The same year, two models.
This isn't about one brand being better than another. It's about the structure underneath. A traditional brokerage takes a cut of every deal, all year, and builds its own value. Real caps what it takes, then hands you ownership and a second income line. Here's the difference, line by line.
What changes when you move.
85% to you, 15% to Real until you cap
Often 50/50 to 70/30, sometimes climbing with production
$15,000 CAD for solo agents and team leaders, then 100% to you
Usually no cap, the split runs all year, every year
None
Monthly desk fees plus a franchise royalty on many brands
$375 CAD after you cap, reduced for Elite Agents, plus a small per-deal broker review fee
Varies, often bundled into a lower split
$1,200 CAD, collected across your first three deals of the year
Rolled into desk fees and splits, rarely itemized
Earn and buy stock in a public company (Nasdaq / TSX: REAX)
None, you build the brand's value, not your own
Five tiers, paid from Real's revenue on agents you sponsor
None at most independents and franchises
One platform (reZEN) plus Leo, a 24/7 AI concierge
A patchwork of third-party tools you stitch together
“Traditional brokerage” here means a typical franchise or independent operating on a desk-fee or split model. Exact terms vary by brokerage and by agent. Real's figures are Canadian and current as of 2026. Bring your own brokerage's terms to the conversation and we'll compare like for like.
Capped cost, plus things you can own.
The clearest way to see it: at a traditional brokerage, a strong year means the brokerage's cut grows right along with your production, with nothing to show for it but the deals you closed.
At Real, a strong year means you hit your cap early and keep the rest, while equity and revenue share turn that same production into assets that keep working after the year ends. Same effort, a structure that pays you twice.
Whether that's worth moving for depends entirely on your numbers. That's exactly what a conversation with Stephan is for.