Century 21 vs HomeSmart
Long-running franchise with global brand recognition vs Flat-fee transaction model — keep nearly all commission.
Reviewed by SofaBrain Editorial Team
Editorial Team · Last reviewed 2026-05-20
Net-income side by side
Computed at the realtor median: $120,000 annual GCI ÷ 12 transactions per year. Adjust the inputs on the live commission calculator.
Century 21
$57,000
estimated net take-home
HomeSmart
$116,160
estimated net take-home
Feature matrix
| Feature | Century 21 | HomeSmart |
|---|---|---|
| Commission model | split | flat-fee |
| Default split | 50/50 | 100/0 |
| Annual cap | — | — |
| Monthly fee | — | $25 |
| Per-transaction fee | — | $295 |
| Royalty fee | 6% | — |
| Training program | standard | standard |
| Lead program | brokerage-provided | agent-sourced |
| Stock awards | — | — |
| Profit share | — | — |
| Sponsorship residual | — | — |
| Publicly traded | HOUS | Private |
| Approx agent count | 145,000 | 24,000 |
| Headquarters | Madison, NJ (Anywhere Real Estate) | Scottsdale, AZ |
| Founded | $1,971 | $2,000 |
Best/worst fit for Century 21
Best for: Newer agents wanting a recognized brand + structured training
Worst for: Top producers — entry split is low; better to negotiate at another brokerage
Best/worst fit for HomeSmart
Best for: Highest-volume agents — flat fee structure means margin grows linearly with volume
Worst for: Agents with <10 transactions/year — Realty ONE / eXp likely cheaper
FAQ
What's the biggest difference between Century 21 and HomeSmart?+
Century 21 runs on a split model (50/50 split) while HomeSmart runs on a flat-fee model (100/0 split).
Which is better for new agents?+
Newer agents typically benefit more from extensive training + lead programs. Century 21: standard training, brokerage-provided leads. HomeSmart: standard training, agent-sourced leads. The brokerage with more brokerage-provided leads + extensive training is usually the safer first move.
Which is better at high volume?+
At high volume (30+ transactions/year), cap-based and 100%-commission brokerages outperform split-based ones because the brokerage's share is capped while your output keeps growing. Neither is the cap/100%-commission option in this pair.
Does this comparison include lender/title splits?+
No. We model the brokerage's cut of your gross commission income (GCI) after the buyer-broker / seller-broker split between firms. Lender, title, and ancillary splits vary deal-to-deal and aren't modeled here.
More brokerage comparisons
Run your own numbers
Custom GCI, custom transaction count, all 12 brokerages compared side-by-side.
Open the commission calculator →