FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · MASSACHUSETTS

RE/MAX franchise in Massachusetts: what the public record shows

Franchisees of RE/MAX in Massachusetts have taken 10 SBA loans in the FY1991–present FOIA files (average $234,300). Fewer than 30 of them were approved through FY2020 and have resolved, so no local loss ratio is published. RE/MAX's national ratio is 0.8× (not clearly different from 1.0×). Its latest FDD Item 20 state table reports 82 franchised outlets in Massachusetts (fiscal 2025) — about 1.15 per 100k residents.

SBA loan outcomes · Massachusettsvs same-year franchise loans

Loans in MA

10

Charged off (all years)

0 of 6

Loss ratio in MA

—

Loss ratio nationally (not clear)

0.8×

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = MA. 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.

Market density · Massachusetts vs nationalThin market

Businesses in this industry

2,359

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

33.1

national 47.9

Versus the country

-31%

thinner

Every business in RE/MAX's industry operating in Massachusetts — 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.

Labor cost · Massachusetts vs nationalHigh wage pressure

Avg weekly wage, this industry

$2,588

Massachusetts, BLS QCEW 2025

National average

$1,785

same industry, all states

Versus the country

+45%

costlier to staff

What RE/MAX's industry actually pays workers in Massachusetts, 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.

Franchised outlets in Massachusetts · FDD Item 20-10 over the disclosed window
Fiscal yearFranchisedCompany-owned
2023920
2024870
2025820
Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

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.

Don Drummond, CPA — Virginia #43775 · what I charge

Book a free 30-minute call →