Is a Counselor Realty franchisee required to develop their own website?
Counselor_Realty Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You have the option to develop your own website as part of your overall promotion strategy. Your website must conform at all times to Counselor's brand standard and image. If Counselor determines, in its sole discretion, that your website does not conform to Counselor's brand standard or image, you will alter or remove such website, as directed in writing by
Counselor. Your use of the our trademarks on your website must conform at all times to the requirements set forth in the Franchise Agreement. Counselor does not currently require your website to be approved by Counselor prior to you using it, but reserves the right to review and approve your website (and to require you to alter or cease using all or any portion of such website it does not approve).
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 17–21)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Counselor Realty's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are not required to develop their own website. However, they have the option to do so as part of their overall promotion strategy. If a franchisee chooses to develop their own website, it must conform to Counselor Realty's brand standards and image. Counselor Realty reserves the right to review and approve the website and can require the franchisee to alter or remove it if it does not meet their standards.
Counselor Realty will create a separate webpage or subdomain for the franchisee's office on Counselor Realty's website. They will also create webpages or subdomains for licensed agents at the franchisee's request. The franchisee will be required to pay a Website Set Up Fee and a Website Fee for these webpages and subdomains, as detailed in Item 6 of the FDD.
Leads generated from Counselor Realty's website for listings in the franchisee's region will be directed to the franchisee's office. However, if the lead is for a listing by one of Counselor Realty's or another franchisee's agents who have a Counselor Realty webpage/subdomain, the lead will be directed to that agent. If there are multiple franchisees in the region, leads will be shared or split between them at Counselor Realty's discretion.