How does the Realty World franchise opening process work?
Realty World Inc.’s 2025 FDD does not state one complete duration from initial inquiry through opening. It does disclose post-signing estimates: about 90 days for the base franchise and about 4–6 weeks for MOBI™ and Boutique Conversion. The contractual opening deadline is different from those estimates: generally 180 days from the Franchise Agreement Effective Date, reduced to 90 days for MOBI™.
Data basis. Legal franchisor: Realty World Inc., a Nevada corporation. FDD: 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, issuance date August 29, 2025. Formats reviewed: base Franchise Agreement for start-up and conversion offices, MOBI™ Program Addendum, and Boutique Conversion Program Addendum. Timeline mode: milestone-only roadmap because no end-to-end inquiry-to-opening total is disclosed. Principal evidence: FDD Items 1, 5–12, 15–17 and 20; Franchise Agreement §§1–4, 8, 14 and 17.M; MOBI™ Addendum; Boutique Conversion Addendum. Checked July 17, 2026.
Calendar days before signing or paying.
Typical post-signing opening estimate.
Typical post-signing estimate in Item 11.
General response after complete site information.
For Designated Manager plus one employee.
The opening path depends materially on format. Under the base Franchise Agreement, a franchisee may start a new brokerage or convert an existing brokerage, and the business normally operates from an approved office. MOBI™ is a virtual/mobile format limited to no more than two agents and does not require a physical office. Boutique Conversion is for converting an existing brokerage with three to five agents and may operate from a location or virtually.
The official Realty World franchise page currently markets faster launch language, including “up and running in 15 days.” That is not the timing stated in the 2025 FDD. For a buyer’s process planning, the FDD’s 90-day and 4–6-week estimates—and the contractual 180-day or 90-day deadlines—are the safer evidence base to use.
Ask Realty World to reconcile its current 15-day marketing language with the 2025 FDD’s disclosed opening estimates before signing. A marketing estimate does not replace the Franchise Agreement’s Effective Date, opening conditions, or deadline.
What must an applicant qualify for before signing?
The 2025 FDD does not disclose a fixed minimum net worth, liquidity amount, credit score, education level, or prior real estate brokerage ownership requirement. The Franchise Agreement says Realty World grants franchises to persons meeting its qualifications and states that the franchise is awarded in reliance on the applicant’s character, skill, aptitude, attitude, business ability, and financial capacity. Meeting any informal screening criteria does not guarantee approval.
Provide accurate and complete application statements and materials; material misrepresentation can become a default issue.
If buying through an entity, disclose owners and keep the entity validly organized and authorized to sign.
Expect each owner to personally guarantee the franchise obligations; each owner’s spouse must consent to the guarantee.
Identify a Broker of Record who satisfies the applicable state real estate licensing requirements.
Designate a full-time Designated Manager for day-to-day supervision; the manager need not own the franchise.
Confirm the selected format fits the team: MOBI™ allows up to two agents; Boutique Conversion is described for three to five agents.
The official brokerage-growth page asks prospects where they are licensed, which is consistent with the franchise’s state-regulated real estate brokerage model. The FDD, however, does not impose one nationwide licensing credential beyond requiring a properly licensed Broker of Record and compliance with applicable state law.
What are the verified steps from inquiry to opening?
Inquiry, application, and qualification review
- Action:
- Submit prospect information and accurate application materials; identify intended format and licensing situation.
- Actor:
- Applicant and Realty World.
- Timing:
- No application-review duration is disclosed.
- Blocker:
- Approval is discretionary and no fixed financial threshold is published in the FDD.
Receive and review the current FDD
- Action:
- Review the FDD, Franchise Agreement, addenda, guarantees, software agreement, and applicable state riders.
- Actor:
- Franchisor furnishes; applicant reviews.
- Timing:
- At least 14 calendar days before a binding agreement or payment to the franchisor or affiliate.
- Blocker:
- Do not treat the federal review period as the total application timeline.
