Century 21
Franchise research report · reviewed 2025 disclosure data
Researching Century 21 franchise opportunities? Every figure below is cited to the FDD.
CENTURY 21 franchises operate real estate brokerage offices from designated locations and provide brokerage services under the CENTURY 21 name. The FDD describes both conversion offices and start-up office formats.
Headline figures
Century 21 quick facts
- Is Century 21 a franchise?
- Yes. Century 21 offers franchises through a Franchise Disclosure Document. At the end of 2024, it reported 1,734 franchised and 0 company-owned outlets (2025 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 65).
- How much does it cost to open a Century 21 franchise?
- The Century 21 Franchise Disclosure Document reports separate estimated initial investments by format: $34,670–$279,000 for conversion only (total initial investment for conversion office) (2025 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 37); $81,500–$187,300 for total additional investment — new start-up office (2025 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 37); $116,170–$466,300 for total investment for new start-up office (2025 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 37). These formats are not combined. Each is the franchisor's disclosed estimate, not a quote. Details
- What is the Century 21 initial franchise fee?
- The disclosed initial franchise fee for a standard single unit is $25,000 (2025 FDD, Item 5, PDF p. 25). Other fee options (for example multi-unit or conversion) are listed separately in the report. Details
- What ongoing fees does Century 21 charge?
- The disclosed ongoing royalty is 6% (2025 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 26). The brand or advertising fund contribution is 0.5% (2025 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 27). Other recurring fees are listed in Item 6. Details
- How many Century 21 locations are there?
- The FDD reports 1,734 outlets at the end of 2024 (2025 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 65). Existing locations do not indicate territory availability. Details
- Is Century 21 a good franchise to buy?
- Franopolis does not rate or recommend franchises. From the reviewed FDD: no reviewed Item 19 figures are on file here, so check the FDD's Item 19 directly; Item 20 lists outlet openings, closures and transfers; Item 6 includes a brand or advertising fund contribution on top of royalty; Item 20 also lists current and former franchisees you can contact. Review the full FDD with a franchise attorney and accountant before deciding.
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
What the disclosures show
- 1The 2025 FDD (Item 7) estimates opening costs separately by format: $34,670 – $279,000 (Total Initial Investment for Conversion Office); $81,500 – $187,300 (Total Additional Investment — new start-up office); $116,170 – $466,300 (Total Investment for New Start-Up Office); several initial fee options apply.
- 2Item 19 has not been reviewed yet.
- 3Outlets declined by 73 in 2024, to 1,734 (United States, systemwide, as labeled in the FDD, Item 20).
From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.
Century 21 head-to-head
Closest peers in the same subcategory, side by side from reviewed FDD figures. Not a ranking or recommendation.
Costs · Items 5–7
What does it cost to open?
Estimated opening costs and the fees payable to the franchisor.
Startup Investment — Item 7
Range across 3 single-unit formats
2025 FDD · Item 7
Formats disclosed in Item 7 (3)
Each format has its own total. The total depends on the format you choose.
- Total Initial Investment for Conversion OfficePDF p. 37$34,670 – $279,000
- Total Additional Investment — new start-up officePDF p. 37$81,500 – $187,300
- Total Investment for New Start-Up OfficePDF p. 37$116,170 – $466,300
Standard single-unit franchise fee
2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 25
Discounted and multi-unit options are separate; see all fees.
Ongoing Fees — Item 6
Selected recurring charges; payment bases and conditions remain attached to each fee.
- Royalty feeMain ongoing fee
18 reported fees, each with its payment basis, are listed below; they haven't been sorted into recurring, initial and occasional groups yet.
Financial Performance — Item 19
What results are disclosed—and for which locations?
No financial performance representation in Item 19
The reviewed 2025 FDD for Century 21 has no Item 19 figures on record. Franopolis does not estimate revenue or earnings in their place; ask the franchisor and current owners what unit-level information they can share.
Outlet Changes — Item 20
How has the outlet count changed?
United States, systemwide, as labeled in the FDD · counts as of 2024 of each year.
2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 65
Net −136 outlets, 2022–2024
Year-end counts reported in Item 20. The scale starts at zero, so the line looks nearly flat; the labels between the dots show each year's change. Openings and closures for 2024 haven't been pulled from the Item 20 tables yet, so no turnover or churn is shown.
Questions to investigate
Prompts based on what this brand's reviewed disclosures do and don't show — not conclusions. Join free as a member to save questions to your research.
For the franchisor
Which line items in the 2025 Item 7 estimate ($34,670 – $466,300) vary most by market, and why?
Which initial fee option would apply to my situation, and what conditions or discounts affect it?
Does the current FDD include an Item 19 financial performance representation?
Reported units decreased from 1,807 to 1,734 in 2024. What drove the change?
Is a territory available in my area, and how is it defined in my agreement?
For current and former owners
How did your actual startup costs and timeline compare with the Item 7 estimate?
How many hours a week do you work in the business, and in what role?
What support from the franchisor has been most and least useful?
For your advisors
Ask a franchise attorney to review the territory, renewal, transfer and termination terms.
Ask an accountant to build a cash-flow plan using your own assumptions, not the franchisor's.
Sources & vintage history
Every displayed fact is retained with its disclosure vintage, item, page, and reviewed status. Prior vintages remain on file rather than being overwritten.
Citations (2025 FDD)
- [1]Standard initial franchise fee — Item 5 · PDF p. 25
- [2]Outlet counts — Item 20, Table 1 · PDF p. 65
"PDF p." is the page in the PDF file; "printed p." is the number printed on the FDD page.
Territory & operations
These are contract disclosures, not confirmation that any territory is currently available.
Legal & agreement
Franchisor financial statements
| Fiscal year | Measure | Reported value |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | anywhere real estate inc. and anywhere real estate group llc consolidated net revenues | $5,692 |
| 2024 | anywhere real estate inc. and anywhere real estate group llc consolidated net loss | -$127 |
| 2024 | anywhere real estate inc. and anywhere real estate group llc consolidated total assets | $5,636 |
| 2024 | anywhere real estate inc. and anywhere real estate group llc consolidated total equity | $1,570 |
These figures describe the franchisor company, not individual franchise locations.
SBA-backed loans to franchisees
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Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) & 504 FOIA data. Loan volume is not a measure of franchisee success.
Related research
Brands in the same subcategory first, then the wider industry, ordered by shared business format and overlapping investment range. This is not a ranking or recommendation.
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate
Counselor RealtyHHomeSmartHHHoward Hanna Real Estate
Hunting Lease NetworkJHJoe HomebuyerHead-to-head comparisons
At a glance
Business history
Not reviewed
Owner participation
Not reviewed
Territory language
Litigation disclosure
Not reviewed
Bankruptcy disclosure
Not reviewed
Agreement term
Not reviewed
Independent analysis of franchisor-provided data. Not investment advice. Franopolis does not distribute FDDs.
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