RE/MAX India Franchise Cost: Rs 13-30 Lakh, 6% Royalty and Rs 1,000 per Agent

RE/MAX India's own cost guide says a real-estate brokerage office needs Rs 13 lakh to Rs 30 lakh to become operational. That is a one-time franchise fee of Rs 8 lakh to Rs 15 lakh for a 5-year term, plus Rs 3 to 10 lakh for the office and Rs 2 to 5 lakh of working capital. On top, you pay 6% royalty on the office's commission and Rs 1,000 per agent per month. The fee is non-refundable. Below is what is published, what the brand's payback claim rests on, and what to check before you pay.

The published cost lines, checked on 15 November 2026

We re-read RE/MAX India's cost guide (dated 22 April 2026) and its returns guide against our checked RE/MAX India listing. The cost guide gives these lines:

Item	What RE/MAX India states
Franchise fee	Rs 8 to 15 lakh, one time, 5-year term
Office set-up	Rs 3 to 10 lakh (400 to 800 sq ft)
Working capital	Rs 2 to 5 lakh, first 6 months
Total to get operational	Rs 13 to 30 lakh
Royalty	6% of office commission
Per-agent charge	Rs 1,000 per agent per month
Office rent (example given)	Rs 15,000 to 50,000 a month

The three cost lines add up exactly to the headline. Our listing treats GST as excluded, and we found no line saying the fee includes it. If 18% GST applies to the fee, that is roughly Rs 1.44 to 2.7 lakh more.

What the fee buys, and what it does not

RE/MAX says the fee covers brand access, a 12-person marketing team, a 90-day training programme called REPA Academy (described as NSDC-approved), a CRM and listing portal, and developer tie-ups. It says franchise fees are non-refundable and calls that standard practice. The returns guide says early exit terms exist but are discussed on the briefing call, so they are not published. Renewal is described only as "options" after the 5 years.

Get the exit terms in writing first.

How the money comes in

An office does not sell property itself. It recruits agents and keeps a share of what they earn. The returns guide says the office's share is 14% to 34% of every agent transaction, plus monthly desk fees of Rs 3,000 to 6,000 per agent, plus value-added services. Out of that, the office pays RE/MAX 6% of its commission and Rs 1,000 per agent. Your costs are rent, staff and marketing beyond what the brand provides, and none of those is a published figure beyond the rent example.

The payback claim, rebuilt from its own inputs

RE/MAX's scenario is five agents each closing 2 deals a month at an average Rs 80 lakh, at 1.5% commission. The guide says this gives about Rs 2 lakh a month net, and its payback claim is 12 months in the cost guide and 12 to 18 months in the returns guide. The listing records the scenario's office income as about Rs 3.25 lakh a month and net as about Rs 1.98 lakh.

Our arithmetic: 10 deals a month at Rs 1.2 lakh commission each is Rs 12 lakh in total commission, so Rs 3.25 lakh would be an office share of about 27%, inside the stated 14% to 34% range. The 6% royalty on Rs 3.25 lakh is Rs 19,500, and five agents add Rs 5,000. Rs 1.98 lakh a month is about Rs 24 lakh a year, which matches the guide's "about Rs 24 lakh" figure and gives 6.5 to 15 months on Rs 13 to 30 lakh.

The weak point is volume. The scenario needs 24 deals per agent per year. The same guide quotes a global RE/MAX average of 11.5 transactions per agent per year. At that average the scenario's deal count halves, and our listing's estimate is about 24 to 36 months to pay back, double the brand's. That is a FranchiseChuno estimate, not a RE/MAX figure. RE/MAX itself calls the tables "illustrative projections", and the homepage adds that actual results depend on execution, market conditions and consistency.

Office count: three different numbers

The homepage claims 52 active offices in 19 cities and 14 states. The returns guide says franchise offices operate across "25+ states". On 13 October 2026 the brand's own office search listed 32 offices. None of the three is a dated list we can check, so ask for the current office list and call two or three owners.

Who you are signing with

The brand is owned by RE/MAX Holdings of the US. In India, the homepage footer says the master franchise licence is owned and operated by Youngace Impex Private Limited, based in Noida. Company filings for that entity, as compiled by Tracxn from MCA records, show FY25 revenue of about Rs 2.74 crore and a net loss of about Rs 47 lakh, with paid-up capital of Rs 4 lakh. Revenue rose sharply from a small FY24 base. A loss-making master franchisee is not a reason to walk away, but it is a reason to ask what support obligations sit behind the fee. We could not check the trademark licence at IP India, so ask to see it.

If you are comparing models, our post on published payout rates shows how other commission-based brands disclose what partners keep.

Questions buyers ask

How much does a RE/MAX India franchise cost?

RE/MAX India states Rs 13 to 30 lakh to get operational, of which Rs 8 to 15 lakh is the franchise fee. Only the fee is paid to the master franchisee.

Is the RE/MAX India franchise fee refundable?

No. The brand's cost guide says franchise fees are non-refundable. Exit terms are discussed on the briefing call and are not published.

How long does RE/MAX India take to pay back?

The brand claims 12 to 18 months, based on 5 agents closing 2 deals each a month. At the 11.5 deals per agent per year it quotes as a global average, our estimate is about 24 to 36 months.

To see the checked terms and the evidence behind each figure, open the RE/MAX India listing and use the enquiry button there.