FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

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

Century 21 franchise in Florida: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Century 21 in Florida have taken 21 SBA loans since 1991 (average $396,666), and of the 15 loans whose story has ended, 6.7% were charged off — versus 12.1% for Century 21 nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.

SBA loan outcomes · Floridavs national

Loans in FL

21

Resolved

15

Local charge-off

6.7%

National charge-off

12.1%

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = FL. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor.

Market density · Florida vs nationalDense market

Businesses in this industry

21,138

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

90.4

national 47.9

Versus the country

+89%

denser

Every business in Century 21's industry operating in Florida — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.

Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Florida3 systems
SystemLoans in FLLocal charge-offUnits in FL
RE/MAX3111.8%213
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED FRANCHISE LLC14thin68
REAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT9thin50

Same sector, same state, same public records — how Century 21 compares to the systems a buyer in Florida would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.

Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Century 21's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →