Annual Study Ranks RE/MAX as No. 1 Real Estate Franchise

RE/MAX is the United State's No. 1 real estate franchise - and the nation's No. 44 franchise overall - according to Entrepreneur magazine's 30th Annual Franchise 500 survey.

The survey appears on the magazine's Web site and in its January 2009 issue.

Subway bested McDonald's to capture the top position overall. Behind No. 2 McDonald's came Liberty Tax Service at No. 3.

Among real estate franchises, RE/MAX ranks No. 1 for the ninth time in the past nine years. The closest competitor - Keller Williams - came in at a distant No. 71.

RE/MAX ranks No. 10 overall in the Low-Cost Franchises category. It finished No. 1 last year.

Additionally, RE/MAX tops all real estate competitors at No. 38 on the Global Franchises list.

RE/MAX has a long, successful history in the survey. It ranked No. 10 overall a year ago, No. 11 in 2007, No. 8 in 2006, and No. 10 in 2005.

All companies in the rankings are judged by the same criteria, the most important being financial strength and stability, size and growth rate. Also considered: number of years in business, length of time franchising, start-up costs, litigation, percentage of terminations and financing options.

The factors are plugged into a Franchise 500 formula, with each eligible company receiving a cumulative score.