In 2026 Ontario, Royal LePage leads in suburban GTA brand recognition and integrated mortgage referral flow, Re/Max leads in raw transaction volume and per-agent productivity in central Toronto and Ottawa, and Century 21 leads in cost-effective splits for mid-career agents in smaller markets like Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Niagara. None of the three dominates AI-enabled tools, where independent and AI-first brokerages like Summitly have moved ahead since 2024.
The three brokerages at a glance in 2026
The Big Three Canadian franchise brokerages have evolved differently over the past five years. Their splits, brand strategies, technology investments, and mentorship structures all diverged. Understanding the differences requires looking at each brokerage in the context of where you plan to work.
Royal LePage
Royal LePage is the oldest Canadian-owned national brokerage, founded in 1913, and dominates suburban GTA markets like Oakville, Mississauga, Markham, and Vaughan. Owned by Bridgemarq Real Estate Services, it has roughly 19,000 Canadian agents across 600+ offices. Brand pull is strongest in the $1M-$2.5M family-home segment in suburbs where established Canadian buyers recognize and trust the brand. Integrated mortgage referral through Royal LePage Real Estate Services adds 3-5% of agent income for those who actively use it.
Re/Max
Re/Max Integra (Ontario and Atlantic Canada) operates roughly 9,800 agents across the region. The brand is strongest in central Toronto neighbourhoods like the Beaches, Riverdale, Leslieville, and midtown, where Re/Max Hallmark and Re/Max Realtron dominate listing share. Re/Max agents historically produce more transactions per agent than Royal LePage or Century 21 (12.4 vs 9.1 vs 7.8 in 2025 data). Splits are typically 95/5 with monthly desk fees of $1,200-$1,800.
Century 21
Century 21 Canada has roughly 6,500 agents across 250+ offices, with strongest presence in Ontario secondary markets: Hamilton, Burlington, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, and Niagara. Splits run 70/30 to 85/15 with caps at $18,000-$24,000. The brand is value-positioned, attracting cost-conscious mid-career agents who don't need the premium brand pull of Royal LePage or the high-volume infrastructure of Re/Max.
Detailed comparison: splits, fees, and economics
The headline split is only part of the cost story. The full economic comparison requires looking at split, cap, royalty, desk fees, technology charges, and franchise fees.
Royal LePage economics
- Typical split: 80/20 to 85/15 depending on office
- Cap: $24,000-$36,000 per anniversary year
- Royalty: 6% of GCI before cap
- Desk fee: $89-$249/month
- Annual all-in for a 14-deal agent at $189,000 GCI: roughly $35,000-$40,000
Re/Max economics
- Typical split: 95/5 (closer to 100% post-cap)
- Cap structure: most offices use desk fee + small split
- Desk fee: $1,200-$1,800/month ($14,400-$21,600/year)
- Royalty: 8% of GCI on every deal at most franchises
- Annual all-in for a 14-deal agent at $189,000 GCI: roughly $30,000-$36,000
Century 21 economics
- Typical split: 70/30 to 85/15
- Cap: $18,000-$24,000
- Royalty: 5-8% of GCI
- Desk fee: $75-$200/month
- Annual all-in for a 14-deal agent at $189,000 GCI: roughly $26,000-$32,000
How a flat-fee like Summitly compares
- Per-transaction fee: $495
- Monthly desk fee: $0
- Royalty: $0
- Annual all-in for a 14-deal agent: $6,930
The economic gap between the Big Three and a flat-fee brokerage is large, which is why nearly all the agent switching activity in 2024-2026 has flowed from traditional brokerages to flat-fee or hybrid AI-first models. The Big Three justify the cost through brand pull, mentorship, and referral flow; the question for each agent is whether those benefits exceed $20,000-$33,000 annually in their specific situation.
Brand pull and where each wins in Ontario
Brand pull varies dramatically by geography and price point in Ontario. The right brokerage depends entirely on where you work and who you serve.
Royal LePage strongholds
- Oakville old town, Bronte, Glen Abbey
- Mississauga Lorne Park, Mineola, Port Credit
- Markham Unionville, Cathedraltown
- Vaughan Thornhill, Maple, Kleinburg
- Burlington Roseland, Aldershot
Re/Max strongholds
- Toronto Beaches, Leslieville, Riverdale
- Toronto Annex, Yorkville, midtown
- Ottawa Glebe, Westboro, Old Ottawa South
- Hamilton Westdale, Durand
- Brampton Heart Lake, Mount Pleasant
Century 21 strongholds
- Hamilton suburbs, Stoney Creek, Ancaster
- Kitchener-Waterloo all neighbourhoods
- Cambridge and Guelph
- Niagara region, St. Catharines, Welland
- Smaller Ontario towns under 100k population
An agent building a luxury practice in Forest Hill or Rosedale finds neither Royal LePage nor Century 21 brand pull particularly helpful at that price point; clients there respond to personal track record. An agent building a first-time buyer practice in Hamilton may find Century 21's brand actively useful, especially with FHSA-focused younger buyers. Check our monthly market updates for current TRREB, OREB, RAHB, and WRAR neighbourhood data.
Technology, mentorship, and TRESA compliance
The three brokerages have made very different technology investments over the past five years. None of them lead on AI integration.
