First Class Real Estate
First Class Real Estate is a privately held Burbank, California-based residential real estate brokerage serving home buyers, sellers, renters, and investors across LA County, with about 18 agents, in-house lending, and escrow partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersBurbank, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What First Class Real Estate does
First Class Real Estate is a privately held, full-service residential (and select commercial) real estate brokerage headquartered at 2926 W. Magnolia Blvd in Burbank, California. Founded in its current form in 2002 by Bill Toth, the firm operates in the Greater Los Angeles area with a primary focus on Burbank, Glendale, Toluca Lake, and the San Fernando Valley, and secondary reach into coastal communities (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach) and Bakersfield. The brokerage is licensed under California DRE #01519420 and employs roughly 18 named agents (with 76 total employees per firmographics), supported by an in-house lending partner (HouseAmerica Financial, led by Christopher Toth) and an escrow partner (All Broker's Escrow, where Stephanie Toth works), giving the firm a family-integrated transaction services stack.
The firm's core technology is a standard IDX property search platform powered by RealtyTech Inc., supplemented by a multi-language website supporting 20+ languages, a Comparative Market Analysis tool, online loan application, and free buyer/seller reports gallery. Distribution channels include the company website, MLS listings, Zillow, Facebook, Instagram, and email newsletters. The go-to-market is sales-led and personal-agent-driven: each transaction is managed by a licensed agent from initial consultation through closing.
Revenue is generated through traditional real estate commissions on completed buy/sell transactions (typically 5-6% split between buyer and seller sides) plus referral/professional services revenue from the in-house lending and escrow partners. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by transaction. The brokerage serves a horizontal mix of home buyers, home sellers, renters, and property investors across the SMB/individual consumer segment, with no enterprise or institutional customer base.
First Class Real Estate firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- First Class Real Estate
- Legal name
- First Class Real Estate
- Website
- https://firstclassca.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- First Class Real Estate is a privately held Burbank, California-based residential real estate brokerage serving home buyers, sellers, renters, and investors across LA County, with about 18 agents, in-house lending, and escrow partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
First Class Real Estate industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Residential Real Estate Brokerage
- NAICS
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Traditional Residential Brokerage (Existing Homes) (BPAJAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Buyer Representation Services (BPAJAAAJ), Residential Real Estate Brokerage (Buy/Sell) (FSAEAJAA)
Keywords
Where First Class Real Estate is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burbank
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
First Class Real Estate business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Real Estate Commission: Traditional real estate commission-based revenue from buying and selling residential and commercial properties. Agents earn commissions on completed transactions.
- Mortgage/Lending Services: In-house lender HouseAmerica Financial provides mortgage services, creating referral revenue from Christopher Toth.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard real estate commission-based services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
First Class Real Estate product offering
Product offeringCore offering
First Class Real Estate is a residential real estate brokerage that helps individual clients buy, sell, and rent homes in Burbank, Glendale, Toluca Lake, and surrounding Los Angeles County communities. Services include property search, buyer and seller representation, home valuation (CMA), open house listings, rental services, and free property reports delivered through a small team of ~18 licensed agents led by broker/owner Bill Toth.
Product overview
First Class Real Estate is a residential real estate brokerage offering a unified service model combining online property search tools with personalized agent-assisted transactions. The core offering includes a property search platform (with advanced search, featured listings, and open house finder), buyer and seller guidance services, a free reports gallery for consumer education, a loan application tool, and comparative market analysis for home valuations. All services are delivered through licensed real estate agents based at the company's Burbank office, with additional support from in-house lending partner HouseAmerica Financial.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Home Buyer Representation Guided buyer-agent services for individuals and households purchasing residential property in Burbank, Glendale, Toluca Lake, and surrounding Los Angeles County areas.
- Home Seller Representation Listing and seller-agent services for homeowners selling residential property in the Burbank, Glendale, Toluca Lake, and surrounding Los Angeles County submarkets.
- Property Search / Listings Online property search and listing service showing available homes for sale and rent in the brokerage's service area.
- Home Valuation / What's My Home Worth (CMA) Comparative market analysis service that provides homeowners with an estimated market value for their property in support of a listing decision.
- Open House Listings Promotion and hosting of open house events for listed properties in the brokerage's service area.
- Rental Services Brokerage assistance for landlords and tenants seeking to rent residential property in the Burbank, Glendale, Toluca Lake, and surrounding areas.
- Quick Loan Quote Application Lead-capture tool that connects prospective buyers with mortgage loan quote information through a partner lender network.
Quantifiable outcome
- Bill Toth averaged 65 closings per year during his tenure at Coldwell Banker
Companies that use First Class Real Estate
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
First Class Real Estate technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
First Class Real Estate partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Coldwell BankerminorColdwell Banker purchased the 100-agent company from Bill Toth in February 2001 (including escrow and lending divisions). Bill stayed on as a Sales Agent for 3 years.
- HouseAmerica FinancialcoreIn-house mortgage lender partner providing financing options for clients. Christopher Toth (Bill Toth's son) serves as Mortgage Banker, creating seamless lending services for real estate transactions.
- All Broker's EscrowcoreTrusted escrow partner located in Burbank. Bill Toth's daughter Stephanie works at this firm, ensuring smooth closing transactions for clients.
- Fred Sands (Former Franchise)minorBill signed a franchise agreement and opened Fred Sands First Class Real Estate in July 1994. Expanded to 30 agents in six months. This was later sold to Coldwell Banker in 2001.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
First Class Real Estate competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Coldwell Banker: National residential brokerage franchise that literally purchased the predecessor First Class Real Estate in 2001; operates throughout LA County and competes for the same buyer/seller pool with a much larger agent network and brand.
- Redfin: Tech-first residential brokerage with deep LA presence; competes on listings via Zillow/MLS distribution and offers lower commission models that pressure traditional full-service independents like First Class.
- eXp Realty: Cloud-based brokerage with aggressive agent recruiting and high commission splits; increasingly active in LA County and a direct threat to retention of independent brokerage agents.
- The Agency: LA-headquartered luxury-leaning residential brokerage with growing presence in the Burbank/Glendale submarkets; competes for premium listings and high-producing agents with brand and marketing budgets independents cannot match.
- Sotheby's International Realty: Luxury-leaning residential brokerage with LA presence; competes for higher-priced listings in the same Burbank/Glendale/Toluca Lake markets and offers a national referral network that independents cannot match.
- Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties: Large residential brokerage with extensive LA County agent network; competes for sellers and agents in the same Burbank/Glendale/San Fernando Valley trade area under a national brand.
- Compass: Tech-enabled national residential brokerage with strong LA presence; competes for the same agents and seller listings in the Burbank/Glendale submarkets, offering higher commission splits and proprietary tech that small independent brokerages must match.
Direct peers
- Rodeo Realty: Independent LA-based residential brokerage serving the San Fernando Valley and surrounding communities; similar local-expertise positioning and independent-owner model to First Class Real Estate.
- Dylan Marshall Real Estate (Burbank): Independent boutique brokerage based in Burbank serving the same local buyer and seller market with a similar personalized-agent model; directly competes for local listings and agent talent in the same zip codes.
- Beverly and Company Realtors: Independent residential brokerage serving Burbank, Glendale, and surrounding LA County submarkets with a similar service model and client base; direct head-to-head competitor for local listings and agent talent.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
First Class Real Estate social profiles
Digital presenceFirst Class Real Estate financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
First Class Real Estate leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
First Class Real Estate funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
First Class Real Estate M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about First Class Real Estate
What does First Class Real Estate do?
First Class Real Estate is a residential real estate brokerage that helps individual clients buy, sell, and rent homes in Burbank, Glendale, Toluca Lake, and surrounding Los Angeles County communities. Services include property search, buyer and seller representation, home valuation (CMA), open house listings, rental services, and free property reports delivered through a small team of ~18 licensed agents led by broker/owner Bill Toth.
Is First Class Real Estate a public or private company?
First Class Real Estate is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was First Class Real Estate founded?
First Class Real Estate was founded in 2002. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is First Class Real Estate based?
First Class Real Estate is headquartered in Burbank, United States, in the North America region.
How does First Class Real Estate make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Real Estate Commission is the primary driver. The others are mortgage/Lending Services.
Who are First Class Real Estate's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Coldwell Banker, Redfin, eXp Realty, The Agency, Sotheby's International Realty, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties and Compass. Direct peers are Rodeo Realty, Dylan Marshall Real Estate (Burbank) and Beverly and Company Realtors.
Does First Class Real Estate have an API?
No public API is recorded for First Class Real Estate.
What industry is First Class Real Estate in?
First Class Real Estate's product category is Residential Real Estate Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAAAA, Traditional Residential Brokerage (Existing Homes), with a secondary code of BPAJAAAJ, Buyer Representation Services. Its NAICS code is 53121 and its SIC code is 6531.