Does the Website Fee charged by Counselor Realty apply to webpages for licensed agents?
Counselor_Realty Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We will create a separate webpage or subdomain for your Office and any Extension 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. We will create a separate webpage or subdomain on Counselor Realty's website for those licensed agents you request in writing. All webpages and subdomains we create for the licensed agents operating through your Office (including any Additional Officer or Extension Office ) will include an IDX home search option for each market that the agent directly serves with listing reciprocity among Counselor Realty and our franchisees (local MLS fees are the agent's responsibility). You will be required to pay us a Website Set Up Fee for any such webpages or subdomains, as more particularly described in Item 6. You will also be required to pay us a Website Fee associated with the webpages and subdomains we create for your Office, any Additional Offices or Extension Offices, and for the licensed agents operating through your offices, in such amounts, and at such times, as more particularly described in Item 6.
Leads created off Counselor Realty's website for listings in the region where your franchised office is located will be provided and directed to your Office; provided, however, that if the lead is for a listing that is listed by one of our franchisee's agents or one of Counselor Realty's agents, such lead will be directed to such agent if that agent has elected to create a Counselor Realty web page/subdomain. If there is more than one franchisee in the region (distinct areas served by the same MLS system, or its equivalent), those leads will be shared and/or split between the affected franchisees, as determined by Counselor in its sole discretion. We may take into account office locations, number of agents, types of leads or any other rational means to distribute leads.
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, the Website Fee does apply to webpages created for licensed agents. Counselor Realty will create a separate webpage or subdomain on its website for licensed agents at the franchisee's request. These webpages include an IDX home search option.
The franchisee is required to pay both a Website Set Up Fee and an ongoing Website Fee for these agent webpages. The specific amounts and payment schedules for these fees are detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This means that franchisees need to factor in these additional costs when determining the profitability of their franchise, especially considering the number of agents they employ and the potential benefit of providing them with individual webpages.
Furthermore, leads generated from Counselor Realty's website for listings within the franchisee's region will be directed to the franchisee's office. However, if a lead is for a listing by an agent with a Counselor Realty webpage, the lead will be directed to that specific agent. This incentivizes agents to have their own webpage and potentially increases the overall cost to the franchisee due to the associated website fees. Franchisees should consider the balance between the cost of agent webpages and the potential for increased lead generation when making decisions about utilizing this service.