Brokerage comparison

Real Brokerage vs. Keller Williams

Keller Williams is a franchise system built around independently owned market centers. Real is a single cloud-based brokerage. Most of the practical differences follow from that one structural fact, so read the rows below against your own local agreement rather than a national generalization.

Last reviewed August 11, 2026. Third-party brokerage names and marks are the property of their respective owners. They are used here only for identification and comparison. No endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation is implied or claimed.

Read this comparison as

01 — The quick read

What actually differs

Keller Williams market centers are independently owned and set their own local commission splits and caps.
Real publishes a national economic structure in its investor filings rather than local office terms.
Franchise-based support is local and physical; platform-based support is national and assembled.

Overhead view of an open planner, pens, a laptop and a cup of coffee on a desk.

Read this part slowly

Most people compare one number and move on. The comparison that matters is what the whole structure leaves you holding at the end of a year — and what it leaves you holding when you stop producing.

02 — Side by side

The whole operating model, row by row

Where a term is set locally by an office, franchise or individual agreement, this table says so instead of inventing a national figure.

Operating-model comparison: Real Brokerage and Keller Williams
Category	Real Brokerage	Keller Williams
Operating structure	A single national cloud-based brokerage across the United States and Canada. Team and private-label structures are described in Real's official filings.	A franchise system of independently owned and operated market centers, each with local ownership and leadership.
Commission / economic structure	Agents typically receive 85% of gross commission income; Real retains 15% until the agent reaches the annual cap (2025 Annual Report, p. 53).	Local commission splits are determined by the independently owned market center. Do not assume a universal national split.
Cap structure	An annual cap applies. Real's 2024 investor presentation published a $12,000 individual-agent cap — confirm the current schedule. After the cap, the agent retains 100% net of a fixed per-transaction fee.	The market center sets the local cap. After the local cap is met, an agent keeps 100% for the remainder of the anniversary year.
Recurring fixed costs	Confirm the current published fee schedule directly with Real. RGC does not restate amounts that can change.	Varies by office/agreement
Transaction costs	A fixed per-transaction fee applies after the cap (2025 Annual Report, p. 53). Confirm current amounts in official materials.	Varies by office/agreement
Brand control	Agents and teams generally operate under their own brand and marketing identity, within brokerage compliance requirements.	Operating within franchise brand standards; agent and team branding is generally used alongside the franchise identity. Confirm local marketing rules.
Technology and workflow	One national cloud platform; no physical office requirement. Confirm current tools in official materials.	Franchise-provided technology plus whatever the local market center adds. Confirm what is included and what is billed locally.
Coaching and support model	Support comes through the platform plus the team, sponsor and network an agent chooses — not a franchised local office.	Local, office-based: leadership, training and accountability are delivered through the market center. Quality varies by office.
Ownership / equity opportunity	Real's official filings describe agent equity programs. Review current official terms and eligibility before assuming anything.	Franchise ownership is a separate business decision; agent-facing programs vary. Confirm current terms directly.
Recurring-income mechanism	Real's official materials describe an agent revenue-share program tied to attraction. Terms and eligibility are governed by current official documents.	Program mechanics vary and change; confirm current terms in official Keller Williams materials rather than recruiting summaries.
Multi-market expansion	One brokerage affiliation across the states and provinces where Real is licensed, so expansion generally does not require changing brokerages.	Expanding usually means engaging additional market centers, each with their own ownership and agreements.
Enterprise / exit optionality	Official filings describe team and private-label structures used by larger organizations; evaluate them against your own governance and continuity plan.	Franchise ownership can carry enterprise value; agent-level optionality depends on your local agreement.

Operating structure

Real Brokerage: A single national cloud-based brokerage across the United States and Canada. Team and private-label structures are described in Real's official filings.
Keller Williams: A franchise system of independently owned and operated market centers, each with local ownership and leadership.

Commission / economic structure

Real Brokerage: Agents typically receive 85% of gross commission income; Real retains 15% until the agent reaches the annual cap (2025 Annual Report, p. 53).
Keller Williams: Local commission splits are determined by the independently owned market center. Do not assume a universal national split.

Cap structure

Real Brokerage: An annual cap applies. Real's 2024 investor presentation published a $12,000 individual-agent cap — confirm the current schedule. After the cap, the agent retains 100% net of a fixed per-transaction fee.
Keller Williams: The market center sets the local cap. After the local cap is met, an agent keeps 100% for the remainder of the anniversary year.

