What are the payment obligations related to website fees for Counselor Realty franchisees?
Counselor_Realty Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
vertising Fees will be due and payable by the 20th day of each month.
5.5 Website Fees.
- (a) You must pay us an initial Website Set Up Fee, in an amount equal to the costs incurred by us in setting up a webpage for your Office on Counselor Realty, Inc.'s website. If we have consented to any Additional Office locations, you may request to have us set up a separate webpage or subdomain for any such Additional Office on Counselor Realty, Inc.'s website and, if elected, you must pay us a Website Set Up Fee for such webpage, in an amount equal to the costs incurred by us in setting up any such webpage. If we have consented to any Extension Office locations, you must pay us a Website Set Up Fee, in an amount equal to the costs incurred by us in setting up a webpage for each such Extension Office on Counselor Realty, Inc.'s website. Any agents operating out of an Additional Office location may be listed on the webpage for such Additional Office location and your other Office locations for no additional charge.
- (b) You must pay us a monthly Website Fee in an amount equal to $75 for each Office location (including each Additional Office and Extension Office), plus $25 for
each licensed agent choosing to have an optional agent website provided by Counselor. For purposes of clarity, if you have 10 agents who choose to have the optional agent website, your Website Fee would be $325 ($75 plus $25 multiplied by 10). The amount of the Website Fee may be increased during the term of this Agreement by Counselor from time to time in its sole discretion. At the beginning of each month, we will send you an invoice for the amount of the Website Fee you owe us for the current month, and you must pay us the amount of such Continuing Agent Fee on or before the 20th day of such month. The monthly Website Fee will apply to any agents operating out of any Additional Office locations or Extension
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 32)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Counselor Realty's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees have several payment obligations related to website fees. There is an initial Website Set Up Fee, which covers the costs Counselor Realty incurs to set up a webpage for the franchisee's office on the Counselor Realty website. If a franchisee has additional office locations and wants separate webpages or subdomains for them, they must pay an additional Website Set Up Fee for each additional webpage.
In addition to the initial setup fee, franchisees must pay a monthly Website Fee. This fee is $75 for each office location, including any additional or extension offices. Furthermore, there is an additional charge of $25 per month for each licensed agent who chooses to have an optional agent website provided by Counselor Realty. For example, if a franchisee has 10 agents with optional websites, the monthly website fee would be $325 ($75 plus $25 multiplied by 10).
Counselor Realty retains the right to increase the amount of the Website Fee during the term of the Franchise Agreement at its sole discretion. Franchisees will receive a monthly invoice for the Website Fee and are required to pay the amount due on or before the 20th day of each month. It's important to note that local MLS fees are the agent's responsibility, not part of the website fees paid to Counselor Realty.