BETTERHOMES

What BETTERHOMES does

BETTERHOMES AG is a Zürich-based PropTech and real estate brokerage company founded in 2005 by Cyrill Lanz. It operates a hybrid brokerage model that combines proprietary Swiss-developed software with a network of employed brokers (in its Swiss home market) and Master and Regional Franchise Partners across Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. The company positions itself as the largest independent real estate broker in Switzerland, with 293 brokers in the DACH region and approximately 44,296 cumulative property transactions facilitated through the network.

The core technology stack is developed entirely in-house and runs on Microsoft cloud infrastructure. BETTERHOMES Betternet® is an AI-supported brokerage platform that automates lead generation by crawling real estate portals, social media, and print ads, publishes every listing to all major property portals simultaneously via intelligent interfaces, and matches new properties against a registered-buyer database with offers delivered within 48 hours. MyBETTERHOMES® is a customer and referral portal that enables property tipsters to submit leads and earn rewards, while the BETTERHOMES Academy provides onboarding, e-learning, and partner development. The platform is extended by BETTERHOMIE, a 2025-launched AI sales coach offering 24/7 text-based Q&A and interactive sales simulations, and is integrated with PriceHubble for analytics and with IAZI AG (Switzerland) and on-geo (Germany) for bank-recognised property valuations. The company holds Swiss Made Software certification and is a SwissPropTech member.

BETTERHOMES earns revenue through two complementary streams: transaction-based brokerage commissions on successful property sales and rentals across its employed and franchise broker network, and franchise licensing income from Master Partners (national) and Regional Franchise Partners (sub-national) operating under the immolicence® brand in German-speaking markets and the realXlicence® brand internationally. Franchise fees are negotiated individually under multi-year contracts and grant partners exclusive territorial rights, the proprietary platform, brand usage, training, and coaching. The company is founder-owned with no external investors and has announced planned expansion into Asian markets from 2027 onward, building on the existing DACH franchise infrastructure.

Name

BETTERHOMES

Legal name

BETTERHOMES AG

Website

https://betterhomes-international.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Zürich-based PropTech and real estate brokerage founded in 2005, operating a hybrid model of proprietary software (Betternet®, MyBETTERHOMES®, BETTERHOMIE) and a franchise network of Master and Regional Partners across Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, serving property buyers, sellers, and brokers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Brokerage and Franchise

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Traditional Residential Brokerage (Existing Homes) (BPAJAAAA)

Keywords

• Real estate brokerage
• Property franchise
• Hybrid brokerage model
• PropTech platform
• Real estate franchise licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transaction-Based Brokerage Commissions: BETTERHOMES generates revenue through transaction fees charged on successful property sales and rentals. Franchise partners pay licensing fees and a share of commissions for access to the BETTERHOMES platform, brand, and support infrastructure. The core revenue is earned when properties are bought, sold, or rented through the network of employed brokers and franchise partners.
2. Franchise Licensing (immolicence® / realXlicence®): Revenue is generated from Master Partners and regional franchise partners who pay for exclusive territorial licenses, access to the proprietary technology platform, training, coaching, and brand usage. The model includes clear territorial protection, proven business processes, and ongoing support, creating recurring licensing income for BETTERHOMES.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BETTERHOMES operates a technology-driven hybrid real estate brokerage combining proprietary Swiss-developed software (Betternet®, MyBETTERHOMES®, BETTERHOMIE, Academy) with local broker expertise to facilitate residential and commercial property transactions. The company generates revenue through transaction-based brokerage commissions and franchise licensing fees paid by Master Partners and Regional Franchise Partners operating under the immolicence®/realXlicence® model.

Product overview

BETTERHOMES is a PropTech and real estate franchise company operating a hybrid brokerage model. The core product offering centres on BETTERHOMES Betternet® — an AI-supported proprietary real estate agent software platform — combined with MyBETTERHOMES® (customer and referral portal). The ecosystem includes BETTERHOMIE (AI sales coach), the BETTERHOMES Academy (training platform), and the immolicence®/realXlicence® franchise system. The platform integrates with PriceHubble for market analytics and IAZI AG/on-geo for bank-recognised property valuations. The company also operates in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria with expansion planned to Asia from 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• immolicence®: Proprietary technology-driven franchise model of BETTERHOMES enabling Master Partners and Regional Franchise Partners to establish or scale a real estate brokerage business (used in German-language markets).
• realXlicence®
• BETTERHOMES Betternet®
• MyBETTERHOMES®
• BETTERHOMIE
• BETTERHOMES Academy

