Caring Transitions franchise unit economics
Caring Transitions franchisees run senior move management businesses that handle relocation, downsizing and estate sales and sell clients' household goods through CTBids online auctions.
Caring Transitions franchise at a glance
235 reporting franchisees billed $88,344,055 across 342 franchises during 2025, averaging $375,932 each, with the top quartile averaging $922,414 and the bottom $61,566.
Caring Transitions’ 235 reporting franchisees averaged $375,932 of gross receipts in 2025*, according to Item 19 of Caring Transitions’ 2026 FDD, issued 1 April 2026. The 235 Caring Transitions franchisees ran 342 of Caring Transitions’ 413 franchises at the end of 2025, or 83%*. Fees paid to Caring Transitions come to about 8%* of sales. A Caring Transitions franchise costs $75,860 to $123,250 to open.
- A Caring Transitions franchise costs $75,860 to $123,250 to open, including a $58,900 initial franchise fee, according to the brand's 2026 FDD.
- Caring Transitions charges a royalty of 6% of sales and a 2% brand fund contribution.
- Caring Transitions reported 413 franchised locations in its 2026 FDD.
- Work out Caring Transitions's fees at your own sales with the minimum fee calculator.
- A Caring Transitions territory holds 175,000 to 200,000 people.
These figures come from Caring Transitions's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, as the brand reported them, and were read by Averan Advisors.
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Talk to Averan → Move your books and accounting to Averan →- Fees paid to the brand take 8% of receipts plus $6,120 a year in fixed charges. That is 8.7% of revenue at the top quartile average, 17.9% at the bottom. The owner also spends 4% on local marketing.
- Territory yield holds as you stack territories: $249,572 at one, $255,074 each at two, $281,246 each at three or more. That holds for owners of one, two and three or more territories.
- The first Winners' Circle rebate needs $900,000 of receipts across two years. That is $450,000 a year, a pace only the top quartile reaches.
- 58 franchisees in the top quartile hold 61% of the system's $88,344,055. They average $922,414 against $61,566 at the bottom quartile.
- $58,900 of the $75,860 low-end opening cost is the franchise fee. Everything else to open runs $16,960 to $64,350.
How much does a Caring Transitions franchise make?
Caring Transitions’ 235 reporting franchisees averaged $375,932* of gross receipts in 2025. The brand’s disclosure document discloses revenue and not profit, so what an owner keeps depends on the cost structure set out below. Fees come off the top first, at about 8% of sales across royalty, brand fund and the rest of the stack. Revenue is not income. Rent, wages, cost of goods and the franchise fees all come out before an owner is paid. The figures for the highest-selling and lowest-selling businesses are below.
Franchise fees
What the fees come to
| quartile | Average receipts | Royalty 6% | Branding 2% | Local marketing 4% | Fixed | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | $922,414 | $55,345 | $18,448 | $36,897 | $6,120 | $116,810 | 12.7% |
| 25% to 50% | $350,396 | $21,024 | $7,008 | $14,016 | $6,120 | $48,168 | 13.7% |
| 50% to 75% | $178,615 | $10,717 | $3,572 | $7,145 | $6,120 | $27,554 | 15.4% |
| Bottom 25% | $61,566 | $3,694 | $1,231 | $2,463 | $6,120 | $13,508 | 21.9% |
Quartile averages are as the brand reported them.
The fixed charges are 9.9% of the bottom quarter’s receipts. $6,120 is 9.9% of the bottom quarter's $61,566 on its own, before a single percentage point of royalty. Push the call center and the subscription to their upper groups and the fixed line doubles to $12,000, which at that revenue is 19.5% by itself.
The minimums cost more than the percentages below $100,000 of receipts. The $500 monthly minimum royalty costs more than 6% until sales reach $100,000 a year. The $350 branding minimum costs more than 2% until $210,000. Half the network sits below $265,000, so a meaningful slice of owners are paying minimums.
Four of the twelve points are local marketing you direct yourself. The local marketing requirement runs $399 a month for your first year and 4% of receipts annually after that, spend you direct yourself. At the network average of $375,932 that is $15,037 a year to place where you choose.
The rebate ladder
| By the end of | Cumulative receipts | Annual pace | Rebate | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2 | $900,000 | $450,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Year 3 | $1,600,000 | $533,333 | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| Year 4 | $2,300,000 | $575,000 | $10,000 | $30,000 |
| Year 5 | $3,100,000 | $620,000 | $28,900 | $58,900 |
Thresholds and rebate amounts as the brand reported it, measured from the first day of the month after you finish training.
