How will the Christies International Real Estate business be identified to the public?
Christies_International_Real_Estate Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You may not use the Marks, including the words "CHRISTIE'S" or "CHRISTIE'S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE" or any confusingly similar words, as any part of the
name of a partnership, corporation, LLC or other entity; however, you are required to operate under the trade name or DBA "CHRISTIE'S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE" with a suffix or prefix that uniquely identifies your Office as we approve before you may open your Business (the "Trade Name").
Your Trade Name must be displayed in accordance with our Operations Manual and the Brand Guidelines.
You must not change your Trade Name without our prior written consent.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 54–177)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Christies International Real Estate FDD, franchisees are required to operate under the trade name or DBA "CHRISTIE'S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE" with a suffix or prefix that uniquely identifies their office, subject to the franchisor's approval before opening the business. The trade name must be displayed according to the Operations Manual and Brand Guidelines, and franchisees cannot change their trade name without prior written consent from Christies International Real Estate.
This means that while franchisees cannot incorporate the phrases "CHRISTIE'S" or "CHRISTIE'S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE" directly into the legal name of their business entity (e.g., as part of a corporation or LLC name), they must use "CHRISTIE'S INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE" as their public-facing trade name. The addition of a unique identifier helps distinguish individual offices within the Christies International Real Estate network.
The requirement to adhere to the Operations Manual and Brand Guidelines ensures consistency in branding across all franchise locations. The need for written consent before changing the trade name gives Christies International Real Estate control over its brand identity and prevents franchisees from making unauthorized alterations that could dilute the brand. Furthermore, Christies International Real Estate reserves the right to modify or substitute the marks, and the franchisee is responsible for complying with such changes at their own expense within a reasonable time frame after notification.