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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Realty Executives 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.

    Realty Executives2025 FDDSISotheby’s International Realty2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Realty Executives

    $54,700 – $443,500

    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22

    Sotheby’s International Realty

    $47,250 – $519,250

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Realty Executives

    Not available

    Sotheby’s International Realty

    $25,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 31

    Royalty · Item 6

    Realty Executives

    Not available

    Sotheby’s International Realty

    6%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    Before you compare

    • Realty Executives figures come from its 2025 FDD and Sotheby’s International Realty figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Sotheby’s International Realty 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

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Realty Executives

    $54,700 – $443,500
    Total estimated initial investment: $54,700–$443,500
    2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22

    Sotheby’s International Realty

    $47,250 – $519,250
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Realty Executives

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Sotheby’s International Realty

    $25,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 31
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Realty Executives

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Sotheby’s International Realty

    6%
    Royalty fee rate
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Realty Executives

    $300
    Monthly Marketing Fee: $300 × greater of salesperson count or quota
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 20

    Sotheby’s International Realty

    2%
    Brand Marketing Fund contribution rate — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Realty Executives

    223
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49

    Sotheby’s International Realty

    709
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 71
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Realty Executives

    −64
    Calculated: 287 at end of 2023 → 223 at end of 2025

    Sotheby’s International Realty

    +2
    Calculated: 707 at end of 2022 → 709 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Realty Executives

    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)

    Realty Executives

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sotheby’s International Realty

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Realty Executives

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Sotheby’s International Realty

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Realty Executives

    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.

    Realty Executives vs Sotheby’s International Realty: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Realty Executives or Sotheby’s International Realty?
    Realty Executives: $54,700 – $443,500 (2025 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22); 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.
    Which has more locations, Realty Executives or Sotheby’s International Realty?
    Realty Executives: 223 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49); 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 Realty Executives and Sotheby’s International Realty disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Realty Executives 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

    Keep researching

    Full Realty Executives report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    SI

    Full Sotheby’s International Realty report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item