Before Buying
BY OWNER
Real Estate Franchise

Research Guide

It is vital to research the field before enterring into a franchise agreement.  We offer the following links to aid you in that effort, and encourage you to find additional resources as well.

Should you find a particularly good internet resource, we would appreciate your letting us know so that we can add it to this page.

U.S. Government Resources

• Business.gov - Consumer Guide to Buying a Franchise - Discusses Benefits & Responsibilities, Cost, Controls, Terminations & Renewals, and other preliminary considerations to be explored before deciding whether to buy a franchise.
  
• Business.gov - An Overview of Franchising - Discusses the very basic elements of franchising.
  
• Business.gov - Franchising Strategy - A few thoughts on additional preliminary investigations.
  
• SBA - Franchise Workbook ** - A detailed educational workbook designed to acquaint a prospective franchisee with their ability to purchase and succeed in a franchise.  Worth examining!
• SBA - Franchise Registry - The official Registry listing the franchises whose franchisees are eligible for expedited SBA loans
• FTC - Consumer Franchise Information - A directory of links to some very informative sites.
  
• FTC - Guide to the FTC Franchise Rule - Summary of the provisions of the FTC Franchise Rule
• FTC - The FTC Franchise Rule - The actual FTC Franchise Rule

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Private Resources

• Realtor.org - Field Guide to Franchises vs. Independent Firms - A highly useful resource with links to many articles and surveys about the pros and cons of franchised versus independent real estate offices.
  
• Realtor.org - 2005 Franchise Report ** - A comparison of real estate franchises giving number of salespersons, number of offices, franchise fee, ongoing royalty fee, renewal fee, total investment, and term.
  
• Realtor.org - Head's-Up for Brokers - Discussion aimed at brokers who are considering franchising.  Includes 10 due-diligence steps.
  
• Realtor.org - Franchise Report for Brokers - An overview of franchising trends.
  
• Realtor.org - Head's-Up for Managers - Discussion aimed at office managers who are considering franchising.  Includes comparisons of real estate franchises giving their background, costs, key distinctions, and name of sales contact.
• Realtor.org - Choosing the Right Franchise - A practical discussion of franchising with actual examples of good and bad experiences.
• Franchise411.com - Franchising Information - A site with many links and articles about general franchising - not specific to real estate.

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