Commission Express

What Commission Express does

Commission Express is a privately held, franchised financial services company founded in 1992 in the Washington, DC metropolitan area by two experienced real estate brokers. It purchases earned but unsettled real estate commissions (accounts receivable) from individual agents and brokers at a discount, providing immediate working capital in advance of settlement closing. The company markets itself as "The Original, and Only, Franchised Commission Advance Company in the country," and reports having advanced over $800 million in commissions since 1992.

The company's core product is a single commission advance (factoring) service. Standard fees range from 6% to 16% on settlement timelines of 15 to 90 days, with some franchises offering rates as low as 4% and price-match guarantees; all advances include a 30-day grace period at no additional cost. Application and funding are handled through an online application portal and a back-office database that supports processing, with typical turnaround of two days or less and often same-day funding. The company does not disclose a proprietary technology platform beyond this application infrastructure.

Distribution is exclusively through a franchise model: 30+ independently owned and operated regional offices serve most major U.S. metropolitan areas, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Boston, New York, Miami, Denver, and Honolulu. Marketing combines local franchise outreach with a content blog covering real estate professional development and a Trustpilot presence (500+ reviews at a five-star rating). No external funding, acquisitions, or public-market activity have been disclosed; ownership remains founder-led and private.

Name

Commission Express

Legal name

Commission Express

Website

https://commissionexpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Commission Express is a privately held, franchised commission advance company founded in 1992 that purchases earned but unsettled real estate commissions at a discount, providing immediate working capital to individual real estate agents and brokers through a nationwide franchise network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfax

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Commission Advance Fee (Factoring Discount): COMMISSION EXPRESS purchases commission receivables at a discount (factoring). The fee (discount) is generally 6% to 16% on 15 to 90 day settlements. The company provides advances on earned but unsettled commissions, with repayment occurring when settlement closes.
2. Commission Advance Fee - Lower Rate Tier: Some franchises offer lower rates starting at 4% for qualifying advances, with price match guarantees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Commission Express provides commission advance (factoring) services to real estate agents and brokers, purchasing their earned but unsettled commission receivables at a discount in exchange for immediate cash. Fees range from 6% to 16% depending on settlement timeline (15–90 days), with a 30-day grace period included and same-day or next-day funding. The service is delivered through a nationwide franchise network serving most major U.S. metropolitan areas.

Product overview

Commission Express operates as a franchised network of independently owned and operated offices providing commission advance services (factoring) to real estate agents and brokers. Founded in 1992 in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, it is marketed as the original and only franchised commission advance company in the United States. The core product offering is the Commission Advance service, which converts earned but unsettled real estate commissions into immediate cash for a discount fee. The company has advanced hundreds of millions of dollars in commissions and maintains offices in most major metropolitan areas across the country through its franchise model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commission Advance (Factoring Service) Core factoring service that purchases earned but unsettled real estate commissions from agents at a discount based on the estimated settlement date, providing immediate cash flow to real estate agents and brokers. Includes a 30-day grace period at no additional cost, fees typically ranging from 6% to 16% on 15 to 90 day settlements, with some franchise locations offering rates as low as 4%. Funding is typically provided within two days, often the same day.

Quantifiable outcome

• $800 million in advances processed since 1992
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Cherry Financing: Provides commission advance and working capital products to real estate agents. Directly competes with Commission Express on the same target customer (real estate agents needing cash flow bridge) with similar factoring economics.
• Commission Advance: National commission advance company offering real estate agents cash advances against earned commissions. Directly comparable business model, customer base, and product offering to Commission Express.

Broad incumbents

• BlueVine: Online small-business lender offering invoice factoring and lines of credit to SMBs. Comparable receivables-financing and working-capital product, but serves a broader SMB base rather than specializing in real estate agents.
• Fundbox: Digital SMB working capital and invoice advance provider. Comparable factoring/advance product mechanics, but addresses a broader SMB audience rather than specializing in real estate commission receivables.
• Capital Factor: Specialized factoring company providing invoice/receivables-based financing to SMBs. Operates the same receivables-purchase business model as Commission Express but serves a broader set of industries beyond real estate commissions.
• Fora Financial: Provides working capital advances and small-business financing across multiple industries. Comparable short-term financing product to real estate commission advances, though broader in customer scope.
• Rapid Finance: SMB working capital provider offering merchant cash advances and small-business loans. Comparable short-term cash-advance product structure to Commission Express, with similar advance-fee economics but broader customer base.
• OnDeck: Online small-business lender providing working capital loans and lines of credit. Comparable short-term financing use case for SMBs with cash-flow timing issues, similar to real estate agents awaiting commission settlement.
• Funding Circle: Online SMB lending platform offering term loans and lines of credit to small businesses. Comparable small-business financing category, but with longer-tenor loan products rather than short-dated commission factoring.

Others

• Lendio: SMB lending marketplace connecting small businesses to multiple financing products including advances and lines of credit. Operates as a distribution/intermediation layer similar to a commission advance franchise in routing financing, though serving a much broader SMB audience.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CommExpNational
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommissionExpressNational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries36 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Commission Express