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Keller Williams Realty
Keller Williams Realty is the world’s largest real estate franchise by agent count, with more than 900 offices across the globe. The company has grown rapidly by cultivating an agent-centric, education-based, and technology-driven culture that presents brokers with the opportunity to become stakeholders. The franchise's focus on training, profit sharing, and what's been described (or attack, depending on where you stand) as a very different culture underpins its strategy of acquiring and retaining the most productive talent to outmaneuver competitors who may benefit from greater brand name recognition. Keller Williams also offers specialized real estate brokerage for luxury homes, and commercial, and farm ranch opportunities. More about the cost of owning a Keller Williams Realty franchise is below.
Facts & figures
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Keller Williams Realty Franchise Opportunities - History
Gary Keller and Joe Williams started the Keller Williams Company in 1983 when they opened their first office in Austin, Texas. After only two years of service, the newly developed business became the largest single-office residential real estate agency in the city. In 1991, Keller Williams opened its business model to franchising and began expanding outside of Texas. The company was recognized for a feature in Franchise Gold 100 list by Success Magazine and in the following years, became the 6th largest real estate agency in the United States. In 2012, Keller Williams Worldwide was launched as a subdivision to manage its international franchising and started opening its doors across the globe. A division of the company, KW Labs, launched in 2017 as a process dedicated to the building and testing of potential future technology. In that same year, Keller Williams ranked number one among real estate franchises in the United States in terms of sales volume, number of agents, and units sold, surpassing traditional rivals like RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker, and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Keller Williams continues to move aggressively to compete not only against traditional real estate firms but also against the major real estate tech portals and players such as Zillow and Redfin.
How Much Do You Need To Be A Keller Williams Realty Franchisee?
It costs anywhere from $183,947 to $336,995 to open a Keller Williams Realty Office franchise, including a $35,000 upfront franchise fee. In addition, Keller Williams franchisees are required to have at least $150,000 in cash or other liquid assets on hand.
Keller Williams Realty Franchise System Size and Composition
There are nearly 1,000 units across the Keller Williams Realty system, all of which are franchised (noncorporate-owned) offices. Today just around 20% of Keller Williams offices are located in the United States, though the number of international offices has jumped significantly over the past half-decade. Systemwide, Keller Williams offices produce approximately $8 billion in sales.
