Commission Express franchise
2026 filing · May 14, 2026Fewer locations
Commission Express at a glance
A business that advances cash to real estate agents by buying their pending sales commissions. At the end of 2025 there were 38 Commission Express locations in the US, 37 franchised and 1 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Commission Express National, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 1996
- 30 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Fairfax, Virginia
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $173K–$299K
- A protected development territory
- Franchise fee
- $10K–$50K
- $10,000, $25,000 or $50,000 for a small, medium or large territory
- Royalty
- 1%–9% + minimum
- 9% of annual gross income up to $300,000, 4.5% from $300,001 to $600,000 and 1% above, paid monthly, with a minimum royalty set by territory size; plus a 1% advertising fee
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 1% of annual gross income, with a monthly minimum and a $6,000 yearly cap
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- Some financing offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 38
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 37
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- −1
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 21
- Most in Florida, California and New Jersey
From Commission Express National, Inc’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Commission Express among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Commission Express | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $235,960 | Costs less than 64% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $10,000 | Lower than 95% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 38 | More than 60% of franchises |
How much a Commission Express franchise costs
Opening a protected development territory costs an estimated $172,620 to $299,300. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: Commission Express National, Inc, 2026 filing, page 16
Commission Express franchise fee
The franchise fee is $10,000 to $50,000, $10,000, $25,000 or $50,000 for a small, medium or large territory. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Commission Express National, Inc, 2026 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 9% of annual gross income up to $300,000, 4.5% from $300,001 to $600,000 and 1% above, paid monthly, with a minimum royalty set by territory size; plus a 1% advertising fee. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of annual gross income, with a monthly minimum and a $6,000 yearly cap. |
| Proprietary computer software upgrade/support fee | $500 to $800 ($751.45 in 2026) |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Commission Express National, Inc, 2026 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from page 11. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Commission Express does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: Commission Express National, Inc, 2026 filing, page 40
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Commission Express | Typical real estate brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | 0% / −2.6% | −0.9% / 0% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 8.1% / 29% | 10% / 29% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical real estate brand is the median of the 44 brands in real estate franchises with three years of counts.
How Commission Express compares
Of the 95 real estate franchises on this site, Commission Express is the 79th cheapest to open and the 59th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Commission Express | Typical real estate brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $173K | $69K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $299K | $244K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $10K | $35K | $40K |
| US locations | 38 | 67 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 40 of 95 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 95 brands in real estate franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 39 (+1) | 1 | +3 | −2 |
| 2024 | 37 (−2) | 1 | +4 | −6 |
| 2025 | 37 (0) | 1 | +3 | −3 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Commission Express National, Inc, 2026 filing, page 41
Where Commission Express locations are
At the end of 2025, Commission Express had locations in 22 states and territories. The most are in Florida, California and New Jersey.
- Florida5
- California4
- New Jersey3
- New York3
- Texas3
- Virginia3
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| California | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| New York | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Texas | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Virginia | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Nevada | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Arizona | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 0 | 1 |
All 22 states
| District of Columbia | 1 |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | 1 |
| Idaho | 1 |
| Illinois | 1 |
| Kentucky | 1 |
| Maryland | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 1 |
| Michigan | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 1 |
| Tennessee | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
Source: Commission Express National, Inc, 2026 filing, page 42
Who owns Commission Express?
Commission Express franchises are sold by Commission Express National, Inc. Its filing names no parent company.
From Commission Express National, Inc’s 2026 filing, page 8.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Commission Express National, Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Commission Express filings
The figures on this page come from Commission Express National, Inc’s 2026 filing, issued May 14, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | May 14, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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