Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
We require all franchisees to use the accounting software that we approve so that all franchisees use a standard method of accounting.
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Keller Williams
Real estateKeller Williams requires every Market Center and its agents to run CommandMC, the company's proprietary MC Operating Software, along with franchisor-approved accounting software — across 751 US locations, 735 franchised and 16 company-affiliated. With a 6% royalty and technology decisions centralized at headquarters, the buying center for real-estate-agent software runs through Keller Williams' own designated system, not individual Market Centers.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
751
735 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-3.543%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
6%
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
$35K
per unit
Investment range
$184K–$336K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Standards based
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
6%+of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
17 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 7 explicit no's; 10 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
(e) Franchisee shall submit to Company the following statements and reports on the initial Month-End-Close Date and subsequently not later than the dates indicated in this Section (or as otherwise requested by Company):
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We are an approved supplier for software technology, training (live and recorded) events/products, marketing development, design services, and printed materials bearing the Trademarks including books and audio books we purchase from Rellek and resell to Franchisees and their Associates.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
We have established local, city, regional and international Associate leadership councils.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
We reserve the right, from time to time, by adoption or amendment of System standards to add, amend, modify, delete, or enhance any portion of the System (including any of the Marks and System standards) as may be necessary in our sole judgment to change, maintain, or enhance the System or Marks or the reputation…
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
117305572Item 8
Of the $386,573,773, revenues from the purchase or use of the above-described products and services by our Market Center franchisees and regional representatives (and not otherwise described in Item 6) were $117,305,572.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We reserve the right to receive revenue and make a profit from the sale of products or services to you by our affiliates, vendors, or other third parties.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
5Item 8
We estimate that the required purchases described above will represent approximately 0-5% of all your purchases to establish your Market Center and 5-15% of all your purchases to operate your Market Center.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesFranchise agreement
A charge not to exceed the reasonable cost of the inspection shall be paid by Franchisee or the supplier.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Upon termination, cancellation, expiration or transfer of the franchise, Company may immediately instruct the telephone company and all other directory publishers (both web-based and print) to transfer use and control of the Market Center’s telephone number(s) and all directory listings to Company or its designee.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You will: (i) comply with all applicable privacy laws, including but not limited to laws regulating the processing, protection, and security of Customer Information in any way, laws regulating marketing communications in any way (such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, “Do Not Call” rules, and the CAN-SPAM…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
We will conduct reviews of the Market Center and its operations by us and our representatives and Associates at any time as we may find advisable in order to maintain the high standards of quality, appearance, and service of the Market Centers.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Company may from time to time revise, supplement or replace the Brand Standards Manuals, directly and independently or in consultation with the International Associate Leadership Council, and Franchisee expressly agrees to comply with each new or changed standard.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
The proposed site is not approved until you receive written notice of approval from us.
Marketing
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 7
We may require that you spend at least $500 per month on local advertising in addition to certain other advertising contributions that we may require.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
Pursuant to Section 6.01(k), Company shall deduct payments directly from Franchisee’s bank account by electronic funds transfer to cover all fees, costs, taxes and expenses described in this Agreement, including the costs of electronic funds transfer.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may charge you the then-current fee for any additional training programs we offer.
The filing answers no to 7 questions
- Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?Item 11
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Item 11
- Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?Item 8
- Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?Item 11
- Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?Item 11
- Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?Franchise agreement
The vendor opportunity at Keller Williams Keller Williams runs 751 US real-estate Market Centers — 735 franchised, 16 company-affiliated — under a 6% royalty and a 5-year initial term. Item 19 makes no financial performance representation, and franchised outlets fell 3.5% year over year. Every Market Center runs the same proprietary technology stack, which makes Keller Williams itself the primary buying center for agent-facing software.
Who controls software purchasing Executive Chairman Gary W. Keller, Executive Vice Chairman John Keller, and CEO and President Chris Czarnecki run the franchisor entity that develops and mandates the MC Operating Software. Because Keller Williams builds this software itself rather than sourcing it from a third party, a vendor's opening is elsewhere in the stack — accounting, backup, or agent-facing tools layered on top of CommandMC.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required Keller Williams currently requires every Market Center and its agents to use CommandMC and supporting applications, the company's proprietary MC Operating Software, provided at no additional charge. Keller Williams also requires computer hardware and software it designates to run its accounting and profit-share systems, and an external removable hard drive for backup, plus a high-speed internet connection for accessing its systems. Keller Williams states that, except for these proprietary items, it does not require Market Centers or agents to buy any national vendor's products or services.
Procurement, renewals, and timing Outside of the MC Operating Software and designated accounting/backup software, Keller Williams requires only that proprietary supplies, materials, furnishings and equipment meet its specifications and come from a supplier with adequate quality controls — not a designated vendor. A new 10-year term requires at least 210 days' notice, regular Profit Sharing Contributions, updated equipment and premises, a renewal fee, and Keller Williams' then-current agreement. Franchised outlets fell 3.5% year over year.
How to read the Keller Williams FDD The embedded PDF viewer below carries Keller Williams' 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document in full — Items 8, 11 and 17 hold the procurement, technology and renewal language summarized here. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked target list across the rest of the franchise universe.
Questions vendors ask
Keller Williams, answered from the filing
Executive Chairman Gary W. Keller, CEO and President Chris Czarnecki lead Keller Williams' franchisor entity, which develops and mandates the proprietary MC Operating Software (CommandMC) every Market Center and agent must use — the clearest single point of technology control in the system.
Keller Williams requires every Market Center to run CommandMC, its proprietary MC Operating Software, plus accounting and profit-share software Keller Williams designates, and an external removable hard drive for backup. Keller Williams states the equipment and software it requires may change over time.
Keller Williams operates 751 US real-estate Market Centers — 735 franchised and 16 company-affiliated.
Keller Williams mostly requires only that proprietary supplies and equipment meet its specifications, from any supplier that qualifies — except the MC Operating Software, which comes from Keller Williams, and the accounting and back-up software, which come from sources it designates. Keller Williams states it does not otherwise require purchases from a specific national vendor.
A new 10-year term requires at least 210 days' notice, regular Profit Sharing Contributions, updated equipment and premises, a fee of 10% of the current initial franchise fee (or $5,000, whichever is less), and Keller Williams' then-current agreement. Franchised outlets fell 3.5% year over year.
The embedded PDF viewer below carries Keller Williams' 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document in full. Items 8, 11 and 17 hold the procurement, technology and renewal language referenced on this page.
Source
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FDD alert
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
30 operators run 30 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit30
Top states by locations
| CA | 7 |
|---|---|
| NC | 4 |
| VA | 3 |
| WA | 2 |
| NE | 2 |
Related Real estate brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.