Select the format and sign the governing documents
- Action:
- Sign the Franchise Agreement and, if applicable, the MOBI™ or Boutique Conversion Addendum; choose the fee-basis exhibit and sign the software agreement when required.
- Actor:
- Applicant and Realty World.
- Timing:
- The initial franchise fee is due at signing; the agreement becomes effective upon Realty World’s acceptance, subject to §17.M.
- Blocker:
- Owners’ guarantees and spouse consents may be required for an entity franchisee.
Secure the brokerage structure and required licenses
- Action:
- Identify the Broker of Record, keep required real estate licenses active, and establish the Designated Manager role.
- Actor:
- Franchisee and state licensing authority.
- Timing:
- Broker-of-Record license copies must be delivered before opening.
- Blocker:
- License suspension or revocation is a serious default risk under the FDD.
Complete site approval or virtual-format setup
- Action:
- Base-format franchisees obtain an acceptable site and lease; MOBI™ deletes the site requirement; Boutique may use a location or operate virtually.
- Actor:
- Franchisee finds and negotiates; Realty World approves the base-format site.
- Timing:
- Realty World generally responds within 30 days after receiving all necessary site information.
- Blocker:
- Lease, local ordinances, renovations, equipment delivery, and site criteria can delay opening.
Build, equip, insure, and connect the business
- Action:
- Complete approved office work where applicable, install required systems, use compliant branded items, arrange insurance, join the local MLS, and establish required online presence.
- Actor:
- Franchisee, landlord, contractors, suppliers, insurer, MLS, and Realty World.
- Timing:
- Base agreement: development work within 90 days after signing the lease. MOBI™: computer system and approved vehicle signage within 45 days after Effective Date.
- Blocker:
- Insurance certificate, broker license, d/b/a approval, and—under the base agreement—site approval are opening conditions.
Schedule initial training alongside opening readiness
- Action:
- The Designated Manager and one additional employee receive approximately 2–3 days of training, potentially in Newport Beach, another designated facility, or online.
- Actor:
- Realty World trains; franchisee supplies attendees.
- Timing:
- The Designated Manager must complete training satisfactorily within 10 months after Effective Date; §2.D does not list completion as an opening condition.
- Blocker:
- Failure to complete training to Realty World’s satisfaction can support termination.
Satisfy opening conditions and commence operations
- Action:
- Confirm amounts due are paid, required insurance evidence and broker license copies are delivered, and the d/b/a is approved; the base agreement also requires site approval.
- Actor:
- Franchisee completes; Realty World verifies contractual approvals.
- Timing:
- Generally within 180 days after Effective Date; MOBI™ within 90 days.
- Blocker:
- Missing the applicable deadline may allow Realty World to terminate and retain the franchise fee.
Evidence: 2025 Realty World Inc. FDD, Items 5, 7–12, 15 and 17; Franchise Agreement §§1–4, 8 and 17.M; MOBI™ Addendum §§4–6; Boutique Conversion Addendum §§1–5. Federal disclosure timing verified against the FTC Franchise Rule and the FTC’s Consumer’s Guide to Buying a Franchise.
What opening deadlines control each format?
The contract deadline is measured from the Franchise Agreement Effective Date, not from first inquiry and not necessarily from the day the applicant first signs. Section 17.M says the agreement becomes effective when Realty World accepts it, although Realty World reserves the right to make the Effective Date the date the franchisee signed.
Compatible format-by-format deadlines, shown in calendar days.
The MOBI™ Addendum cuts the contractual opening window in half. Boutique Conversion has a faster disclosed typical estimate, but its addendum does not replace the base 180-day contractual opening deadline.
Source: 2025 Realty World Inc. FDD, Item 11, pp. 30–31; Franchise Agreement §2.D and §17.M; MOBI™ Program Addendum §6. These are deadlines, not promised opening times.
Item 11 says a physical Realty World office must be at least 500 square feet, while Franchise Agreement §2.A states the Location must be at least 800 square feet. The agreement also says Realty World must approve the Location. A buyer planning a physical office should obtain written confirmation of the current minimum before committing to a lease.
