The advantages of franchising over starting up on your own

Challenges of starting a business in the real estate sector

Building your own real estate agency from scratch sounds tempting – but the reality is challenging. Without an established system behind them, individual founders have to develop all areas of the business independently. This starts with brand building: without a well-known name, potential customers will initially lack trust. Trust is the key to success, especially in the real estate business, where high-value assets are involved. A new estate agency with no references or reputation has to work hard to build up a name for itself, while established estate agency networks already enjoy recognition.

Added to this are the high initial investments and steep learning curves: from developing a functioning website and CRM software to marketing campaigns and legal protection – everything has to be done alone. Anyone who starts a business on their own bears the full financial risk. Mistakes made in the early stages can be costly and quickly slow down a young company. In addition, there is often a lack of access to a broad network of property listings and prospective buyers. Starting a business on your own usually means starting from scratch – every contact, every lead, every sales opportunity has to be developed independently.

As a solo founder, you are also on your own when it comes to operations. There is no experienced mentor to back you up and no team to support you when challenges arise. Professional training, in-depth market knowledge and dealing with new technologies – you have to acquire all of this yourself. This isolation can be a hindrance: you have no one to share best practices with or to advise you on tricky cases. In short, starting a business on your own in the real estate sector requires a high degree of initiative, capital and perseverance – and even then, success is not guaranteed.

Strong brand and well-established network

This is where franchising comes in. Instead of starting from scratch, you join a franchisor and become part of an existing system that has already proven itself. BETTERHOMES, for example, has been on the market since 2005 and is now the largest independent real estate agent in Switzerland. As a franchisee, you benefit from this strong brand and market presence. A well-known logo and an established corporate identity open doors: sellers and buyers have more confidence in a renowned brand right from the start. Where an unknown sole trader first has to prove themselves, a BETTERHOMES partner already enjoys a reputation for professionalism and success.

But it's not just the brand that makes the difference, it's also the network. At BETTERHOMES, you become part of a large family of estate agents. All franchise partners and estate agents in the network work with the same system and are literally all pulling in the same direction. This internal network enables cooperation on supra-regional real estate transactions, for example. If you have a prospective buyer but no suitable property, you can access offers from your partners within the network. Joint ventures and referral programmes ensure that no business is lost: if you have a property tip from your circle of acquaintances or former customers, it can be easily entered into the system. Such recommendations are transparently tracked and rewarded via the MyBetterhomes^® customer and referral portal. This allows your network of contacts and properties to grow much faster than any individual could ever achieve on their own.

In addition, new partners benefit from the wealth of experience of established franchisees. You are surrounded by like-minded people who are pursuing the same goal – successful real estate agency services with fair terms and conditions. Instead of lonely competition, there is a spirit of partnership: experienced partners share their best practices, and when challenges arise, there is always someone on hand to offer advice and support. This culture of cooperation has always been a hallmark of BETTERHOMES. Although you remain an independent entrepreneur as a franchise partner, you feel part of a large team. Success is defined and celebrated together – according to the motto: independent, but not alone. It is precisely this support from a community that gives many founders the confidence to take the plunge into self-employment without having to jump in at the deep end.

State-of-the-art technology and marketing power

Another key advantage of franchising – and of the BETTERHOMES system in particular – is access to state-of-the-art technology and professional marketing. In today's real estate industry, a digital edge often determines the success of a brokerage. BETTERHOMES continuously invests in its own tech solutions, which benefit all partners. At the heart of this is the BETTERHOMES Betternet^® brokerage software, a specially developed platform that makes every step of the property sales process more efficient. From property listing and marketing to closing the sale, many processes are automated and digitally supported.

For example, BETTERHOMES Betternet® takes the strain off franchise partners when it comes to lead generation. The software automatically searches various sources – online property portals, classified ads, social media – for private property listings or intentions to sell. Promising leads are fed directly into the system long before these properties become widely known on the market. A single estate agent without such technology would have to search manually or purchase leads at great expense. With the BETTERHOMES platform, on the other hand, you receive a steady stream of new sales opportunities without having to make any extra effort.

Equally impressive is the integrated marketing power: every new property you acquire is published on all major real estate portals with just a few clicks – completely automatically. BETTERHOMES Betternet^® ensures maximum online reach by simultaneously distributing listings across numerous platforms and updating them continuously. This means that your listings reach thousands of potential buyers in no time, significantly increasing your chances of making a sale. High-quality property brochures and even 360° online viewings can be created via the platform at the touch of a button. Interested parties can view properties virtually, which saves you time and improves the quality of enquiries. This type of digitalisation gives franchise partners an advantage that individual estate agents with limited resources would struggle to achieve.

In addition to automated online marketing, as a partner you benefit from professionally designed marketing templates, advertising materials and centrally coordinated campaigns from the franchise headquarters. BETTERHOMES regularly carries out broad marketing campaigns – whether online, via social media or PR measures – from which all partners benefit in the form of increased brand awareness. Individual estate agents would first have to build up comparable marketing power and finance it themselves. In a franchise network, however, the effort is shared and everyone benefits from the brand's high profile.

In summary, franchise partners receive a digital infrastructure that is otherwise only available to large real estate companies. State-of-the-art software, a comprehensive CRM system, data analysis and even AI tools (e.g. for market value analysis or sales coaching) are available. It would be extremely time-consuming and expensive for an independent individual business to develop such a technology package itself or to put it together from different providers. At BETTERHOMES, all this is included in the package – a solid foundation on which you can build your business faster and more efficiently.

