Upon termination or expiration of the Engel & Volkers franchise agreement, what is the franchisee required to do with all copies of the System Documentation?

According to Engel & Volkers' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, upon termination or expiration of the franchise agreement, the franchisee is required to return all copies of the System Documentation to Engel & Volkers. This includes any printed copies of electronic transmissions, all documents relating to the Engel & Volkers system, and documents related to properties covered by the agreement.

The only exceptions to this rule are that the franchisee may retain a copy of the franchise agreement itself, any correspondence between the franchisee and Engel & Volkers, and any other documents the franchisee needs to keep to fulfill legal obligations. However, even in these cases, the franchisee is explicitly prohibited from retaining any System Documentation.

This requirement ensures that Engel & Volkers maintains control over its proprietary information and systems after a franchise agreement ends. It prevents former franchisees from using confidential materials to compete with the brand or to operate a similar business independently. This is a fairly standard clause in most franchise agreements, as franchisors need to protect their intellectual property and brand standards.