HomeSmart Franchise Review 2026: Ratings & Verdict

Product details

Contents

Key facts


The Verdict

Quick Verdict · who it fits

HomeSmart fits owner-operators looking for a mid-scale real estate concept.

⚠ Risks to review

Key FDD Facts

The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.

Initial investment (Item 7)

$66K - $205K

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$20K

System size (Item 20)

201 +8

Agreement term

10 yrs

Years in business

21+ yrs

Company-owned units

57

Model HomeSmart's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.

Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.

Executive Summary

Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.

Key Numbers

258

Total units open

8 new franchised outlets

Units opened last year

12 franchised non-renewals and terminations

Units closed last year

−4

Net unit growth

from 262 at end of 2024 to 258 at end of 2025

AI Due Diligence Findings PREMIUM

What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.

5

Risks to review

4

Strengths identified

5

Questions to ask

Industry Benchmarks

How HomeSmart ranks against 80 Real Estate peers we've analyzed.

Initial investment

61st pct · of 80 peers

Franchise fee

25th pct · of 80 peers

System size

72nd pct · of 80 peers

Real Estate industry averages

Avg investment

$149K - $369K

Avg franchise fee

$33K

Avg system size

252

Franchises analyzed

80

How HomeSmart stacks up

Closest concepts by category and investment.

Brand Item 19 Fee Investment Royalty Units
HomeSmart None $20K $66K - $205K — 201
ShowhomesSimilar price Disclosed $60K $119K - $205K 5–10% 15
Re MaxBiggest system None $35K $50K - $337K — 2,994
1st Class CompaniesTop-rated in category Disclosed $25K $31K - $43K — 70

Compare side-by-side ↗

Not sure HomeSmart is the one?

Answer five questions and get matched against 2,000+ analyzed FDDs — including every Real Estate brand we cover. Free, no account needed.

Find My Match →

Franchise research guides

Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.

Brand Analysis

Urgent Care Franchise Cost: What AFC Really Takes

Item 7 of AFC's 2026 FDD prices one American Family Care center at $948,250 to $1,514,000, and Item 19 puts median franchised revenue at $1,699,854 across 291 centers. The same Item 19 also shows the bottom quarter of affiliate-owned centers running negative 4-wall EBITDA, which is the number that decides whether this deal works.

Learn more →

Brand Analysis

Anytime Fitness Franchise Cost in 2026: Every Item 7 Line and the Real Item 19 Quartiles

The 2026 FDD prices an Anytime Fitness franchise at $539,329 to $905,482 and charges a flat $842 monthly royalty, not a percentage. Every Item 7 line item, the four revenue quartiles, and the fee clause most cost pages have never read.

Learn more →

Brand Analysis

Dunkin' Franchise Cost: 2026 Fees and Real Store Economics

Item 7 of the 2026 Dunkin' FDD prices four build formats, not one. A freestanding restaurant runs $532,400 to $1,832,500 and posts a $1,522,154 median AUV. A non-traditional kiosk runs $142,000 to $862,500 and posts $747,043. Here is what each format actually costs and earns.

Learn more →

Get franchise information FREE

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a HomeSmart franchise cost?

HomeSmart requires a $20,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $65,500–$205,000, per the most recent FDD on file.

Who owns HomeSmart?

HomeSmart is franchised by HomeSmart International, LLC, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.

Does HomeSmart disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

No. HomeSmart does not include a financial performance representation in its FDD. Prospective buyers should rely on validation calls with existing franchisees and benchmark against industry medians.

What ongoing fees does HomeSmart charge?

Franchisees pay a royalty of Greater of $12/agent/month + $120/completed side or $500/month, plus $25 per rental/referral/lease and an advertising fund contribution of 4% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.

How many HomeSmart locations are there?

As of their 2026 FDD, HomeSmart has 201 total locations, with 8 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.

What are the renewal and exit terms?

Per the FDD, HomeSmart discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.

Cite this page

Related on this site


This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt

Site index for AI agents: llms.txt · sitemap