What can delay opening even after the franchise is signed?
For a physical office, the franchisee—not Realty World—is responsible for finding the site, negotiating the lease, complying with local ordinances and building codes, and handling construction or remodeling. Realty World consults on and approves the proposed site, but its approval is not a warranty that the location will succeed. The FDD says site review generally takes up to 30 days after all necessary information is supplied.
Franchisees must use Realty World specifications for branded signs and other proprietary items, sign the Computer Software Licensing Agreement, and maintain required technology. Item 11 states that at least 75% of Sales Representatives registered with the office must register to use TechPack. Required insurance includes commercial general liability and real estate errors-and-omissions coverage at $1 million per occurrence, with Realty World and designated affiliates named as additional insureds; evidence must be supplied before opening.
The business and its Sales Representatives must join the applicable local MLS, and the Franchise Agreement also requires membership in a local board of Realtors or comparable organization and compliance with the National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics. Buyers can review the current NAR Code of Ethics, while confirming the actual licensing, association, and MLS rules that apply in their state and market.
Do not assume training completion is itself an opening authorization. Item 11 lists initial training among pre-opening assistance, but Franchise Agreement §2.D does not list completed training as an opening condition, while §4.A allows the Designated Manager up to 10 months after Effective Date to complete it satisfactorily. Confirm the intended training schedule and any current pre-opening practice directly with Realty World.
Who controls the critical opening dependencies?
The franchisor approves selected items, but major third-party and franchisee work remains outside its control.
Source: 2025 FDD Items 8, 9, 11, 12 and 15; Franchise Agreement §§2, 4 and 8; MOBI™ and Boutique Conversion Addenda.
What should a buyer verify before the opening date is treated as real?
Confirm the exact Effective Date shown after Realty World accepts the Franchise Agreement.
Confirm whether the deal is base start-up, base conversion, MOBI™, or Boutique Conversion and retain the governing addendum.
For a physical office, resolve the 500-square-foot versus 800-square-foot document discrepancy before lease commitment.
Verify the Broker of Record’s current state license and every locally required brokerage approval.
Deliver insurance certificates and confirm the additional-insured wording before opening.
Obtain Realty World approvals for the site when applicable, d/b/a, branded signage, vehicle signage for MOBI™, and unapproved suppliers.
Confirm MLS, local association, website, TechPack, and required system registrations are active.
Schedule the Designated Manager’s training and document the completion deadline measured from Effective Date.
Item 20 also gives a practical verification route: the 2025 FDD identifies current and former franchisees that a prospect can contact about how site approval, systems setup, training, and opening actually worked. The FTC likewise recommends using the FDD and speaking with franchisees as part of due diligence. This is particularly useful where the FDD and current marketing page describe different launch speeds.
Which public sources should a prospect use to verify the process?
Realty World franchise opportunities — current public format and franchise marketing information.
Realty World brokerage-growth page — broker-focused franchise inquiry context and support descriptions.
Realty World company overview — official brand and company background.
FTC Franchise Rule — federal disclosure framework under 16 CFR Parts 436 and 437.
FTC Consumer’s Guide to Buying a Franchise — buyer-focused explanation of FDD timing and review.
National Association of REALTORS® Code of Ethics — current ethics materials relevant to the Franchise Agreement’s professional-conduct provisions.
What is the practical opening decision for a Realty World prospect?
The verified path is application and qualification review, federal FDD review, format selection and signing, licensing and ownership setup, site approval or virtual-format setup, systems and insurance readiness, training, and satisfaction of opening conditions. The total inquiry-to-opening timeline is undisclosed; only post-signing estimates and contractual deadlines are stated. The most important applicant-controlled dependency is completing the correct format-specific setup without missing the Effective-Date deadline. The most important franchisor or third-party dependency is site, licensing, lease, construction, supplier, or insurance approval timing. Before committing to an opening date, verify the exact Effective Date, the current physical-office size standard, and how Realty World applies training and Boutique virtual-opening conditions in practice.