Century 21 doesn't have a single company-wide commission split — each franchise sets its own compensation plans. The franchises that publish their numbers start new agents at 70/30, move to 90/10 on premium plans, and reach 100% once you hit a cap. A 50/50 starting split gets quoted often in recruiting coverage, but no Century 21 franchise publishes one.
Two costs stay fairly constant no matter the plan: a 6% franchise fee calculated on every gross commission, plus monthly and per-transaction fees that vary by plan. Those extras often matter more to your take-home pay than the headline split does.
This page is for agents weighing Century 21 — and for anyone pricing a C21 franchise. If you're selling a house, your cost is set by your listing agreement, not by any of this. Here's what Century 21 charges home sellers.
Century 21 fees at a glance
On a $500,000 home sale with a 3% commission — close to the national average listing commission of 2.76% — a Century 21 agent nets about $9,400 to $13,400, depending on the plan.
The table below uses Century 21 Signature Real Estate's published plans, one of the few franchises that posts real numbers. [1] The 6% franchise fee and your broker's share are both calculated on the gross commission and deducted separately, as the franchise's own earnings examples show; per-side and monthly fees then come out of what's left.
| Kickstart (70%) | Relentless (90%) | Relentless, cap met (100%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross commission (3% of $500,000) | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 |
| Franchise fee (6% of gross) | −$900 | −$900 | −$900 |
| Broker split (calculated on gross) | −$4,500 (30%) | −$1,500 (10%) | −$0 (0%) |
| Agent subtotal | $9,600 | $12,600 | $14,100 |
| Per-side transaction fee | −$95 | −$295 | −$295 |
| Monthly fee | −$100 | −$350 | −$350 |
| Net pay | $9,405 | $11,955 | $13,455 |
Other franchises use different numbers — CENTURY 21 Edge in Florida runs an 80/20 split with a $99 monthly fee, for example (more below). Treat this table as one franchise's real schedule, not a national rate card.
How the Century 21 commission split works
Your split at Century 21 depends on two things: which franchise you join and which plan you're on. Here are the plans with published numbers, labeled by source:
- New agents: 70/30 at the franchises that publish. C21 Signature's Kickstart plan is “designed to help new agents get started in real estate,”[1] and C21 Advantage Realty states that “all C21 franchisees start at a 70/30 split.”[2] A 50/50 starting split is widely repeated in recruiting coverage, but no Century 21 franchise publishes one — and most franchises don't publish a split at all.
- Kickstart (C21 Signature): 70/30. A flat 70% to the agent, with a $100 monthly fee and a $95 per-side transaction fee.[1]
- Relentless (C21 Signature): 90/10, then 100%. You keep 90% until you pass $200,000 in gross commission income (GCI) for the year, then 100%. The trade-off is a $350 monthly fee and a per-side transaction fee that tops out at $295.[1]
- C21 Edge: 80/20 with a cap. Agents keep 80% until they've paid $15,000 in broker split on agent-generated business in a calendar year, then keep everything. The monthly fee is $99, and the page publishes no per-transaction fee.[3]
Keep in mind: the 6% franchise fee is calculated on your gross commission — and so is your broker's share. On a $15,000 commission, the fee takes $900 and a 10% broker split takes $1,500, both off the same $15,000 rather than off each other. That's how C21 Signature's own earnings examples run the math, and most franchises structure it the same way.
If you're interviewing with a franchise, confirm which basis it uses — a 6% fee on gross costs you more than the same fee applied to your post-split share, and offices don't always volunteer the distinction.
What a 90/10 split means (and when you get it)
A 90/10 split means 90% of the commission goes to you and 10% goes to your broker. On a $10,000 gross commission at C21 Signature, the 6% franchise fee takes $600 and the broker's 10% takes $1,000, leaving you $8,400 before per-side and monthly fees.
You generally don't start at 90/10. Franchises reserve it for production tiers or premium plans like Relentless, where a higher monthly fee buys the higher split. If a recruiter offers 90/10 on day one, ask what the monthly and per-side fees are — that's usually where the money moves.
Century 21 commission caps
Century 21 doesn't have a company-wide commission cap — caps are set franchise by franchise and plan by plan. Never assume a cap you read online applies to your office.
Two labeled examples show how different they can look. C21 Edge caps the broker's share at $15,000 per calendar year on agent-generated business — once you've paid that in split, you keep 100% for the rest of the year.[3] C21 Signature's Relentless plan works differently: your split jumps from 90% to 100% after you pass $200,000 in GCI. And many franchises have no cap at all.
For context, at an 80/20 split you'd hit a $15,000 broker-split cap after $75,000 in gross commission income — a handful of sales at higher price points, or 10-plus in more affordable markets.
Confirm the mechanics with your broker: what counts toward the cap (C21 Edge's, for instance, counts only agent-generated business), when it resets, and whether the franchise fee continues after you cap. C21 Signature lists its 6% fee as a standing line item on both plans — including the tier where the agent keeps 100% — so at that franchise it doesn't stop. C21 Edge's compensation page doesn't mention a franchise fee at all, so ask.
Century 21 agent fees
The split is only part of what you pay as a Century 21 agent. Expect these fees, which vary by franchise and plan:
- Franchise fee: 6% of gross. Calculated on every gross commission, alongside your broker's share rather than before it — and it typically doesn't stop when you hit a cap.
- Monthly fee: $99–$350. C21 Edge charges $99, Signature's Kickstart $100, and Relentless $350. Some franchises charge nothing.
- Per-side transaction fee: $95–$295. Kickstart charges $95 per side. Relentless bands it by sale price: $195 under $100,000, $255 from $100,000 to $150,000, and $295 above that.
- Your own business costs. MLS dues, association fees, E&O insurance, signage, and marketing usually come out of your pocket at any brokerage.
Before you sign, get the franchise's full fee sheet in writing. Recruiters quote splits; fee sheets tell you what you'll actually net. If an office won't put its fees on paper, treat that as your answer.
How much does a Century 21 franchise cost?
Buying a Century 21 franchise costs $25,000 in initial franchise fees for a main office, plus $5,000 per branch office — though Century 21 is currently waiving the main-office fee under a sales incentive, and franchisees actually paid anywhere from $0 to $25,000 in 2025. Total initial investment runs roughly $117,270 to $473,400 for a start-up office, or $35,770 to $286,100 if you're converting an existing brokerage, per Century 21's 2026 franchise disclosure document (FDD), issued March 30, 2026.[4]
Ongoing, franchise owners pay Century 21 corporate a 6% royalty on gross revenue (with a $500 monthly minimum that adjusts upward each year) plus a Brand Marketing Fund contribution of 0.50% — 6.5% of revenue combined, not the roughly 8% often quoted. The fund was previously called the National Advertising Fund and ran at 2% under older agreements, and franchisees who joined before March 30, 2022 may still pay that older rate.[5] Franchise agreements run 10 years with no renewal rights — Century 21 can require a new agreement on different terms.
How Century 21 compares
Century 21 is the only one of the five big brands where several franchises publish a cap or a 100% threshold outright. Here is how it compares with the other national brands on the four numbers that decide your take-home.