Recurring fixed costs

Real Brokerage: Confirm the current published fee schedule directly with Real. RGC does not restate amounts that can change.
Keller Williams: Varies by office/agreement

Transaction costs

Real Brokerage: A fixed per-transaction fee applies after the cap (2025 Annual Report, p. 53). Confirm current amounts in official materials.
Keller Williams: Varies by office/agreement

Brand control

Real Brokerage: Agents and teams generally operate under their own brand and marketing identity, within brokerage compliance requirements.
Keller Williams: Operating within franchise brand standards; agent and team branding is generally used alongside the franchise identity. Confirm local marketing rules.

Technology and workflow

Real Brokerage: One national cloud platform; no physical office requirement. Confirm current tools in official materials.
Keller Williams: Franchise-provided technology plus whatever the local market center adds. Confirm what is included and what is billed locally.

Coaching and support model

Real Brokerage: Support comes through the platform plus the team, sponsor and network an agent chooses — not a franchised local office.
Keller Williams: Local, office-based: leadership, training and accountability are delivered through the market center. Quality varies by office.

Ownership / equity opportunity

Real Brokerage: Real's official filings describe agent equity programs. Review current official terms and eligibility before assuming anything.
Keller Williams: Franchise ownership is a separate business decision; agent-facing programs vary. Confirm current terms directly.

Recurring-income mechanism

Real Brokerage: Real's official materials describe an agent revenue-share program tied to attraction. Terms and eligibility are governed by current official documents.
Keller Williams: Program mechanics vary and change; confirm current terms in official Keller Williams materials rather than recruiting summaries.

Multi-market expansion

Real Brokerage: One brokerage affiliation across the states and provinces where Real is licensed, so expansion generally does not require changing brokerages.
Keller Williams: Expanding usually means engaging additional market centers, each with their own ownership and agreements.

Enterprise / exit optionality

Real Brokerage: Official filings describe team and private-label structures used by larger organizations; evaluate them against your own governance and continuity plan.
Keller Williams: Franchise ownership can carry enterprise value; agent-level optionality depends on your local agreement.

02 — Honest fit

Where each model genuinely fits

Neither answer is universal. These are the conditions under which each side is the better structure.

Keller Williams may be the better fit when

You want a physical office with local leadership you can meet in person.
Your market center's training and accountability culture genuinely fits how you work.
You value a long-established franchise brand in your specific market.
You prefer structured, in-person coaching over assembling your own support.

Real may be the better fit when

You already generate your own business and want a national, consistent economic structure.
You want your own brand to lead rather than sit beside a franchise identity.
You expect to operate in more than one market over time.
You want ownership and leveraged-income mechanisms described in official filings, and you will read them yourself.

03 — Diligence

Questions to verify before you move

Take this list to both sides. Anything that cannot be answered in writing is a risk you are carrying personally.

Your actual local agreement — the signed document, not a recruiting summary.
Your current cap, royalty, franchise, desk, technology and administrative fees.
How active listings transfer, and whether seller consent is required.
What happens to pending transactions and escrow already in progress.
Whether your database, CRM records and marketing assets can be exported.
Brand and name transition: signage, domains, social handles and marketing inventory.
Team agreements, splits and any obligations you owe to or hold over teammates.
Ownership, equity or profit-share vesting you would forfeit or trigger by leaving.
Any recurring-income consequences of terminating your current affiliation.

Illustrative model

Model the economics with your actual agreement

Nothing here is a projection or a promise. Enter your real numbers; every assumption stays editable, and any prefilled value shows where it came from.

Keller Williams terms are set by each independently owned market center. Enter your agreement. Keller Williams (Outfront) (reviewed August 11, 2026).

Real operating scenario

Real publishes these as annual company caps in dollars — not as percentages. Choose the scenario that matches your situation.

Individual agent — $12,000 annual company capYou are not on a Real team. The company split is paid to Real until the $12,000 annual company cap is reached.Published in Real's 2024 investor presentation. Confirm the current schedule and your own anniversary year before relying on it.ProTeam member — $6,000 annual company capA ProTeam member's company cap is $6,000 per year in the US. The team split you pay your team leader is separate from this company cap.Eligibility and current terms must be confirmed with Real. Team types and their terms change; verify before you plan around them.Qualifying ProTeam member — $4,000 annual company capA reduced $4,000 annual company cap that is not generally available. It applies only to qualifying ProTeams.Currently available only to teams with at least 12 agents and $100M in annual production, subject to Real approval and current terms. Do not assume you qualify.

What is the difference between a company cap, a team split and a team cap?

