United Country Real EstateFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A United Country Real Estate franchise requires a total initial investment of $20K – $46K, including a $20K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 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 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $20K – $46K
- 6th pct Real Estate
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 25th pct Real Estate
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 21st pct Real Estate
- Units
- 380
- 63rd 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
Franchising since 1997. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $20K – $46K 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 41/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- United Country Real Estate, LLC
- Parent company
- Five D I, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- United Real Estate Holdings, LLC
- Predecessor
- United Country Real Estate
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer, Secretary and Managing Member
- M. Daniel Duffy
- CEO experience
- 19 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 2820 N.W. Barry Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64154
- Auditor
- CBIZ CPAs P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $20.1M
- vs $20.0M prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
United Country franchisees operate independent real estate brokerage offices, listing and selling residential properties, managing agents, and earning commissions on transactions. They pay 6-12% royalties on gross commissions earned while handling all local marketing, staffing, and operational costs. The business model is highly dependent on transaction volume, market conditions, and commission structures now under active legal challenge.
- CEO
- M. Daniel Duffy
- Headquarters
- MO
- Founded
- 1925
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 42
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 12 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Feenot refundable | $10K | $20K | |
| Travel Costs for Initial Training | $50 | $1K | |
| Lodging Costs for Initial Training | $800 | $900 | |
| Personal Costs at Training | $75 | $575 | |
| Initial Affiliation Fee | $20 | $45 | |
| Real Property / Lease Hold Expenses | $0 | $2K | |
| Improvements, Fixtures and Equipment | $0 | $5K | |
| Initial Deposits and Service Payments | $350 | $2K | |
| Computer System | $0 | $1K | |
| Signs, Stationery and Supplies | $0 | $3K | |
| Broker Exam and License Fees | $5 | $200 | |
| Additional Funds (1st 3 months) | $0 | $10K | |
| Total initial investment | $11K | $46K |
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
- $20K – $46K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $0 – $10K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $10K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $400 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $10 |
| Inventory (initial) | $3K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% 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 United Country Real Estate Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 380
- Opened
- 21
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 37
- Turnover rate
- 9.7%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -4.1%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -4.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 9
- Closed (3yr)
- 12
- Terminated (3yr)
- 2
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 13
- Transfers (3yr)
- 17
- Transfer rate
- 4.5%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 4.0%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 3.2%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 14 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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $325K
- Median loan
- $163K
- 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
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into United Country Real Estate's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 1 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 1 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 2-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
United Country presents caution-level risk: a contracting system facing existential litigation threats to its commission-based model, with opaque financial performance and no territorial protection.
Litigation (Item 3)
Three class action lawsuits alleging Sherman Act violations and anticompetitive behavior. United Real Estate and parent company United Real Estate Holdings named as defendants. One case settled with final approval November 4, 2024; one case consolidated; one case pending.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · CBIZ CPAs P.C.⚠ Going-concern note flagged
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: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 41 / 100 rating
- 01MINORDeclining unit count (-4.1% YoY) indicates contracting franchise system despite low entry cost
- 02MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents ROI assessment and suggests weak performance data
- 03HIGHHigh-impact litigation involving NAR antitrust/commission violations directly threatens franchisee revenue model and business viability
- 04MEDUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk between franchisees and cannibalization of commissions
- 05HIGH6-12% royalty range on gross commissions is substantial burden in declining real estate market with litigation-induced commission pressure
- 06HIGHGoing concern status raises questions about franchisor financial stability and long-term support capability
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 |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | site license |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 250,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Missouri |
| Litigation count | 6 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Three class action lawsuits alleging Sherman Act violations and anticompetitive behavior. United Real Estate and parent company United Real Estate Holdings named as defendants. One case settled with final approval November 4, 2024; one case consolidated; one case pending.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 23 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and classroom
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisor
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Bullseye Productivity Platform
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Bullseye Productivity Platform
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
81 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
United Country Real Estate · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a United Country Real Estate franchise?
The total investment to open a United Country Real Estate franchise ranges from $20K – $46K, 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 United Country Real Estate franchise owners earn?
United Country 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 United Country Real Estate's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for United Country 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 United Country Real Estate franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, United Country Real Estate has 380 total units in the United States, including 378 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 21 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is United Country Real Estate a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates United Country Real Estate as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 41 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.