Real Estate Almanac

Enterprises

Enterprises are the largest entities in the residential real estate brokerage industry. They include enterprises and franchise brands (T3 uses the term “enterprise” to also describe the large company that owns either a brokerage company, a franchisor, or both). A franchisor can own one or more individual franchise brands, the individual brand names that brokerages operate under. This 2021 report presents audited production for the full 2020 calendar year.

Enterprises

An enterprise does not provide brokerage or franchise services itself but owns a controlling stake in one or more companies that do. In the real estate industry, examples include Realogy Holdings Corp, Keller Williams Realty, RE/MAX and HomeServices of America.

While many real estate enterprises could own a number of different businesses such as title and mortgage companies, the Real Estate Almanac ranks the companies by their real estate brokerage stats, dissected into three categories: annual sales volume, annual transaction sides and agent count.

Analyzing enterprises provides insight into the industry’s biggest players, and helps provide clarity on who has the biggest influence and impact. These companies shape the residential real estate brokerage industry more than any other.

Franchise Brands

Real estate franchisors, instead of providing brokerage services directly to consumers, own trademarks, products, intellectual property and business systems and license them to brokerage companies. Franchisors can own one or more franchise brand, the individual brand names that brokerages operate under.

Examples of well-known franchise brands include Keller Williams Realty, RE/MAX and Coldwell Banker Real Estate. Some franchisors, such as HomeServices of America’s franchise wing, HSF Affiliates with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Real Living and Intero Real Estate, operate multiple franchise brands.

The franchise brands table lists individual brands, not the franchisors that own and operate them. The nation’s 20 largest franchise brands are presented by annual sales volume, annual transaction sides and agent count.