Franchise opportunities compared
Realty World 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.
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Realty World 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.
| Disclosure | RWRealty World | SISotheby’s International Realty |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $18,600 – $195,000 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $47,250 – $519,250 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $18,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 12 | $25,000 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 31 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | Not available No reviewed royalty record | $6.00 Royalty fee rate 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | $100 National Advertising Fund contribution: $100–$800 per office 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13 | $2.00 Brand Marketing Fund contribution rate 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 119 Outlets at end of 2026 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 47 | 709 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 78 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −23 Calculated: 142 at end of 2024 → 119 at end of 2026 | −9 Calculated: 718 at end of 2023 → 709 at end of 2025 |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation | 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.