Training, coaching and continuous development

In the service industry in particular, the human factor makes all the difference. Sound training, sales skills and market know-how are crucial for real estate agents to be successful. Franchising scores highly here compared to starting out on your own thanks to structured training and coaching programmes. BETTERHOMES, for example, has launched its own training programme, the BETTERHOMES Academy, which systematically prepares new partners for their role. From an introduction to the company's own system to sales seminars and basic legal knowledge, franchisees are trained in all relevant areas before they really get started.

But the support doesn't end after onboarding. Continuous training is firmly anchored in the franchise system. BETTERHOMES offers ongoing training, webinars and workshops to keep its franchisees up to date, whether it's new sales techniques, digital trends or market changes. In addition, personal coaching is available to every partner: experienced sales coaches and mentors closely support franchisees, especially in the initial phase. This mentoring is invaluable, as you learn from the experience of professionals and can avoid mistakes that others have already made.

A particular highlight is the use of AI-based sales coaching – BETTERHOMES uses state-of-the-art tools (keyword: BETTERHOMIE) as digital sales assistants. Such innovations help partners to continuously improve their performance, serve customers more efficiently and make the most of sales opportunities. As a sole founder, where do you have access to such expertise and technology? Going it alone, you would have to learn every trick yourself and would often be on your own when it comes to identifying weaknesses and working on them.

In addition to formal training, the culture of success that is lived and breathed is also a factor that promotes personal development. In the BETTERHOMES family, partners motivate each other to set and achieve ambitious goals. Successes are made visible and celebrated; people learn from each other and grow from shared experiences. This spirit creates an environment in which continuous learning is fun and expected. Every deal, every new property sold is a success for the team – and at the same time an incentive to become even better. As a franchisee, you are part of a culture that promotes performance but also provides support when the going gets tough. When you start a business on your own, this kind of structure is often missing: you have to motivate yourself, you have no direct comparison and you run the risk of becoming blinkered. The franchise system, on the other hand, provides feedback, guidance and new impetus so that you can continue to develop both professionally and personally.

Scalability and entrepreneurial freedom

One major advantage of franchising that many people underestimate is the scalability of the business model. As a sole trader, you quickly reach your limits: you only have limited time and resources to expand your business. In a franchise network, on the other hand, there are proven ways to expand your real estate agency business. BETTERHOMES, for example, offers its partners clear growth opportunities. Once you have established yourself on the market, you can build up your own team of estate agents. The head office provides all the necessary tools – from staff training and administration software to commission accounting – so that you can easily grow from a one-person operation to a larger sales team.

In addition, franchisors work with exclusive territorial rights. This means that you are contractually guaranteed a clearly defined sales territory – be it a region or even an entire country – in which you are the sole BETTERHOMES franchise partner. This protects your investment and gives you planning security without competition from within your own network. You can concentrate fully on expanding your market area while the brand continues to gain recognition in the background. This territorial exclusivity is a huge advantage over setting up your own business, where a competitor could open up right next door at any time.

Despite all the system requirements, entrepreneurial freedom is not lost – on the contrary. BETTERHOMES pursues a management style based on equality: franchisees are expected to work independently and contribute their creativity. Within the proven framework (brand guidelines, quality standards, etc.), you can be your own boss. You decide how to organise your day-to-day business, which additional local marketing measures to take and how to manage your team. The franchise headquarters does not intervene in every operational step, but is primarily available to provide support when you need it. This trust in our partners creates space for entrepreneurial thinking and action. You therefore have the freedom to shape your business according to your own ideas – while at the same time enjoying the security of knowing that you have stable backing in the background.

Last but not least, franchising also means that you can think bigger together. If you have ambitious goals – such as becoming the market leader in your region or expanding into new areas – a good franchisor will support you in achieving them. BETTERHOMES, for example, is expanding internationally itself and even offers experienced partners long-term prospects as master franchise partners in new countries. The growth mentality within the system is contagious: standing still is not an option; everyone encourages each other to tackle new milestones. This idea of scaling up is difficult to achieve on your own, because you would have to manage each step of the expansion in isolation.

Independent, but with a strong partner

Anyone who wants to take the leap into self-employment in the real estate sector faces a fundamental decision: do I go it alone or do I join a franchise system? A closer look clearly shows that franchising offers tangible advantages over starting out on your own, especially in real estate agency.

An established system such as BETTERHOMES combines the best of both worlds: you remain your own boss and shape your company according to your own ideas – yet you still benefit from a proven business model, an extensive network, state-of-the-art infrastructure and experienced support.

The franchise model can be a turbocharger for further growth, especially for young entrepreneurs with a few years of industry experience and for seasoned business people. Many of the hurdles associated with starting a business on your own – from the uncertainty of entering the market to the costs of technology and marketing to the lack of support – are significantly reduced by the franchise concept. Instead of going it alone with a high level of risk, there is a shared path with a proven formula for success.

BETTERHOMES demonstrates how franchisees can be independent but not alone in their success. Ultimately, franchising offers the opportunity to build a scalable, stable business where you operate independently but are never on your own. For anyone with big plans in the real estate sector, this means: yes to independence as an entrepreneur – but with a system!