Does the Engel & Volkers franchise agreement specify the domain names that will be used for email service?
Engel_Volkers Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- 21.1.6 immediately transfer all telephone and fax numbers belonging to the franchised Business and all e-mail accounts, Internet domain names, and social media accounts pertaining to the franchised Business (including, for example, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) including the words "engelvoelkers" and/or "volkers" and/or "voelkers" and/or "engel", "ev", "evrealestate", and/or any confusingly similar e-mail accounts, Internet domain names, and social media accounts, to Franchisor or to a third party nominated by Franchisor;
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 88)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Engel & Volkers Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchise agreement does not explicitly specify the exact domain names franchisees must use for email services. However, it does state that upon termination of the franchise agreement, the franchisee must transfer all email accounts and internet domain names pertaining to the franchised business to Engel & Volkers. This includes any accounts or domain names containing the terms "engelvoelkers", "volkers", "voelkers", "engel", "ev", or "evrealestate", or any confusingly similar variations. This implies that Engel & Volkers has some control over the domain names used.
This requirement ensures that Engel & Volkers maintains control over its brand identity and online presence. By mandating the transfer of domain names and email accounts, Engel & Volkers prevents former franchisees from using the brand's name to operate a competing business or otherwise misrepresent their affiliation with Engel & Volkers. This is a common practice in franchising to protect the brand's reputation and goodwill.
While the FDD does not specify the exact domain names franchisees must use during the franchise term, the broad language regarding transfer upon termination suggests that franchisees may be required or encouraged to use domain names closely aligned with the Engel & Volkers brand. Prospective franchisees should clarify with Engel & Volkers what specific domain name and email address guidelines they must follow during the term of the agreement.