Products and services

• BETTERHOMES Betternet®
• MyBETTERHOMES®
• immolicence® / realXlicence® Franchise Model
• BETTERHOMIE AI Sales Coach
• BETTERHOMES Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• 44,296 property transactions facilitated through the network (German site figure)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability7 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PriceHubblecoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Swiss PropTech company PriceHubble provides franchise partners with data-based market and condition analyses for property valuation. Enables realistic, data-driven pricing strategies presented transparently to sellers and buyers.
• IAZI AG (Switzerland)coreTechnology or IntegrationInterface partnership for official, bank-recognised property valuations in Switzerland. Franchise partners can offer customers certified valuation reports, strengthening pricing confidence in the sales process.
• on-geo (Germany)coreTechnology or IntegrationInterface partnership for official, bank-recognised property valuations in Germany. Supplements the PriceHubble data analytics with localised German market valuation standards.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationCentral IT infrastructure provider. Microsoft cloud services (including Microsoft 365 and Azure infrastructure) underpin the BETTERHOMES proprietary platform operations. Zoom video conferencing is also used for team collaboration and client meetings.
• Facebook (Meta)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBETTERHOMES maintains a Facebook business page (facebook.com/betterhomes.international.ag) for brand awareness, community engagement, and content distribution. Meta's advertising platform is used for targeted paid social campaigns.
• LinkedInminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLinkedIn company page (linkedin.com/company/betterhomes-schweiz-ag/) used for professional employer branding, franchise partner recruitment, and B2B networking in the DACH region.
• SwissPropTechminorOthersBETTERHOMES is a member of SwissPropTech, the Swiss property technology industry association. Featured in SwissPropTech Magazine 2025 and the 2025 SwissPropTech interview series.
• Swiss Made SoftwareminorOthersBETTERHOMES holds the 'Swiss Made Software' certification, indicating its proprietary software is developed and maintained in Switzerland, qualifying it as authentic Swiss-engineered software.
• TrustpilotminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrustpilot widget embedded on the BETTERHOMES website displays the current number of customer reviews, building social proof and trust for prospective clients.
• ProvenExpertminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvenExpert plugin embedded on the BETTERHOMES website displays the current count of BETTERHOMES ratings and reviews for credibility and social proof.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• RE/MAX: Global real estate franchise with very large agent counts and established presence in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Directly competes with BETTERHOMES' franchise model for the same independent brokers and entrepreneur franchisee pool in DACH markets.
• Engel & Völkers: Hamburg-headquartered international real estate franchise with a strong premium/luxury tilt and a global agent network. Directly comparable to BETTERHOMES as a German-speaking-region real estate franchise operator offering brand, technology, and territorial licences to brokers and partner companies.
• Von Poll Immobilien: Germany-based premium residential real estate franchise with strong presence in DACH cities. Closely comparable to BETTERHOMES in geography, customer segment (residential premium), and franchise-driven distribution model.
• Kensington Finest Properties International: European real estate franchise with a strong DACH footprint. Comparable to BETTERHOMES in target customer (mid-to-upper residential), franchise structure, and regional agent-network model.
• Century 21: Global residential and commercial real estate franchise with operations across the DACH region. Comparable as a franchisor of independent brokerages using shared brand, training, and technology infrastructure.
• Sotheby's International Realty: Global luxury real estate franchise network with affiliates across Europe. Comparable as a high-end real estate franchise offering technology, brand, and referral infrastructure to independent brokerages — overlapping with BETTERHOMES at the upper end of the residential market.

Others

• Homegate: Major Swiss property portal on which BETTERHOMES relies for listing distribution. Relevant as a channel/ecosystem participant rather than a direct brokerage peer.
• ImmoScout24: Leading Swiss and German property portal that is a core distribution channel for BETTERHOMES' automated multi-portal listings. Relevant as an ecosystem/portal dependency rather than a direct brokerage competitor.

Emerging players

• McMakler: Germany-based digital-first brokerage combining online marketing with local agents. Comparable to BETTERHOMES on the technology-augmented brokerage thesis, but operating a different (digital-led) model in the same DACH market.
• Casaso: Swiss PropTech providing digital tools to real estate agents and brokerages. Comparable as a PropTech-overlapping player in the Swiss real estate ecosystem targeting similar broker productivity problems with a software/SaaS angle.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/betterhomes.international.ag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/betterhomes-ag

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 BETTERHOMES