AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Keller Williams Realty, Inc. (KW), the world's largest real estate franchise by agent count, is expanding across Central America. As momentum continues, the international division of KW®, Keller Williams Worldwide, Ltd. (KWW), has awarded a new master franchise in Guatemala.
“The credit for our continued robust international growth belongs to our thriving entrepreneurial agents, fueled by our powerful culture, training, technology, and business models,” said William E. Soteroff, president of KWW.
KWW Momentum (production outside the U.S. and Canada)
- As of Sept. 30, KWW has 17,569 agents operating outside the U.S. and Canada.
- KWW agents closed 59,099 transactions as of Sept. 30, up 3.4 percent year to date.
- As of Sept. 30, KWW agents had closed $12.2 billion in sales volume, up 7.0 percent year to date.
Led by Regional Operating Principal (ROP) Rodrigo Garcia, the KWW franchise in Guatemala is currently initializing operations. In Q4 ‘24, KW Guatemala is expected to open its first market center.
"We are excited to welcome KW Guatemala to our global family under the leadership of Rodrigo and his talented core team," said Soteroff. "Rodrigo's passion for innovation and entrepreneurial spirit will drive rapid growth and elevate the real estate experience in Guatemala."
Before Garcia was appointed ROP, he served as a commercial real estate director and broker with RE/MAX. Garcia held numerous senior leadership posts in corporate finance and technology firms for over two decades and has a track record of optimizing financial performance and driving growth.
“Our vision for KW in Guatemala is to become the choice brand for investors, real estate entrepreneurs, and agents who want to level up,” said Garcia. “KW is a company with an impressive culture of care, as seen in their social responsibility and support programs like RED Day and KW Cares.”
“We chose KW as our alliance partner in Guatemala because they have proven systems, models, and technology that accelerate results within our real estate industry,” said Garcia.
Guatemala marks the sixth KWW master franchise in Central America. Its other five Central American regions include Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, and Honduras. Across Central America, KWW has seven market centers and 576 agents.
As of Sept. 30, KWW has 292 market centers (outside the U.S. and Canada) across 55-plus regions. KWW has 17,569 agents operating outside the U.S. and Canada, up 0.7 percent since the end of Aug. 2024.
KWW is exploring further expansion opportunities across Africa, Central and South America, Central and Eastern Europe, and Asia.
Core criteria for new licensees start with having a qualified leadership team grounded in the Keller Williams culture; KWW also strives for stability in the government, banking, and judicial systems and a higher maturity level in the real estate market.
KW was also awarded a 2024 Top Global Franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine. The ranking highlights the top brands looking to grow outside the United States through franchising.
Outside of the U.S. and Canada, KWW’s regions include Albania; Argentina; Aruba; Bahamas; Belize; Bermuda; Bolivia; Bonaire; Colombia; Costa Rica; Curaçao; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Delhi NCR, India; Dominican Republic; Dubai, UAE; France; French Polynesia; Germany; Greece; Guyana; Honduras; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Mexico; Monaco; Mongolia; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Philippines; Poland; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Romania; São Paulo, Brazil; Saudi Arabia; Serbia; Sint Maarten; Slovenia; Southern Africa; Spain; Suriname; Switzerland; Thailand; Turkiye; Turks and Caicos; United Kingdom; Uruguay; and Vietnam.
About Keller Williams
Austin, Texas-based Keller Williams is the world’s largest real estate franchise by agent count. It has more than 1,000 market center offices and 171,000 agents. The franchise is No. 1 in units and sales volume in the U.S.
Since 1983, the company has cultivated an agent-centric, technology-driven, and education-based culture that rewards affiliated agents. For more information, visit kwri.kw.com.
