wemlowemlo
MandatoryDenver, Colorado Activities, Licensing, Approved Supplier Program, Awards & Recognition, Profitability Compliance Management Systems, Compliance/ Regulatory Training, Processing & wemlo, Educational O
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Motto Mortgage
Financial servicesSoftware purchasing control at Motto Mortgage sits at the franchisor level, driven by a mandated technology ecosystem. The brand operates 171 franchised locations and requires franchisees to use a specific suite of tools including a Loan Brokering System (LBS), MottoCenter, MottoRep, MottoSpark, and wemlo. For vendors, this means the addressable market is 171 units, but the real gatekeeper is the headquarters team led by executives under the RE/MAX Holdings umbrella.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
171
171 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-25%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
—
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
$35K
per unit
Investment range
$56K–$242K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
1 years
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
FacebookMeta
d to pay for preparing and producing video, audio, and written materials and electronic media; costs associated with inbound marketing channels and providers (for example, Google, Facebook and Yelp);
YelpYelp
preparing and producing video, audio, and written materials and electronic media; costs associated with inbound marketing channels and providers (for example, Google, Facebook and Yelp); developing, i
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
19 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 9 explicit no's; 6 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You must compile and keep books and records that accurately reflect the operations and financial condition of the Office using record keeping and accounting systems and methods that we may periodically prescribe.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesFranchise agreement
You acknowledge and agree that we will have independent access to the information and data entered into or produced by the Technology System and we can use the same in any way we deem appropriate, including sharing it with our Related Parties and
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Within 90 days after the end of each fiscal year during the Term, financial statements for the Franchise for the then-completed year, including a balance sheet and a profit and loss statement;
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We reserve the right to designate a primary or single source of supply for certain services, products and supplies, and we or our affiliates may be that single source.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
We have an advertising council, the Motto Mortgage Network Advisory Council (“MNAC”) which is composed of franchisees which advises us on advertising policies and other advertising matters, among other things.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We may change any of our requirements periodically and we will notify you of any changes to the standards.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
993158Item 8
During the 2025 fiscal year, our affiliate wemlo received $993,158 from the sale or lease of required products and services to franchisees, based on wemlo’s 2025 unaudited financial statements.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We and our affiliates have the right to receive payments or other consideration from suppliers as a result of their actual or prospective dealings with you and other franchise owners and to use all amounts that we and our affiliates receive without restriction (unless we and our affiliates agree otherwise with the…
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?
20Item 8
Collectively, the cost of products or services required to be purchased or leased either from designated or approved sources of supply or in accordance with our specifications represents approximately 20%-30% of your total purchases and leases in establishment and operation of the Office.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
You may purchase from other suppliers if you follow our supplier approval procedures and obtain our prior written approval.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You must comply with all laws applicable to your use of the Technology System, including payment card industry (PCI) requirements.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
For the sole purpose of verifying whether you are complying with your payment and reporting obligations under this Agreement, we or our authorized representative have the right, at any time during business hours, to enter the premises where the books and records of the Franchise are kept and inspect, audit and…
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
We will revise the Office Materials and any standards, procedures, techniques and management systems included therein periodically to adapt the System to changing conditions, competitive circumstances, business strategies and practices and technological innovations and in the best interest of the System.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You may not begin operating the Office until a location has been selected and approved.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
You are required to pay all fees, dues and charges required by this Agreement by electronic funds transfer, automated clearinghouse transfer, or in such other manner and to such other persons and places as we may direct.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
You must hire or engage a sufficient number of competent and trained employees and Loan Originators to ensure efficient service to clients.
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesFranchise agreement
You acknowledge and agree that we will have independent access to the information and data entered into or produced by the Technology System and we can use the same in any way we deem appropriate, including sharing it with our Related Parties and
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
MottoSpark. You are required to use our marketing operating system, known as “MottoSpark” which includes a customer relationship management (“CRM”) software tool for Loan Originators which assists with CRM and marketing and a design center in one platform.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
If it becomes necessary for a certain individual to repeat a training or education program, we reserve the right to charge you a fee.
