Century 21 for New Agents: Public Facts and Questions to Ask
Short answer. Century 21 is a national brand now owned by Compass, which finished buying Anywhere Real Estate in January 2026. The annual report lists Century 21 under the franchise business, so offices are independently owned. Terms can differ by office. This page lists public facts and questions to ask. It does not rank brokerages.
The short version
A new agent in Texas has many brokerages to compare. This page collects public facts about Century 21 so you can compare it with any other brokerage on the same terms.
We do not give an opinion on Century 21. We use the annual report of its parent company filed with the SEC, and we label each fact with its source and check date. The Bauer Group is also a brokerage, so we compete with Century 21. Read with that in mind.
Education only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm licensing rules with TREC.
Public facts table
We checked these rows on October 15, 2026. All come from the Compass, Inc. annual report (Form 10-K) for 2025, filed February 27, 2026. The report covers Century 21 because Compass now owns it.
| Topic | What the company published |
|---|---|
| Owner | Compass, Inc. The report says it owns the Century 21 trademark and finished buying Anywhere Real Estate on January 9, 2026 |
| Headquarters of the parent | New York, New York |
| Where the brand operates | The report lists Century 21 among the brands of its franchise business, next to Coldwell Banker, ERA and others |
| Network size | More than 340,000 agents across all its owned brokerages and franchise brands combined, as of January 31, 2026. The report gives no count for Century 21 alone in the text we read |
| Franchise model | The report says the company does not control franchisees day to day, and that franchisees "operate their brokerage businesses independently" |
| What franchisees pay the company | The report says franchise royalties are based on a percentage of the franchisee's gross sales commissions, plus other fees such as marketing and technology fees. It gives no per-agent amount |
| What agents pay | Set by the office. The report gives no agent split for Century 21. Ask the office for its plan in writing |
| Texas | The report text we read does not break out Texas offices. Ask the office you are considering |
How this type of brokerage works
Century 21 is usually grouped with large national franchise brands. Each office is owned by a local franchisee. Features vary by company and by office.
That means two Century 21 offices in the same city can offer different fees, training and support. The brand name is shared. The deal you get comes from the office. Our guide on types of brokerages and their trade-offs compares this model with others.
A change to know about
The report says Compass finished buying Anywhere Real Estate Inc. on January 9, 2026. Anywhere is the company that ran Century 21 before the deal. The report does not say how terms for Century 21 offices or agents will change.
If you talk to an office, ask whether anything about fees, technology or support has changed since the merger. Ask for the answer in writing, and ask for the date it applies from.
What agents and reviewers say
Review data was limited when this page was written. We could not load a public review source that allows reading, so we are not reporting review counts, scores or quotes. We will not guess what agents think.
To hear from real agents, ask the office for two or three agents in your market who joined in the last year. Ask each what surprised them. Ask the same of every brokerage you compare.
Questions to ask before you decide
These are our planning questions, not TREC rules. Ask every brokerage the same ones.
- Who owns this office, and who is the broker I would work under?
- What is the commission plan, and does it change after a set number of deals?
- What desk fees, franchise charges or technology fees come out of my pay?
- How is my commission paid, and how fast after closing?
- What training is there for a new agent in the first 90 days, and who gives it?
- How do leads reach agents, if at all? Ask for it in writing.
- Who answers my Texas contract questions, and how quickly?
- What happens to my pending deals if I leave?
What the company says about its own risks
Public companies must list risks in their annual report. This is a short quote from the Compass report, not our view.
- On agents, the report lists the "ability to recruit and retain real estate professionals at the same rate as in the past" as a risk.
- The same list includes the company's ability to raise capital and the review of the Anywhere merger by regulators.
A side by side worksheet
Fill in this table for Century 21 and for every other brokerage on your list. Use the office's written answers. This is our own planning tool, not a TREC form.
| Question | Brokerage A | Brokerage B |
|---|---|---|
| Every fee I would pay, and when | ||
| Commission plan and any cap | ||
| Franchise or technology charges passed to agents | ||
| How and when I am paid after closing | ||
| Training in my first 90 days | ||
| Who answers contract questions | ||
| What happens to my deals if I leave |
Who may want to look closer, and who may want to compare more
We do not say who should join any brokerage. These are questions that help you decide for yourself.
You may want to look closer at a national brand if you value a known name on your sign and an office to walk into. Visit more than one office, since terms differ.
You may want to compare more if low cost per deal matters most to you. Ask each office to put every charge on one page.
How we wrote this
Source: the Compass, Inc. Form 10-K for 2025 on SEC EDGAR, checked October 15, 2026. We did not use a source that sets fees for Century 21 agents, so no agent fee amounts appear here.
Experiences vary by office and team. If you see an error, write to agents@joinbauergroup.com. We apply corrections within 2 business days.
Comparing options?
Ask any brokerage the same questions. Our guides on choosing a brokerage in Texas and what a sponsoring broker does can help you set up your list. You can also read our Coldwell Banker profile.
Common questions
What kind of brokerage is Century 21?
It is a national franchise brand. The Compass annual report lists it in the franchise business, where offices are independently owned.
Who owns Century 21?
The Compass annual report says Compass owns the trademark and finished buying Anywhere Real Estate on January 9, 2026.
What does Century 21 charge agents?
The report gives no agent split. Offices set many terms themselves, so ask the office for its plan in writing.
Are all Century 21 offices run by the same company?
No. The report says franchisees operate their brokerage businesses independently.
Is Century 21 good for new agents?
That depends on what you need and which office you join. We do not rank brokerages. Use the questions on this page to compare it with others.
Sources
Education only. Not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm licensing rules with the Texas Real Estate Commission. Results vary and depend on effort, market and lead performance.