Independent brokerages not affiliated with a national real estate brand have a stronger presence now in real estate than they have in a decade, and we’re trying to figure out why. Help us.
Brokerages not under the umbrella of a franchise like Re/Max, Century 21 Real Estate or Keller Williams Real Estate don’t have access to the benefits of a big brand, technology available at economy-of-scale prices, or access to national or international referral networks. They also don’t have to pay franchise fees or adapt to brandwide rules.
The decision to run a local brokerage without a franchise affiliation is a clear pro-con scenario, and broker-owners are increasingly seeing the pro side of it, apparently.
| 2006, % independent | 2014, % independent | |
| Brokers | 77% | 82% |
| Agents | 45% | 54% |
Sources: NAR 2014 member profile, NAR 2006 profile of real estate firms.
In 2014, 82 percent of all firms were independent, according to the National Association of Realtors 2014 survey-based profile of real estate firms, up from 77 percent in 2006. More agents called an independent firm home in 2014 (54 percent) than in 2006 (45 percent).
Participate in our survey to help us explore how and why independent brokerages seem to be thriving. If the inherent joy of finding things out isn’t enough, we’re also raffling off a $100 gift card to Amazon for those who participate.
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool.