Is a Remax franchisee obligated to participate in the national and international referral system established and maintained by REMAX, LLC?
Remax Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We will encourage through our efforts and in conjunction with the efforts of REMAX, LLC the use of the RE/MAX Marks and the System and RE/MAX real estate services on a national and international basis. To this end, REMAX, LLC has established and maintains a national and international referral system which will be made available to you and in which you will be obligated to participate.
You acknowledge the importance of the RE/MAX referral system as an integral part of the System and to the success of RE/MAX offices. Accordingly, you will refer requests for real estate services in another geographic area to a RE/MAX office in that area. We or REMAX, LLC will establish procedures and provide the necessary resources and tools to facilitate referrals between you and other RE/MAX offices and RE/MAX Affiliates.
You agree not to offer, or allow any of your Sales Associates to offer to members of the RE/MAX organization, or to engage or to allow any of your Sales Associates to engage in the business of offering to consumers or other industry practitioners, any office or agent locator or referral service (including through third-party websites or other digital applications) which uses the RE/MAX Roster or which competes with the services made generally available by REMAX, LLC to the RE/MAX Network as a benefit of affiliation. This provision shall not be construed to prohibit or discourage (i) any RE/MAX Affiliate from referring a local real estate brokerage customer or client to any other RE/MAX Affiliate anywhere in the world; (ii) the creation of RE/MAX agent to RE/MAX agent reciprocal referral relationships between two geographic areas or two cities; (iii) any RE/MAX Affiliate from advertising or promoting himself/herself as a provider of real estate brokerage services in his/her local real estate market; or (iv) any RE/MAX Affiliate from inviting or soliciting referrals to himself/herself for real estate brokerage services in his/her local market area.
Source: Item 22 — Contracts (FDD pages 108–334)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Remax's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are obligated to participate in the national and international referral system established by REMAX, LLC. Specifically, Remax encourages the use of its system and real estate services on a national and international basis. To facilitate this, REMAX, LLC has established and maintains a referral system that franchisees are required to participate in.
Remax emphasizes the importance of the referral system as integral to the success of Remax offices. Franchisees must refer requests for real estate services in other geographic areas to a Remax office in that specific area. Remax, LLC will provide the necessary procedures, resources, and tools to facilitate these referrals between offices and affiliates.
However, Remax franchisees are restricted from offering or participating in any office or agent locator or referral service that competes with the services provided by REMAX, LLC to the RE/MAX Network. This includes referral groups on third-party websites or applications, unless designed by REMAX, LLC for participation in the Remax referral network. This ensures that the official Remax referral system remains the primary channel for referrals within the network.