SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · CALIFORNIA
RE/MAX franchise in California: what the public record shows
Franchisees of RE/MAX in California have taken 50 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $669,680). Those approved through FY2020 defaulted at a rate not clearly different from franchise loans made in the same years nationally: 3 charge-offs among 36 resolved loans, where about 6.6 would be expected (0.5×). RE/MAX's national ratio is 0.8× (not clearly different from 1.0×). Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 239 franchised outlets in California (fiscal 2025) — about 0.61 per 100k residents.
Loans in CA
50
Charged off (all years)
3 of 36
Loss ratio in CA (not clear)
0.5×
Loss ratio nationally (not clear)
0.8×
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = CA. 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
22,552
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
57.2
national 47.9
Versus the country
+19%
denser
Every business in RE/MAX'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 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
$2,183
California, BLS QCEW 2025
National average
$1,785
same industry, all states
Versus the country
+22%
costlier to staff
What RE/MAX's industry actually pays workers in California, 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.
| Fiscal year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 293 | 0 |
| 2024 | 256 | 0 |
| 2025 | 239 | 0 |
| System | Loans in CA | Charged off (all years) | Loss ratio in CA | Units in CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Century 21 | 42 | 5 of 28 | — | — |
| REAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT | 17 | 1 of 10 | — | 43 |
| Coldwell Banker (Real Estate Brokers | 12 | 3 of 8 | — | — |
| Property Management Inc. | 6 | 1 of 2 | — | 37 |
Other systems in RE/MAX's sector whose franchisees borrowed in California. 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 RE/MAX’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.