Real (company) cap: The company split you pay to Real. Once you have paid the annual company cap in your anniversary year, the company split stops for the rest of that year.
Team split: The amount a team member pays their team leader under the Team Addendum. It is an agreement with the team, not with Real, and it is paid in addition to the company split.
Team cap: An optional amount paid to the team leader after which the team split may stop. Not every team has one — many team splits continue with no cap.

Sources (reviewed August 11, 2026): What are the different team types at Real (US)? · What is ProTeams? · What is the difference between the Team Cap and the Agent Cap? · How do Team Splits work?

Your current model — Keller Williams

Annual gross commission income ($)

Annual sides

Your split (%)

Annual cap ($, optional)

Fixed monthly fees ($)

Per-transaction fees ($)

Other annual brokerage costs ($)

Illustrative Real inputs

Agent split (%)

85/15 — Real 2025 Annual Report, p. 53 (reviewed August 11, 2026).

Annual company cap ($)

Set by the operating scenario above (Individual agent — $12,000 annual company cap). Dollar company caps — never percentages. Confirm the current schedule with Real.

Fixed monthly fees ($) — required

Per-transaction fees ($) — required

Other annual brokerage costs ($) — required

Fee fields are intentionally blank: RGC does not prefill amounts without a current verified source. Enter the figures on the official schedule you are given. A blank field is treated as unknown, never as zero — if a cost genuinely does not apply, type 0.

Comparison incomplete — no difference is calculated yet. Still needed: Real fixed monthly fees, Real per-transaction fees, Real other annual brokerage costs. Enter 0 if a cost does not apply.

Output is an illustrative annual difference based on the assumptions you entered — never a guarantee of savings, earnings or results.

Sources and assumptions

Every figure traces to a primary source

Last reviewed August 11, 2026. Open any source to see the publisher, what it supports and the review date.

Why top agents and teams join KW franchises

Publisher: Keller Williams (Outfront)

Supports: Market centers are independently owned and determine local commission splits and caps; after the local cap an agent keeps 100% for the remainder of the anniversary year.

Last reviewed: August 11, 2026

https://outfront.kw.com/views/why-top-agents-and-teams-join-kw-franchises/

What is franchise royalty?

Publisher: Keller Williams (Leadership Answers)

Supports: Keller Williams franchise royalty mechanics.

Last reviewed: August 11, 2026

https://leadershipanswers.kw.com/hc/en-us/articles/42624531763859-What-is-Franchise-Royalty

The Real Brokerage 2025 Annual Report (page 53)

Publisher: The Real Brokerage, Inc.

Supports: Agents typically receive 85% of gross commission income and Real retains 15% until the agent reaches the annual cap; after the cap the agent retains 100% net of a fixed per-transaction fee.

Last reviewed: August 11, 2026

https://s205.q4cdn.com/544743641/files/doc_financials/2025/ar/2025-Annual-Report.pdf

What are the different team types at Real? (US)

Publisher: The Real Brokerage (official support centre)

Supports: Official description of Real's US team types, their requirements, and the company-cap treatment attached to each. Eligibility and qualification are determined by Real and can change.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-19

https://support.therealbrokerage.com/hc/en-us/articles/16596961320983-What-are-the-different-team-types-at-Real-US

What is Private Label?

Publisher: The Real Brokerage (official support centre)

Supports: Official description of Real's Private Label arrangement, under which a firm may retain its own brand identity while operating on Real's platform. Availability, requirements and approval are determined by Real.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-19

https://support.therealbrokerage.com/hc/en-us/articles/20475720101143-What-is-Private-Label

04 — Common questions

Asked and answered

Does Keller Williams have one national commission split?

No. Market centers are independently owned and determine local commission splits and caps, so the accurate answer for you is in your local agreement.

What happens after an agent reaches the Keller Williams cap?

Keller Williams states that after the local cap the agent keeps 100% for the remainder of the anniversary year.

05 — Next

Decide with your own numbers

RGC does not decide for you. If a conversation would help, choose the path that matches how you build.

BUILD ENTERPRISE EXPLORE THE TEAM PATH

This comparison relies on public information and user-entered assumptions, both of which can change. Verify every term against your actual agreement and current official materials before making a decision.

Nothing here is a projection, promise or guarantee of earnings, savings, production or results. Calculator output is illustrative only.

Educational information only. Nothing on this page is legal, tax, accounting or financial advice.

Third-party brokerage names and marks are the property of their respective owners. They are used here only for identification and comparison. No endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation is implied or claimed.

Real Growth Collective is independently led and is not an official program of The Real Brokerage, Inc. Real program terms and eligibility are governed by current official materials.