Real Brokerage vs Momentum Realty: the honest breakdown.
Two modern brokerages with the same $12,000 cap. Where they diverge is in pre-cap fees, per-transaction structures, and what each offers beyond commission. Honest math, including the cases where Real's stock and rev share win.
Real Brokerage's published fee structure is consistent across all US markets. Figures below are from Real's support documentation and reputable third-party breakdowns as of 2026. See methodology & sources.
The numbers, in one table.
Both brokerages cap at $12,000. The structures to get there are different.
| Real Brokerage | Momentum Realty | |
|---|---|---|
| Commission split | 85/15 | 100% commission |
| Annual cap | $12,000 (15% portion) | $12,000 (0.2% portion) |
| Startup fee | $249 one-time | $0 |
| Annual fee | $750/year (collected $250 × first 3 transactions) | $0 |
| Per-transaction fee (pre-cap) | $40 CBR (broker review + E&O) | None (passed to customer) |
| Per-transaction fee (post-cap) | $285 ($129 for Elite Agents) | None (passed to customer) |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Franchise royalty | None (cloud, not franchise) | None (independent) |
| Stock awards | REAX stock for cap, sponsor closings, stock purchase plan | None (private brokerage) |
| Revenue/Profit share | 5-tier revenue share funded from 15% company dollar | Revenue share up to $2,400/year per referred agent, based on referred agent's production |
| Office model | Fully virtual | Hybrid: physical HQ + remote |
| Brokerage focus | National (US + Canada), fastest-growing public RE brokerage | Northeast Florida specialist, 270+ agents |
Sources: Real Brokerage figures from Real Brokerage support documentation and third-party fee breakdowns current as of 2026. Momentum figures from Momentum's public fee disclosure.
What this looks like at real production levels.
Both brokerages cap at $12,000, so the comparison comes down to pre-cap structure and per-transaction fees. Real's 15% split means you reach cap faster on smaller average commissions. Momentum's flat-fee structure is simpler to predict.
Illustrative example. Real figure excludes stock awards and revenue share, which can offset the cash difference. Real's post-cap fee drops from $285 to $129 for Elite Agents (those hitting $500K GCI or 20 post-cap transactions), which would shift the math at higher production. The closer Real and Momentum get on cash, the more the decision comes down to non-cash factors: stock, scale, model fit.
This is the closest cash comparison of any of our brokerage pages. Real Brokerage is genuinely competitive on fee structure. The real differentiation is non-financial: stock equity in a public company (Real) vs local depth and direct broker access (Momentum). For agents prioritizing equity in a growing public company, Real has a structural advantage. For agents prioritizing operator-level mentorship in their local market, Momentum has the advantage.
Plug in your GCI, your split, and your fees.
Our take-home pay calculator does the math on your specific situation. Honest math, including the cases where Real's stock value offsets the cash difference.
Run the calculator →What each brokerage actually does well.
Real and Momentum are the closest peers among the five brokerages we compare against. Both are modern, capped, and competitive on fees. Where they differ is in strategy and scale.
What Real Brokerage does well
- Stock awards in a fast-growing public company. REAX is publicly traded on the NASDAQ. Real has one of the more aggressive stock-grant programs in the industry: 150 shares for capping, 75 shares per sponsored agent's first close, bonus shares through the stock purchase plan.
- 5-tier revenue share. Real distributes a meaningful portion of company revenue back to agents who sponsor productive agents. The math favors active recruiters.
- Elite Agent program. Agents hitting $500K GCI or 20 post-cap transactions get the post-cap fee dropped from $285 to $129 plus additional benefits. Real rewards top producers structurally.
- Aggressively low fixed costs. $750/year annual fee, $0 monthly, no startup beyond the $249 onboarding. The lowest fixed-cost cap-based brokerage in the industry.
- National and Canadian scale. Real operates across the US and Canada. If you're working cross-border referrals, the network is useful.
Where Momentum is different
- Local depth, not national breadth. Momentum is Northeast Florida-focused. 270+ local agents, $594M closed last year. The broker-owners know your specific submarket deeply.
- Direct access to broker-owners. When you join, you talk to Jon and Brittany Brooks personally. Not a sponsor recruiting for downline, not a virtual onboarding system.
- Simpler per-transaction fees. 0.2% per transaction, capped at $12K/year. No CBR fee, no Elite Agent tier to qualify for, no annual fee. Per-transaction administrative fees are passed through to the customer.
- Hybrid model with a physical office. 13475 Atlantic Blvd headquarters for in-person meetings, training, and broker access. Fully-virtual works for some agents; many want occasional physical presence.
- Performance: 97.98% sold-to-list, 64 days on market. Per RealMLS YTD 2026, Momentum beats the market average on both. See methodology.
Don't take our word for it. Hear it from them.
Momentum agents, on video, on why they made the move. No script, no marketing. Just the truth from agents who already switched.
The brokerage you join has owners.
Every brokerage has someone at the top who decides what the company does with the money you make for it. That structure shapes how decisions get made, how fast leadership returns your call, and whether the people running the place have ever sat across from a client. Worth knowing the difference.
This isn't about national versus local being inherently better or worse. It's about knowing what you're getting. A public company optimizes for shareholders. A franchise optimizes for franchise fees. An independent brokerage owned by working agents optimizes for the agents inside it, because there's no one else to optimize for.
Questions agents ask before they switch.
Run your numbers. See your gap.
The take-home pay calculator does the math on your specific GCI, split, and fees. Honest math, including when Real's stock value offsets the cash difference.