Does the Christies International Real Estate non-solicitation covenant apply to attempts to divert any customer?

According to the 2025 Christies International Real Estate Franchise Disclosure Document, the non-solicitation covenant explicitly addresses attempts to divert customers. During the term of the Franchise Agreement and for one year after its expiration or termination, the franchisee, each Principal Owner, and the Responsible Broker are prohibited from directly or indirectly diverting or attempting to divert any Christies International Real Estate business, account, or customer. This includes business from the franchise itself or any other Christies International Real Estate business referred by the franchisor or the System to any competing business.

This covenant aims to protect Christies International Real Estate's customer base and business interests by preventing franchisees from leveraging their access to clients and business opportunities to benefit competing ventures. The non-solicitation clause extends to any competing business, including those listed in Section 6.3(e) of the agreement, indicating a broad scope of prohibited activities.

Christies International Real Estate also agrees not to divert or attempt to divert any business, account, client, or customer of the franchisee that they gained knowledge of in connection with the Franchise Agreement during the term of the agreement, and for a period of 1 year after its expiration or termination. This mutual obligation ensures a fair balance, preventing the franchisor from exploiting the franchisee's established relationships for their own gain. This reciprocal arrangement is not always standard in franchising, so it represents a potentially significant benefit for Christies International Real Estate franchisees.