Which costs less to open, Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage or Sotheby’s International Realty?

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage: $108,690 – $471,592 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Sotheby’s International Realty: $47,250 – $519,250 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Sotheby’s International Realty. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.

How do Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage and Sotheby’s International Realty royalties compare?

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage: 6% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 23); Sotheby’s International Realty: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.

Which has more locations, Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage or Sotheby’s International Realty?

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage: 223 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71); Sotheby’s International Realty: 709 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.

Do Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage and Sotheby’s International Realty disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Sotheby’s International Realty makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

Franchise opportunities compared

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage vs Sotheby’s International Realty

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.

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage2025 FDD SISotheby’s International Realty2026 FDD

Initial investment · Item 7

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

$108,690 – $471,592

2025 FDD · Item 7

Sotheby’s International Realty

$47,250 – $519,250

2026 FDD · Item 7

Initial franchise fee · Item 5

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

$35,000

2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 21

Sotheby’s International Realty

$25,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 31

Royalty · Item 6

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 23

Sotheby’s International Realty

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

Before you compare

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage figures come from its 2025 FDD and Sotheby’s International Realty figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage and Sotheby’s International Realty disclose 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

Disclosure

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

SISotheby’s International Realty

Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

$108,690 – $471,592

2025 FDD · Item 7

Sotheby’s International Realty

$47,250 – $519,250

2026 FDD · Item 7

Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

$35,000

2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 21

Sotheby’s International Realty

$25,000

2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 31

Royalty (Item 6)

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

Royalty 0-$1M gross revenues

2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 23

Sotheby’s International Realty

Royalty fee rate

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

1.875%

National Marketing/Technology fund $2M-$5M — 1.875%

2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 24

Sotheby’s International Realty

Brand Marketing Fund contribution rate — 2%

2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

System scale & health

Disclosure

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

SISotheby’s International Realty

Total outlets (Item 20)

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

223

Outlets at end of 2025

2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71

Sotheby’s International Realty

709

Outlets at end of 2025

2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71

Net outlet change (Item 20)

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

−16

Calculated: 239 at end of 2023 → 223 at end of 2025

Sotheby’s International Realty

Calculated: 707 at end of 2022 → 709 at end of 2025

Outlet exits (Item 20)

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Sotheby’s International Realty

Not available

No complete exit records for a year

Franchising since (Item 1)

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Sotheby’s International Realty

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Franchisor founded (Item 1)

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Sotheby’s International Realty

Not available

Not in reviewed records

Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage

Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

SISotheby’s International Realty

Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

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.

Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage vs Sotheby’s International Realty: common questions

Which costs less to open, Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage or Sotheby’s International Realty?: Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage: $108,690 – $471,592 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Sotheby’s International Realty: $47,250 – $519,250 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Sotheby’s International Realty. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
How do Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage and Sotheby’s International Realty royalties compare?: Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage: 6% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 23); Sotheby’s International Realty: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
Which has more locations, Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage or Sotheby’s International Realty?: Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage: 223 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71); Sotheby’s International Realty: 709 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
Do Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage and Sotheby’s International Realty disclose financial performance (Item 19)?: Engel & Völkers Residential Real Estate Brokerage makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Sotheby’s International Realty makes no Item 19 financial performance representation. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

How Franopolis reviews FDD figures