How much does a 1st Class Real Estate franchise cost?
Opening a 1st Class Real Estate franchise takes a total initial investment of $49,950 to $159,450, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports average (median) total gross commissions of $168,339 across 63 outlets.
1st Class Real Estate franchises virtual and standard models for real estate businesses. Category: Business Services.
Item 7
What it costs to open a 1st Class Real Estate franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $49,950 to $159,450. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Equipment and Furniture ($5,000 to $50,000), Leasehold Improvements ($5,000 to $30,000), and Additional Funds-3 months ($4,000 to $15,000). Together they make up about 60% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $25,000, about 50% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $25,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Initial Training and Onboarding Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $950 | $950 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Leasehold Improvements2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $5,000 | $30,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Rent and Security Deposit2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $500 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $500 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Equipment and Furniture2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $5,000 | $50,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Computers and Software2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $4,000 | $8,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Start-up Supplies/ | $2,000 | $3,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $1,000 | $1,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Professional Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $1,500 | $3,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Licensing costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $500 | $2,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Additional Funds-3 months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $4,000 | $15,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $49,950 | $159,450 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
Source 1st Class Real Estate, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What 1st Class Real Estate franchisees actually report earning
Average (Median) Total Gross Commissions
$168,339
1st Class Real Estate's 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. Basis: Cumulative (All Outlets).
Sample size: 63 outlets. The FDD also reports average (median) total gross commissions of $588,255. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest outlets; the median is the middle outlet.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- The remaining 7 outlets opened in 2025 and did not operate the entire calendar year were excluded.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new 1st Class Real Estate outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source 1st Class Real Estate, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 33-35, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many 1st Class Real Estate outlets there are, and how many closed
1st Class Real Estate ended 2025 with 70 franchised outlets and no company-owned outlets. In that year 8 franchised outlets opened and 42 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, 1st Class Real Estate opened 28 franchised outlets and 54 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 26, from 96 to 70 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 23 were terminated, 22 were not renewed, and 9 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 18% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 6.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 104 | 8 | 19 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 70 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 39 |
| 2024 | 106 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 104 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 39 |
| 2023 | 96 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 106 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 39 |
Source 1st Class Real Estate, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 37-39, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How 1st Class Real Estate compares with other Business Services franchises
Measured against the 140 Business Services franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of 1st Class Real Estate's estimated range is $104,700. It costs less to open than 68% of Business Services franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 18% for 1st Class Real Estate. That is higher than 87% of the 101 Business Services franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. 1st Class Real Estate's franchised system shrank 27%. The typical Business Services franchise here grew 4.4%.
- Earnings disclosure. 71 of the 140 Business Services franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. 1st Class Real Estate is one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Business Services franchise side by side.
Alert me when 1st Class Real Estate files a new FDD
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