Meeting every rebate step returns the entire $58,900 fee. The final step needs $3,100,000 across five years, or $620,000 a year. The top quartile averages $922,414 and its lowest member billed $472,844. So this ladder is built for the quarter that is already winning.
The first rebate step needs $900,000 across two years. $900,000 across two years is $37,500 a month from a standing start. Miss that step and the remaining $48,900 of discounts is lost. Owners in their first eighteen months should be tracking cumulative receipts against that number every month.
Top performers
What separates the top Caring Transitions performers
Caring Transitions splits its locations into groups instead of publishing one average. The top group averaged $922,414 a year. The lowest averaged $61,566. Both run the same brand, on the same agreement, paying the same fees.
Decided before you open
- Site and trade area.The top band sells 15.0× the bottom band. Catchment, daytime population and neighboring businesses affect where a location falls.
- Territory.This model sells from a territory quoted at 200,000 people, with no storefront. Population density sets how much driving sits between jobs.
- Opening cost range.Opening costs $75,860 to $123,250, a 1.6× range inside one brand.
- Fees and the minimum.Fees run about 8.0% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Live operating levers
- Sales depend on estate sales.The owner works on how many sales are run in a month and what each one grosses.
Context you underwrite around
- Locations included.These figures cover 235 Caring Transitions franchisees running 342 of Caring Transitions’ 413 franchises at the end of 2025. Locations open less than the full year, brand-owned, or not meeting the reporting criteria are excluded.
- What the filing does not include.Item 19 publishes no profit or cost data for franchised locations, no median, no attainment figure. Ask the franchisor or current owners for cost and profit figures.
Money collected
Receipts across the network, 2025
| quartile | Franchisees | Average | A month | Median | Lowest | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 25% | 58 | $922,414 | $76,868 | $782,361 | $472,844 | $3,084,213 |
| 25% to 50% | 59 | $350,396 | $29,200 | $346,968 | $266,596 | $470,569 |
| 50% to 75% | 59 | $178,615 | $14,885 | $172,838 | $117,911 | $262,979 |
| Bottom 25% | 59 | $61,566 | $5,131 | $60,174 | $2,448 | $116,727 |
Quartile figures are as the brand reported them, covering 235 franchisees operating 342 franchises.
The network runs $88,344,055 and the top quartile holds 61% of it. That is 58 franchisees against 177. The gap between the quarter boundaries is the thing to size yourself against. The step from the third quarter's $178,615 to the second's $350,396 is $14,315 a month of extra work.
The middle of the network sits around $265,000. The second quartile bottoms out at $266,596 and the third tops out at $262,979. So half the system bills under roughly $22,000 a month. That is a one-owner business with contract crews, and the fixed charges above land on it hard.
The bottom quartile ceiling is $116,727. It averages $61,566 a year, which is $5,131 a month. The lowest is $2,448. Against fees and required local marketing of $13,508 at that average, a quarter of the Caring Transitions network spends more than a fifth of everything it collects on those charges.
Receipts by number of territories
| Territories | Franchisees | Average receipts | Per territory | Top quartile average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | 160 | $249,572 | $249,572 | $546,789 |
| Two | 53 | $510,149 | $255,074 | $1,134,601 |
| Three or more | 22 | $971,576 | $281,246 | $2,129,526 |
Quartile averages for each group are as the brand reported them. The group averages, the per-territory column and the territory count behind it are marked *.
Territory yield holds as you add territories. That is $249,572 from one, $255,074 each at two, $281,246 each at three or more. In home care brands the second market typically yields half the first. The crew, the auction platform and the referral contacts all work across postal codes. So a second territory is closer to a second full business than a diluted one.
The top quartile of three-territory owners averages $2,129,526. That is $177,460 a month and it clears the final Winners' Circle rung three times over. It is also the level where you are running a business with staff.
A second territory costs $53,010 inside your first two years. The fee is $58,900 with a 10% discount on additional franchises bought within 24 months of your first. A second territory produces $255,074 of receipts on the network average, more than four times that fee in its first year.