| Brokerage | Commission split | Commission cap | Franchise fee | Monthly desk fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Century 21 | 70/30 to 90/10 across the franchises that publish rates[1] | Varies by plan — a $15,000 broker-split cap at C21 Edge; 100% after $200,000 GCI on C21 Signature's Relentless plan[1][3] | 6% of gross commission passed through at some franchises; the franchisor's royalty is 6% of Gross Revenue plus a 0.50% Brand Marketing Fund, 6.5% combined[4] | $99–$350/mo across published plans (Edge $99; Signature Kickstart $100, Relentless $350)[1][3] |
| Coldwell Banker | No company-wide standard; documented office schedules start at 60/40–70/30 and rise to 90/10[6] | No universal cap[6] | Offices commonly pass 6% of gross commission through to agents; the franchisor's own royalty is 5.5% declining to 3% of brokerage revenue, plus a 0.5% Brand Marketing Fund[7] | About $110/mo at the one office that publishes a schedule[6] |
| Keller Williams | 70/30 with your market center until you cap, then 100%[8] | $3,000 per associate on the KWRI royalty, plus a market-center cap each office sets and none publish[8] | 6% of GCI, capped at $3,000 per associate per anniversary year[8] | Set by market center and not published nationally; the FDD sets a $72/mo per-associate access fee[8] |
| RE/MAX | 95/5, or office-level RAPP tiers of roughly 60/40–80/20[9] | RAPP caps set by each office; no cap on the 95/5 plan[9] | 1% Broker Fee on revenue, plus a per-agent Continuing Franchise Fee of $143–$170/mo and a flat Marketing Fee of $127–$140/mo[9] | $300–$2,500/mo on the 95/5 plan; none on RAPP[10] |
| Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices | Not published — the franchise agreement leaves agent compensation entirely to each independently owned brokerage[11] | Not published[11] | Franchisor royalty declines from 6.00% on the first $1.65M of brokerage revenue to 2.00% above $100M, plus a separate marketing fee starting at 1.00% — about 7% combined at the top tier. Whether an office passes it through is an office decision[11] | Not published[11] |
Coldwell Banker's commission split is the closest comparison day to day — similar tiers, but no universal cap anywhere in the network. Keller Williams' commission split caps the franchise royalty nationally at $3,000 per associate, which Century 21 does not. RE/MAX's commission split trades a far higher split for fixed monthly fees, and the Berkshire Hathaway commission split publishes no rates at all.
Is Century 21 good for new agents?
Century 21 is a solid starting point if you want brand recognition and structured training. The trade-off is that a 70/30 starting split plus fixed fees eats a large share of a new agent's small commission volume — and a franchise that won't put its plan in writing may start you lower.
Fee drag is real at low production. On a $250,000 sale at 3% ($7,500 gross), C21 Signature's Kickstart plan takes $450 in franchise fee and $2,250 in broker split, leaving you $4,800 — before the $95 per-side fee, the $100 monthly fee, MLS dues, and taxes. If you close only a handful of deals in year one, fixed fees claim a meaningful share of each check. For what that adds up to annually, see how much real estate agents make.
Training is the perk agents mention most in reviews — and the one that varies most by office, so ask to sit in on a session before you commit.
Before you join, ask the franchise owner:
- The exact split schedule — and what triggers an improvement
- Every fee in writing: monthly, per-side, franchise, tech, and sign-up
- Cap terms, what counts toward the cap, and the reset date
- The mentor program's cut and how long it applies
- Where leads come from and who pays for them
Century 21 net commission calculator
Calculate your take-home commission
Century 21 franchises are independently owned and set their own plans. The 6% franchise fee and your broker's share are both calculated on the gross commission and deducted separately — edit every field to match your own franchise's fee sheet.
Your next deal
- Gross commission
- $15,000
- Franchise fee 6% of GCI
- −$900
- Brokerage split 30% of GCI
- −$4,500
- Transaction fee
- −$95
After you cap
- Gross commission
- $15,000
- Franchise fee 6% of GCI
- −$900
- Brokerage split 30% of GCI
- −$4,500
- Transaction fee
- −$95
At 10 deals a year
- −$9,000 Franchise fee
- −$45,000 Brokerage share
- −$950 Transaction fees
- −$1,200 Monthly fees $100/mo × 12
Rates as of August 2026 CENTURY 21 Signature Real Estate compensation plans
Plan defaults come from CENTURY 21 Signature Real Estate's published compensation plans and CENTURY 21 Edge's compensation page — the two franchises that post real numbers. The 6% franchise fee and the broker split are both calculated on gross commission and deducted separately, following C21 Signature's own earnings examples; per-side and monthly fees come out of what's left. Caps vary widely — a $15,000 broker-split cap at C21 Edge, 100% after $200,000 GCI on Relentless, and none at many franchises. Edit every field to match your office's schedule.
Estimates for illustration. Actual splits and fees vary by office and agreement.
The calculator applies the same fee order used throughout this page: the 6% franchise fee and your broker's share are both calculated on gross commission, then your per-side transaction fee and monthly fee come out of what's left. Plan defaults come from C21 Signature's published schedule — enter your own franchise's numbers for a true estimate.
Century 21 commission split: What agents think
Agent reviews of Century 21 are mostly positive on training and brand, and mixed on whether the split is worth it — with support varying widely by franchise. On Indeed, Century 21 holds 4.1 out of 5 across 3,349 reviews.[12] On AgentAdvice it holds 4.12 out of 5 across 52 reviews.[13]
“Truly loved my time here. Great people and events for learning and growth. … I like their commission scale and CAP system very much, and found it easy to achieve 100% commission within a pay year.”
— Indeed review of C21 Redwood, June 2023.[14]
“Smaller companies may provide higher percent of the commission, but didn't provide the education and support that allows you to successfully compete. … Century 21 always had my back.”
— AgentAdvice review, March 2022.[15]
“My experience with Century 21 has been disappointing as a new agent. There's very little support or structure in place for those just starting out.”
— r/realtors comment, April 2025.[16]
The common thread: the plan matters less than the specific franchise you join. Two offices under the same sign can offer different splits, fees, and support.
Century 21 pros and cons
Pros
- Path to higher splits. Published plans move from 70/30 up to 90/10 and 100% after a threshold, so your split can grow with your production.
- Strong brand recognition. Century 21 is one of the most recognizable names in real estate, which helps with client trust — especially early in your career.
- Training and mentorship. Structured onboarding, live training, and mentor programs are the perks agents praise most in reviews.
Cons
- The 6% fee never really goes away. It's calculated on gross on every deal — typically even after you hit a cap.
- Franchise-to-franchise inconsistency. Splits, fees, caps, and support all vary by office, so the brand name guarantees less than you'd expect.
- Top producers can net more elsewhere. A 95/5 at RE/MAX or a capped Keller Williams split can beat 90/10 minus 6% of gross plus $350 a month.
What sellers pay Century 21
If you're selling with a Century 21 agent, your cost is set by your listing agreement — not by the splits above. The split is between your agent and their broker, not a surcharge to you. Commission is negotiable, and sellers still typically pay the buyer's-agent commission as well. For rates, dollar examples, and ways to save, see what Century 21 charges home sellers.
Bottom line
Century 21 makes the most sense for newer agents who want brand recognition and training, and for agents at franchises with genuine caps — an 80/20 with a $15,000 cap is a strong deal for a steady producer.
It's a harder sell for high producers at no-cap franchises: 90/10 minus 6% of gross plus $350 a month adds up fast at volume. Whichever plan you're weighing, get the full fee sheet in writing and run your own numbers through it.
And if leads are the bigger constraint on your business, Clever's Partner Network sends vetted buyer and seller leads with no upfront cost.
Frequently asked questions
Monthly fees vary by franchise and plan, from $0 to about $350. C21 Edge charges $99 a month, while C21 Signature charges $100 on its Kickstart plan and $350 on Relentless — and some franchises charge nothing at all. Ask for the full fee sheet in writing before you join.
The Century 21 franchises that publish their plans start new agents at 70/30 — C21 Signature's Kickstart plan and C21 Advantage Realty both do. A 50/50 starting split is often reported online, but no franchise publishes one. Published plans improve from there, up to 90/10 and 100% after a threshold. Your exact starting split depends on the franchise, so compare offices before signing.
Some franchises do, and the structures differ. C21 Edge caps broker split at $15,000 per calendar year on agent-generated business, while C21 Signature's Relentless plan moves you to 100% after $200,000 in gross commission income. Many franchises have no cap. The 6% franchise fee usually continues after you cap, so confirm terms and reset dates with your office.
It depends on who's paying. Agents pay their franchise a 6% fee calculated on gross commission, alongside the broker's share rather than before it. Franchise owners pay Century 21 corporate a 6% royalty on gross revenue plus a 0.50% Brand Marketing Fund contribution — 6.5% combined.