The filing answers no to 9 questions
- Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Franchise agreement
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Franchise agreement
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 7
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
- Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?Item 8
- Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?Franchise agreement
The vendor opportunity at Motto Mortgage
Motto Mortgage presents a concentrated, 171-unit opportunity for software vendors, but one that is entirely gated by a headquarters-level decision-making process. The brand is a financial services franchise operating in the mortgage brokerage space, and its most recent Franchise Disclosure Document (2026) reveals a fully mandated technology stack with no room for franchisee-level discretion. The unit count has contracted by 25% year-over-year, which may signal either a consolidation phase or a shift in strategy — both scenarios that can create openings for new vendor conversations. There is no disclosed Average Unit Volume (AUV) or royalty percentage, so vendors cannot model revenue impact per location from the FDD alone. The initial franchise term is 7 years, with a single 5-year renewal option available under the then-current form of agreement.
Who controls software purchasing
Purchasing authority is centralized. The FDD lists RE/MAX Holdings executives as the controlling entity: David L. Liniger serves as Chairman of the Board, Erik Carlson as CEO, Victor Lombardo as President of Mortgage Services, and Adam Sartin as Vice President of Franchise Growth and Development. For a software vendor, the most direct line of engagement is likely through Lombardo’s mortgage services division or Sartin’s growth team, as they oversee the operational and expansion functions where technology decisions are made. Karri Callahan, the CFO, would be involved in any significant capital outlay. There are no multi-unit operators mapped in our corpus, reinforcing that all technology directives flow from the corporate office to the 171 franchised locations.
Mandated and current tech stack
The technology environment at Motto Mortgage is prescriptive. The FDD mandates five specific systems: a Loan Brokering System (LBS), MottoCenter, MottoRep, MottoSpark, and wemlo. No vendor names are disclosed for the LBS, but the Motto-branded tools suggest a proprietary or white-labeled ecosystem tightly controlled by the franchisor. wemlo, a third-party mortgage processing platform, is also mandatory. This stack covers loan brokering, agent enablement, marketing, and back-end processing. For a vendor selling complementary or replacement software, the integration surface is narrow and the bar for displacement is high. Any pitch must demonstrate how it coexists with or improves upon this mandated core without disrupting the franchisor’s operational playbook.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so the formal supplier designation model — whether designated, approved, or open — is not publicly known. However, the existence of a fully mandated stack strongly implies a closed, designated-supplier environment. The renewal structure offers one 5-year extension after the initial 7-year term, but the renewal agreement may contain materially different terms. This creates a potential window for technology reevaluation at the point of renewal, though the recent negative unit growth suggests the system is not in a rapid expansion mode that would naturally trigger new software RFPs. Vendors should monitor any public announcements of stack modernization or leadership changes under Erik Carlson’s tenure as CEO of RE/MAX Holdings.
How to read the Motto Mortgage FDD
The 2026 FDD is the foundational document for understanding the enforceable technology requirements at Motto Mortgage. Item 11 is the critical section for vendors, as it lists the mandated systems franchisees must use. Item 1 identifies the executives who control the brand. Item 17 outlines the renewal conditions, which signal when franchisees may be forced to adopt new technology under an updated agreement. Because no Item 8 extract is available, the procurement rules remain opaque, making direct outreach to the mortgage services leadership team the most viable path for vendor introduction. For a ranked target list of franchise brands where your software is the best fit, FranCloud can map the entire addressable market against your ideal customer profile.
Questions vendors ask
Motto Mortgage, answered from the filing
The buying center includes Victor Lombardo, President of Mortgage Services, and Adam Sartin, VP of Franchise Growth and Development, under RE/MAX Holdings CEO Erik Carlson. Technology decisions are centralized at the franchisor level.
The FDD mandates a Loan Brokering System (LBS), MottoCenter, MottoRep, MottoSpark, and wemlo. No other operational or POS systems are disclosed as required or recommended.
There are 171 total units, all of which are franchised. The brand experienced a -25.0% year-over-year unit decline. No company-owned units are reported.
The most recent FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so the designated versus approved supplier model is not publicly disclosed. Assume a closed, HQ-mandated environment given the required tech stack.
The initial franchise term is 7 years, with one 5-year renewal. With a recent -25% unit decline, renewal cycles may be unpredictable, but any new system adoption would likely align with the renewal term or a stack overhaul.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can read the full document in the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze Item 11 technology mandates and Item 17 renewal conditions directly.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Motto Mortgage files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
188 operators run 188 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit188
Top states by locations
| FL | 31 |
|---|---|
| TX | 15 |
| CA | 11 |
| OH | 10 |
| KY | 9 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Motto Mortgage
unknown of re max.
Related Financial services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.