Royal LePage launched RLP Aspire in 2023, a CRM and lead-generation platform that performed strongly out of the gate but has seen slower AI feature roll-out than competing platforms. Mentorship through Royal LePage Coaching Pillars is the strongest of the Big Three, with a structured 12-month program and paid mentor stipends in most offices.
Re/Max offers Re/Max Hub for CRM and transaction management, supplemented by booj for marketing. Re/Max Quest is the formal mentorship program, but quality varies dramatically by office. Top Re/Max Hallmark offices in Toronto offer some of the strongest practical mentorship in Ontario; smaller offices offer little structured support.
Century 21 uses 21Online and Moxi platforms for technology, both functional but trailing on AI integration. Mentorship is informal at most offices, dependent on individual broker of record style.
None of the three has matched the AI-first integration that Summitly and other AI-native brokerages launched in 2024-2025. The gap is widening, particularly on response-time advantage, automated CMA preparation, and AI-assisted contract review. Ask Zara a real client question to feel the difference.
TRESA compliance infrastructure
All three brokerages have invested heavily in TRESA compliance since 2023. Royal LePage has the most polished Information Guide delivery workflow integrated into their transaction management. Re/Max relies on individual office training quality. Century 21 has improved significantly but variability between offices remains high.
Which brokerage fits which agent profile
Six agent profiles map cleanly to one of the Big Three or a flat-fee alternative.
- New agent, suburban GTA, family network: Royal LePage for brand pull and structured mentorship.
- Producing agent, central Toronto, high volume: Re/Max for office infrastructure and brand recognition in core neighbourhoods.
- Mid-career agent, secondary Ontario market: Century 21 for cost-effective economics with adequate brand recognition.
- Established agent, sphere-driven, AI-comfortable: Summitly or another flat-fee brokerage to retain GCI.
- Luxury specialist, $2.5M+: Boutique or independent brokerage with luxury positioning (Chestnut Park, Sotheby's, Engel & Völkers).
- Investment property specialist: Brokerage with strong commercial-residential crossover (Re/Max Commercial, certain Royal LePage offices).
The right answer requires honest self-assessment about lead source, production level, technology comfort, and career stage. Read our buying guides and selling guides for the quality of consumer-facing content top brokerages now deliver.
Frequently asked questions
Which brokerage has the highest agent retention rate?
Royal LePage publishes the highest five-year retention rate of the Big Three at approximately 52%, driven by its structured mentorship program and integrated mortgage referral flow. Re/Max retention at five years is roughly 41%, with higher attrition driven by the desk-fee model that punishes low-producing months. Century 21 retention is approximately 38%. By comparison, flat-fee brokerages including Summitly are still too young to report five-year retention but show twelve-month retention above 80% for producing agents. The retention numbers reflect business model fit more than brokerage quality.
Can I move between Royal LePage offices without losing my book?
Royal LePage offices are independently owned franchises, so moving between offices is technically a brokerage transfer under RECO. The process is faster and friendlier than moving between completely different brokerages because the franchise system facilitates the move, but RECO transfer paperwork is still required and listings still legally belong to the original office. Most Royal LePage agents who move between offices do so cleanly with both brokers of record's cooperation. Plan the same 10-14 day timeline as a full brokerage transfer.
How important is the broker of record at each brokerage?
Extremely important and often more important than the franchise brand. RECO requires every brokerage to operate under a broker of record who is responsible for agent supervision, TRESA compliance, and trust account management. The personal availability and competence of the broker of record drives day-to-day experience more than the franchise system. A strong broker of record at a Century 21 office can outperform a weak broker of record at a flagship Royal LePage office. Always meet the broker of record personally before joining any brokerage.
Do any of these brokerages allow team building?
Yes, all three actively encourage team building. Re/Max has the most established team infrastructure with formal team programs at Re/Max Hallmark and Re/Max Realtron in Toronto. Royal LePage's structure supports teams but franchise rules vary by office. Century 21 teams are common but less formally structured. Team economics typically involve the team lead paying 25-50% of team member GCI to the team in exchange for leads, admin, and coaching, on top of the brokerage split. Compute the all-in cost carefully before joining a team.
How do the FHSA and HBP changes affect choice of brokerage?
The First Home Savings Account (FHSA) at $40,000 lifetime contribution and the expanded RRSP Home Buyers' Plan at $60,000 per buyer have created a meaningful first-time buyer pipeline since 2024. Brokerages with strong first-time-buyer education content and FHSA-focused marketing perform better in this segment. Century 21's value positioning aligns naturally with first-time buyers, but Royal LePage and Re/Max have stronger national marketing campaigns targeting this group. Choose based on your specific market and willingness to build first-time-buyer expertise.
Key takeaways
- Royal LePage wins on suburban GTA brand pull and mentorship. Best for new agents in family-home segments.
- Re/Max wins on transaction volume and central Toronto presence. Best for high-volume producers.
- Century 21 wins on cost in Ontario secondary markets. Best for mid-career agents in Hamilton, KW, Niagara.
- None of the three leads on AI integration. Flat-fee and AI-first brokerages have moved ahead since 2024.
- Broker of record quality matters more than franchise brand. Meet them personally before joining.
- Compare full economics, not headline split. Try a free instant home valuation to see consumer-facing tool quality, and Ask Zara for a custom production projection.
