Iron Valley Real EstateFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Iron Valley Real Estate franchise requires a total initial investment of $59K – $207K, including a $20K franchise fee. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $59K – $207K
- 34th pct Real Estate
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 25th pct Real Estate
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 54
- 33rd pct Real Estate
- SBA default
- N/A
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
Franchised units fell from 46 to 7 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $59K – $207K including a $20K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 46/100.
- System growing at 31.4% CAGR over 3 years with 54 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Iron Valley Real Estate, LLC
- Incorporated in
- PA
- HQ
- 121 Towne Square Drive, Suite 201, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033
- Auditor
- Schild & Co., Inc.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.8M
- vs $2.0M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
Iron Valley Real Estate franchisees operate as independent real estate agents or small brokerages, earning commissions on residential property sales transactions. Franchisees leverage the Iron Valley brand, marketing materials, and support systems while paying $150 per transaction side as a royalty. Day-to-day activities include client prospecting, property showings, listing management, transaction coordination, and CRM management.
- CEO
- Robert Cleapor
- Headquarters
- PA
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing · 13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $5K | $20K | |
| Grand Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Initial training travel/expenses | $2K | $4K | |
| Real property lease or rental agreement (for three months) and security deposit | $9K | $30K | |
| Office set-up and leasehold improvements | $15K | $65K | |
| Equipment, furniture, fixtures and other fixed assets | $8K | $15K | |
| Signage/exterior office signs | $3K | $18K | |
| Point of Sale system, computers and telecommunications | $3K | $5K | |
| Professional fees - legal and accounting | $1K | $3K | |
| Inventory and supplies to begin operating | $500 | $2K | |
| Insurance | $1K | $2K | |
| Utility deposits, business licenses, fictitious business name filing and other prepaid expenses | $1K | $11K | |
| Additional funds - 3 months | $10K | $30K | |
| Total initial investment | $59K | $206K |
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
- $59K – $207K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $5K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- $150 per Transaction Side
- Ad fund
- $250 per month
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $500 – $2K |
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 Iron Valley Real Estate Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 54
- Opened
- 4
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Turnover rate
- 3.7%
- Company-owned
- 8
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 85%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +4.5%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +31.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 2
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 6 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
- 12
- Loan volume
- N/A
- Amount data pending
- Median loan
- N/A
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Iron Valley presents caution-level risk due to non-disclosed financials, slow growth, transaction-dependent compensation, unprotected territory, and prior regulatory violation.
Litigation (Item 3)
1 case reference(s): 0 pending, 3 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $10,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Schild & Co., Inc.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 46 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed — impossible to validate ROI or profitability claims
- 02MEDSlow unit growth of 4.5% YoY suggests limited scalability or franchisee satisfaction issues
- 03MINORTransaction-based royalty model ($150/side) creates unpredictable revenue and may incentivize cutting corners
- 04MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk between franchisees and cannibalization potential
- 05MINOR2019 regulatory violation for unregistered franchise sale indicates compliance/legal awareness issues
- 06MINORWide investment range ($58.9K–$207K) suggests inconsistent startup costs or undefined business model
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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Pennsylvania |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1 case reference(s): 0 pending, 3 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 24 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 4 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Site selection
- joint
- POS system
- designated accounting software and POS system
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: designated accounting software and POS system
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
27 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Iron Valley Real Estate · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Iron Valley Real Estate franchise?
The total investment to open a Iron Valley Real Estate franchise ranges from $59K – $207K, 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 Iron Valley Real Estate franchise owners earn?
Iron Valley Real Estate 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 Iron Valley Real Estate's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Iron Valley Real Estate (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 Iron Valley Real Estate franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Iron Valley Real Estate has 54 total units in the United States, including 46 franchised units and 8 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Iron Valley Real Estate a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Iron Valley Real Estate as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 46 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.