WeichertFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Weichert franchise requires a total initial investment of $77K – $360K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. 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
- $77K – $360K
- 50th pct Real Estate
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 25th pct Real Estate
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 21st pct Real Estate
- Units
- 338
- 61st 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
Franchising since 2001. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Franchised units fell from 305 to 263 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $77K – $360K including a $25K 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 46/100.
- System contracting at -13.8% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 1625 State Route 10 East, Morris Plains, New Jersey 07950
- Auditor
- Crowe LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $17.9M
- vs $18.3M prior year
Affiliated brands
- Weichert Co
- In
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Weichert franchisees operate residential real estate brokerage offices, managing agents who list and sell properties, handling client transactions, managing office operations, compliance, and marketing within their local territory. Franchisees generate revenue through commission splits on agent sales while paying corporate royalties and fees.
- CEO
- Aram R. Minnetian
- Headquarters
- NJ
- Founded
- 2001
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 40
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing · 12 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25K | $25K | |
| Real Property | $4K | $22K | |
| Construction/Remodeling/Leasehold Improvement | $0 | $75K | |
| Inventory (yard signs, riders, etc.) | $8K | $15K | |
| Office Equipment & Supplies; Decor, Fixtures & Furnishings | $0 | $60K | |
| Computer Hardware And Software | $0 | $12K | |
| Signs | $5K | $20K | |
| Organizational Expense | $0 | $5K | |
| Permits and Licenses | $200 | $2K | |
| Insurance | $6K | $17K | |
| Security Deposits | $0 | $7K | |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $30K | $100K | |
| Total initial investment | $77K | $360K |
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
- $77K – $360K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $100K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Inventory (initial) | $8K – $15K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% 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 Weichert Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 338
- Opened
- 7
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 41
- Turnover rate
- 12.1%
- Company-owned
- 75
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 78%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -11.4%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -13.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 31
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 6
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 38 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.
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 16
- 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
Weichert presents high risk due to declining unit count (-11.4% YoY), multiple active antitrust lawsuits with uncertain franchisee liability, missing financial performance data, and unprotected territory—making ROI assessment impossible and system stability questionable.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Crowe LLP
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
- 01MEDUnit count declined 11.4% YoY (338 units), indicating significant system contraction and potential franchisee failure rate
- 02MINORMultiple active class action lawsuits (Gibson, Batton, 1925 Hooper) related to NAR antitrust conspiracy with uncertain liability exposure for franchisees
- 03MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosure (missing Item 19) prevents assessment of franchisee profitability and ROI on $77k-$360k investment
- 04MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk from other Weichert franchisees in same geographic area
- 05MINORMinimum monthly royalty structure (6% or minimum, whichever is greater) could strain cash flow during slow periods
- 06HIGHRecent litigation settlements (TCPA violation) and Washington State 'no poaching' investigation signal compliance and employment law risks
- 07MINORShrinking franchise system raises questions about brand support, marketing effectiveness, and long-term viability
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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 0 |
| Territory type | Boundary |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New Jersey |
| Litigation count | 6 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 21 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Site selection
- franchisor
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- BrokerSumo / myWeichert
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: BrokerSumo / myWeichert
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
250 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Weichert · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Weichert franchise?
The total investment to open a Weichert franchise ranges from $77K – $360K, 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 Weichert franchise owners earn?
Weichert 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 Weichert's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Weichert (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 Weichert franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Weichert has 338 total units in the United States, including 305 franchised units and 75 company-owned units. 7 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Weichert a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Weichert 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.