What is the role of Counselor Holding, Inc. with respect to the Counselor Realty franchise?
Counselor_Realty Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
The franchisor is COUNSELOR REALTY FRANCHISING, INC. ("Counselor"), a Minnesota corporation located at 3200 NW Main Street, Suite 110, Coon Rapids, Minnesota 55448; 612-405-8404; www.counselorrealty.com. Counselor Realty, Inc. ("Counselor Realty"), a Minnesota corporation incorporated on December 18, 1964, and located at the same address as Counselor, conducts a residential and commercial real estate brokerage business. Counselor's and Counselor Realty's parent, Counselor Holding, Inc. ("Counselor Holding") owns and provides administrative support to Counselor and Counselor Realty. Counselor was incorporated in May, 2001 to conduct franchising operations. Counselor actually commenced business operations and first offered franchises in 2002. Counselor has no predecessors. Counselor has no affiliates which offer franchises in any line of business, and, except for Counselor Holding, Counselor has no affiliates which offer products or services to Counselor franchisees. No officer or director of Counselor owns an interest in any entity that competes with Counselor. Counselor conducts business under its corporate name. Counselor's agent for service of process in Minnesota is the Minnesota Department of Commerce, 85 7th Place East, Suite 280, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101- 2198.
For ease of reference, we refer to the franchisee as "you." If the franchisee is a corporation, partnership or other organization, the references to "you" may include the organization's owners.
Counselor offers franchises for a full service residential and commercial real estate brokerage business located within a designated geographic area (the "Territory"). See Item 12. Counselor has offered franchises for real estate brokerage businesses since 2002.
Source: Item 1 — THE FRANCHISOR, AND ANY PARENT, PREDECESSORS AND AFFILIATES (FDD pages 7–8)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Counselor Realty Franchise Disclosure Document, Counselor Holding, Inc. serves as the parent company to both Counselor Realty Franchising, Inc. (the franchisor) and Counselor Realty, Inc. Counselor Holding owns and provides administrative support to both of these entities. Counselor Realty Franchising, Inc. was created in May 2001 to specifically handle franchising operations for Counselor Realty, Inc., which has been providing real estate brokerage services since 1964. Counselor Holding licenses Counselor Realty Franchising, Inc. indefinitely to operate and offer franchises under the "Counselor" name and associated marks.
Effectively, Counselor Holding, Inc. is the overarching entity that controls the Counselor Realty brand and its franchising operations. This means that decisions regarding the brand's direction, support for franchisees, and overall business strategy ultimately fall under the purview of Counselor Holding.
For a prospective franchisee, this structure implies that the financial stability and strategic vision of Counselor Holding, Inc. are critical factors to consider. The franchisee's agreement is with Counselor Realty Franchising, Inc., but the long-term success of the franchise is linked to the health and management of the parent company. If the license is terminated, all franchise agreements will remain in effect and will be assigned to Counselor Holding.
Therefore, understanding Counselor Holding's financial performance, its leadership team, and its long-term plans for the Counselor Realty brand is an important part of the due diligence process for any potential franchisee.