SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · CALIFORNIA
Century 21 franchise in California: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Century 21 in California have taken 42 SBA loans since 1991 (average $561,730), and of the 28 loans whose story has ended, 17.9% were charged off — versus 12.1% for Century 21 nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.
Loans in CA
42
Resolved
28
Local charge-off
17.9%
National charge-off
12.1%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = CA. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor.
Businesses in this industry
22,552
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
57.2
national 47.9
Versus the country
+19%
denser
Every business in Century 21's industry operating in California — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
| System | Loans in CA | Local charge-off | Units in CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| RE/MAX | 51 | 8.1% | 239 |
| REAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | 17 | 10.0% | 43 |
| Coldwell Banker (Real Estate Brokers | 12 | thin | — |
| PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED FRANCHISE LLC | 6 | thin | 37 |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Century 21 compares to the systems a buyer in California would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Century 21's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →