines
- 05MINORNo protected territory — franchisees face direct competition from other franchisees and company-owned locations
- 06MINOR5-year term is relatively short for real estate franchise model requiring client relationship building
- 07MINORCombination of base fee ($371/mo) plus per-agent fees creates unclear total cost structure and scalability risk
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 1 year |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Franchisor can compete | No |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 8 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | Minnesota |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 6 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Counselor office or other location designated by Counselor
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
5 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
COUNSELOR REALTY · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a COUNSELOR REALTY franchise?
The total investment to open a COUNSELOR REALTY franchise ranges from $23K – $106K, with an initial franchise fee of $8K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do COUNSELOR REALTY franchise owners earn?
COUNSELOR REALTY 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 Item 19 in the COUNSELOR REALTY 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 COUNSELOR REALTY FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is COUNSELOR REALTY's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for COUNSELOR REALTY (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 COUNSELOR REALTY franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, COUNSELOR REALTY has 10 total units in the United States, including 5 franchised units and 5 company-owned units.
Is COUNSELOR REALTY a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates COUNSELOR REALTY as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 63 out of 100 (higher is better), 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.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent COUNSELOR REALTY, 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.