FAQ
Every question, answered.
The short answers, pulled from each article. Each one links to the full explanation and the sources it rests on. If yours isn't here, ask me on a call.
Real Broker, explained: the whole model in one page (2026)
- Is Real a franchise?
- No. One company, one fee schedule, state brokers employed by Real. RE/MAX, which Real now owns, is a franchise system and runs separately.
- Is there a monthly fee?
- No.
- Can I keep my brand?
- Individual agents market under their own name with Real's disclosure. Brokerages can keep their brand through Private Label where the state allows.
- How is Real different from eXp?
- Side by side here, from both companies' pages.
- What's the catch?
- The fee schedule changed twice this year, the stock awards are "subject to change," support is a queue, and revenue share ends the day you leave. All of it's in the sections above, with sources.
- What happens on the call?
- Thirty minutes, your numbers next to Real's, the tools, the AI, and the programs above with the published terms. If the answer is stay where you are, that's what I'll tell you. Book it here.
Full article, with figures checked 7 November 2026: Real Broker, explained: the whole model in one page (2026)
Every way to earn stock at Real Broker, and the one number Real just took off its page
- Do I have to buy stock to be at Real?
- No. The purchase plan is optional. The awards don't require it.
- Can my awards go to my LLC?
- No. Real issues all stock to the licensed individual on the reZEN account.
- Where do I see my shares?
- In Shareworks, which Real uses to hold agent equity. Awards land there around the 15th of the month after they're earned.
- Is this a reason to join Real?
- On its own, no. A stock award is worth whatever the stock is worth when it vests, three years from now, and you have to still be here. Join for the economics and the tools. Treat the stock as upside.
Full article, with figures checked 7 November 2026: Every way to earn stock at Real Broker, and the one number Real just took off its page
Real Broker's technology: reZEN, Leo Pro and Real Wallet, from an agent who uses them daily
- Do I have to use reZEN?
- Yes. It's where transactions, broker review and commission happen. There's no alternative workflow.
- Is Leo free?
- Leo Basic in reZEN is free. Leo Pro is $19.99 a month plus tokens.
- Does Real give me a CRM?
- Not one of its own. Leo Pro connects to several, including Lofty, and you can import contacts by CSV. Your CRM is still your choice and your cost.
- Do I have to bank with Real Wallet?
- For your commission, you can still be paid out to an outside account. For revenue share, since September 2026, you need the Real Wallet business checking account.
- Is the technology a reason to join?
- It's a reason not to rule Real out. Whether the economics work for you is the bigger question.
Full article, with figures checked 7 November 2026: Real Broker's technology: reZEN, Leo Pro and Real Wallet, from an agent who uses them daily
Real Broker vs eXp Realty: the published terms side by side
- Which is cheaper?
- On published terms at twenty sales, Real by at least $1,270. At very low volumes it's closer, and depends on whether you'd rather pay a monthly fee or an annual one.
- Which pays more revenue share?
- Neither company publishes what a typical agent earns, except eXp, which says the median is $0. Decide on the brokerage, not the program.
- Which has better technology?
- I use Real's every day and wrote about it. I don't use eXp's, so I'm not going to rate it.
- Can I take revenue share with me if I switch?
- No, at either brokerage. Both end it when you leave.
Full article, with figures checked 7 November 2026: Real Broker vs eXp Realty: the published terms side by side
How to get licensed for Real Originate: the eight steps, in order
- Is Real Originate available in my state?
- Only if One Real Mortgage is licensed there. Its license page listed 32 states and Washington, D.C. on October 9, 2026. Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont and New York were not on it.
- How many hours of education does the loan originator license take?
- The federal floor is 20 hours of NMLS-approved pre-licensing education. States can require more, and the NMLS publishes a state-by-state table.
- What score do I need on the SAFE test?
- 75%. The NMLS candidate handbook has the current question count, time limit, fee and retake waiting periods.
- Do I have to be a Real agent to join Real Originate?
- No. Real's president said on the November 5, 2026 earnings call that the program is open to agents from any brokerage who want to become licensed loan officers.
- Can I be the agent and the loan originator on the same deal everywhere?
- No. Real's help center says Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland and Utah do not allow it. Everywhere else it's permitted, you upload a dual-capacity disclosure to the transaction.
Full article, with figures checked 7 November 2026: How to get licensed for Real Originate: the eight steps, in order
Real Originate's numbers: what's published, what participants report, and the gap between them
- Does Real publish what Real Originate pays?
- No. Real's help center and One Real Mortgage's program page say compensation is governed by the loan originator compensation agreement and paid on work performed on each loan. No rate appears on either.
- Where does the 0.5% figure come from?
- From participants, chiefly Malcolm Lawson's account updated November 6, 2026. It is not on any Real or One Real Mortgage page I can find. Confirm it in the compensation agreement.
- Is there a production minimum for Real Originate?
- Yes. The application states at least six buy-side transactions a year and a minimum of six funded loans a year as a licensed originator.
- Do Real Originate agents get the $15,000 stock award?
- One Real Mortgage announced that award for its loan officers on April 3, 2025, at $20 million of annual production. Whether Originate agents are in it on the same terms has not been published. Ask in writing.
- How big is One Real Mortgage?
- 169 loan originators in August 2026, 137 of them Real Originate agents, per Real's second quarter 2026 results. Third quarter 2026 revenue was $1.508 million, and management puts the attach rate below 1%.
Full article, with figures checked 7 November 2026: Real Originate's numbers: what's published, what participants report, and the gap between them
Real Originate and the rules: RESPA, dual capacity, FHA, and the four states that say no
- Is it legal to be the buyer's agent and the loan originator on the same purchase?
- In most states, yes, with disclosure. Real's help center says Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland and Utah do not allow it.
- Why are Real Originate agents W-2 employees?
- Because RESPA Section 8 prohibits paying for referrals. Employees who hold their own license and do origination work are paid for that work, not for the referral.
- Does FHA allow the agent to originate the loan?
- HUD's Mortgagee Letter 2022-22 restricts multiple roles only for participants with a direct impact on the approval decision: underwriters, appraisers, inspectors and engineers. Agents acting as originators are not in that group.
- Can a lender refuse a loan where the agent is the originator?
- Yes. One Real Mortgage is a broker, and its disclaimer says the third-party lender decides whether to approve or deny. Lenders can have their own overlays.
- What disclosure do I give the buyer?
- Real requires a Dual Capacity Disclosure uploaded to the transaction checklist, with a standard form for 25 states and specific forms for Colorado, Washington, D.C., New Jersey and Ohio. Your state may require more.
Full article, with figures checked 7 November 2026: Real Originate and the rules: RESPA, dual capacity, FHA, and the four states that say no
What Real Broker costs in 2026: every fee, and the math at three volumes
- Is there a monthly fee at Real?
- No. There's no desk fee, office fee or technology fee. The recurring costs are the brokerage fee (three installments a year) and the per-transaction fees.
- Does the cap reset on January 1?
- No, on your anniversary date, which is the date you joined.
- Do I pay the CBR fee after I cap?
- Yes. The cap only stops the 15% split.
- Does the $285 drop automatically?
- Yes, once you've paid $6,000 in post-cap fees in a single anniversary year, Real applies the $100 Elite fee going forward in that year.
- Where do these numbers come from?
- Real's help center, with the page and its last-updated date listed under Sources below. If you find something there that disagrees with this page, the help center wins and I'd like to know.
Full article, with figures checked 7 November 2026: What Real Broker costs in 2026: every fee, and the math at three volumes
Still deciding?
Thirty minutes, your numbers, a straight answer. If staying put is right, I'll say so.