Can a Remax franchisee reverse engineer any part of the Back Office Software?
Remax Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Among other things, the Back Office License Agreement will (i) require that you comply with all applicable laws; (ii) prohibit transferring or sublicensing any part of the Back Office Software; (iii) prohibit reverse engineering of any part of the Back Office Software; (iv) prohibit using the Back Office Software to facilitate or allow mass communications such as email or text message 'blasts' to contacts who have not expressly opted-in to such communications; (v) prohibit using any part of the Back Office Software to build a competitive product; (vi) provide that IRE has the right to modify the Back Office License Agreement at any time and in its sole discretion; (vii) provide that IRE may discontinue support of outdated software versions; and (viii) require that you indemnify and hold IRE harmless for your violation of the Back Office License Agreement including but not limited to any claims or damages that may arise as a result of your negligence or culpable acts or omissions or violations of law.
Source: Item 11 — Franchisor's Assistance, Advertising, Computer Systems, and Training (FDD pages 59–71)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Remax's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are explicitly prohibited from reverse engineering any part of the Back Office Software. This restriction is outlined in the BoldTrail Back Office License Agreement, which franchisees are required to sign with Inside RE, LLC (IRE).
The Back Office Software, a key component of the MAX/TechSM platform, is designed to assist franchisees with various operational tasks, including agent onboarding, billing, transaction tracking, and reporting. The prohibition against reverse engineering is a standard clause to protect the intellectual property of Inside Real Estate, the software developer, and to prevent franchisees from creating competitive products using the Back Office Software.
This restriction has significant implications for prospective Remax franchisees. It means they cannot modify, decompile, or attempt to understand the underlying code of the Back Office Software. Any attempt to do so would be a violation of the Back Office License Agreement and could result in legal action. Franchisees must rely on IRE for maintenance, updates, and repairs to the software. This also means that franchisees are dependent on the functionality and features provided by the Back Office Software and cannot customize it to their specific needs beyond what is offered by IRE. The agreement also stipulates that IRE can modify the Back Office License Agreement at any time and discontinue support of outdated software versions.