Franchise opportunities compared
1st Class Real Estate vs Century 21
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Initial investment · Item 7
1st Class Real Estate
$23,500 – $63,500
2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 13Century 21
$34,670 – $466,300
2025 FDD · Item 7Initial franchise fee · Item 5
1st Class Real Estate
Not available
Century 21
$25,000
2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 25Royalty · Item 6
1st Class Real Estate
Not available
Century 21
6%
2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 26Before you compare
- 1st Class Real Estate figures come from its 2026 FDD and Century 21 figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
- Century 21 discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Only neither brand has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
Financial commitment
1st Class Real Estate1st Class Real Estate
Century 21
1st Class Real Estate
Century 21
1st Class Real Estate
Century 21
1st Class Real Estate
Century 21
System scale & health
1st Class Real Estate1st Class Real Estate
Century 21
1st Class Real Estate
Century 21
1st Class Real Estate
Century 21
1st Class Real Estate
Century 21
1st Class Real Estate
Century 21
Financial performance (Item 19), by location group
1st Class Real EstateNot disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation
No reviewed Item 19 figures
Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.
1st Class Real Estate vs Century 21: common questions
- Which costs less to open, 1st Class Real Estate or Century 21?
- 1st Class Real Estate: $23,500 – $63,500 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 13); Century 21: $34,670 – $466,300 (2025 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for 1st Class Real Estate. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Which has more locations, 1st Class Real Estate or Century 21?
- 1st Class Real Estate: 18 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 31); Century 21: 1,734 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 65). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
- Do 1st Class Real Estate and Century 21 disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- 1st Class Real Estate makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Century 21 has no reviewed Item 19 figures on file. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.
Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.
Keep researching

Full 1st Class Real Estate report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
Full Century 21 report
Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure
