Can All County establish All County business offices outside my territory?
All_County Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We have the right to establish ALL COUNTY® business offices anywhere outside your Territory. Except for conducting grass-roots marketing efforts in your Territory, defined as conducting direct mail campaigns or physically visiting real estate offices or other businesses in your Territory for the purposes of soliciting referrals, we, our affiliates, or other franchisees have the right to conduct radio, television, or other advertising, or service customer accounts inside your Territory. We have the right to sell services and any ancillary products, whether or not using the Marks, inside or outside your Territory through distribution channels other than ALL COUNTY® businesses, including offering real estate advertising and listing services through Internet websites or through published materials that are distributed in your Territory. We do not have to pay you any compensation for soliciting or accepting orders inside your Territory.
Source: Item 12 — Territory (FDD pages 26–28)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to All County's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, All County retains the right to establish All County business offices outside of a franchisee's designated territory. The FDD specifies that while franchisees are granted a specific territory, All County maintains the right to expand its presence beyond those boundaries. This means that while a franchisee is protected from other All County offices being physically located within their territory, All County itself is not restricted from establishing new offices in areas outside of it.
This aspect of the franchise agreement has important implications for prospective franchisees. It highlights that the territory granted is not exclusive in the sense that it prevents All County from expanding its own operations nearby. Franchisees may find themselves competing with corporate-owned All County offices in neighboring areas. This could impact their ability to grow their customer base and revenue, especially if those corporate offices implement aggressive marketing strategies or offer different pricing structures.
Furthermore, the FDD clarifies that All County, its affiliates, and other franchisees have the right to conduct advertising and service customer accounts inside a franchisee's territory, with the exception of "grass-roots marketing efforts." This includes radio, television, and other advertising. All County also retains the right to sell services and ancillary products inside or outside the territory through other distribution channels, without any obligation to compensate the franchisee. Therefore, franchisees should be aware that their territory is primarily protected from other franchisees' physical presence and direct local marketing, but not from broader competition from All County itself or its various distribution channels.