SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · MARYLAND
Century 21 franchise in Maryland: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Century 21 in Maryland have taken 6 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $105,300). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. Century 21's national ratio is 0.7× (not clearly different from 1.0×).
Loans in MD
6
Charged off (all years)
1 of 4
Loss ratio in MD
—
Loss ratio nationally (not clear)
0.7×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = MD. Loss ratio = charge-offs among loans approved through FY2020 ÷ the charge-offs expected if each had defaulted at the national rate for franchise loans approved the same year; 1.0× is the same. Only charged-off and paid-in-full loans count. A ratio is shown at 30+ such loans; “not clear” marks a ratio chance alone could produce. The all-years count mixes every era and is evidence, not a rate to compare. Borrowers are matched to the brand by name and SBA franchise code; some matches may be wrong or missing.
Businesses in this industry
2,263
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
36.1
national 47.9
Versus the country
-25%
thinner
Every business in Century 21's industry operating in Maryland — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across the brand-state cells in the loan data, denser markets have historically charged off less often than the thinnest (see the research page). A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
Avg weekly wage, this industry
$1,939
Maryland, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$1,785
same industry, all states
Versus the country
+9%
costlier to staff
What Century 21's industry actually pays workers in Maryland, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (2025), employment-weighted across counties. This cost signal is independent of the FDD: a market can look demand-rich above and still carry a margin headwind here if local wages run hot for the sector.
| System | Loans in MD | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in MD | Units in MD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Property Management Inc. | 9 | 2 of 2 | — | 16 |
| RE/MAX | 6 | 1 of 5 | — | 69 |
Other systems in Century 21's sector whose franchisees borrowed in Maryland. A loss ratio appears only where at least 30 loans approved through FY2020 have resolved; “—” means too few.
A broker is usually paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid only by you, never by a franchisor you're considering — and the job is pressure-testing Century 21’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.