Territories & network
What it costs to open
| Line | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $58,900 | $58,900 |
| Additional funds, six months | $4,000 | $38,000 |
| Insurance | $2,000 | $5,000 |
| Certification training and test | $650 | $3,000 |
| Everything else | $10,310 | $18,350 |
| Total | $75,860 | $123,250 |
As the brand reported it, except the grouped line. We worked this out, adding furniture and equipment, the computer system, travel for training, deposits, opening promotion, a sales employee, web hosting, one month of office rent, association fees and the EstateSales.org subscription.
Discounts available
- Caring Transitions takes 10% off the then-current fee for each additional franchise bought within 24 months of the first, if paid in full at signing.
- Caring Transitions takes up to 10% off the fee for honorably discharged U.S. veterans who meet VetFran requirements.
From Item 5 of the Caring Transitions 2026 FDD. The costs on this page use the full initial franchise fee for one unit, before any discount.
78% of the low-end opening cost is the franchise fee. That is $58,900 of $75,860. Equipment is a small cost (furniture and computers together run $1,500 to $4,000) so what you are buying is the brand, the auction platform and the certification.
Six months of working capital runs $4,000 to $38,000. The high end is 9.5 times the low end. At the bottom quarter's $5,131 a month of receipts, the lower figure covers very little. Plan against the upper end of that range and the fixed $510 a month underneath it.
The network of locations
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased | End | Transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 272 | 60 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 314 | 15 |
| 2024 | 314 | 70 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 372 | 15 |
| 2025 | 372 | 65 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 413 | 33 |
As the brand reported it.
The system grew by half in three years, from 272 to 413. That is 195 franchises opened across the period against 54 departures. Growth of that speed pulls the network averages down as each new group reports its first full year. So a flat year in 2026 may still be an improving position.
Transfers more than doubled in 2025, from 15 to 33. That is the steady exit, an owner selling a going concern, and 33 against 20 departures says the resale market for a Caring Transitions territory is working. Selling the business costs $15,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is higher. A further $10,000 is due if the buyer came from the brand's own database.
The network has 1.45 franchises per franchisee. That is 413 franchises across 284 owners, with 160 of the 235 reporting owners holding a single territory. Given that per-territory yield holds as you add, the concentration has room to move.
Questions we get asked
How much does a Caring Transitions franchise make?
Caring Transitions’ 235 reporting franchisees averaged $375,932 of gross receipts in 2025*, according to Item 19 of Caring Transitions’ 2026 FDD, issued 1 April 2026. The 235 Caring Transitions franchisees ran 342 of Caring Transitions’ 413 franchises at the end of 2025, or 83%*. Fees paid to Caring Transitions come to about 8%* of sales. A Caring Transitions franchise costs $75,860 to $123,250 to open.
What should my Caring Transitions franchise be billing?
Across 235 owners, the four quarters by sales averaged $922,414, $350,396, $178,615 and $61,566 in 2025. So the middle of the Caring Transitions network sits around $265,000. Owners with a single territory averaged $249,572, those with two $510,149 and those with three or more $971,576. The single highest franchisee billed $3,084,213.
What do Caring Transitions' fees add up to?
Caring Transitions takes 8% of sales, a 6% royalty and a 2% national branding fee. The owner also spends 4% on local marketing from year two. On top there are fixed charges of at least $6,120 a year covering the technology license, call center, web hosting and EstateSales.org subscription. Royalty has a $500 monthly minimum after the first year. Branding has a $350 minimum. In practice the royalty, branding fee and fixed charges work out to 8.7% of receipts at the top quartile average and 17.9% at the bottom.
How does the Winners' Circle rebate work at Caring Transitions?
The rebate has four rungs of cumulative total sales, each measured from the first day of the month after you finish training. Reaching $900,000 by year two returns $10,000, $1,600,000 by year three another $10,000, $2,300,000 by year four another $10,000, and $3,100,000 by year five the remaining $28,900, the whole $58,900 fee. Missing one rung ends the program, and the conditions include attending every national and regional conference and reporting receipts on time. The first rung requires $450,000 a year, which is roughly where the top quartile begins.
Is a second territory worth it at Caring Transitions?
The figures say yes more clearly than in most senior services brands. Per-territory receipts hold as you stack: $249,572 at one territory, $255,074 each at two, $281,246 each at three or more. A second franchise bought within 24 months costs 10% less, at $53,010. The network average sells that much within a year. The reason it holds is that crews, the auction platform and referral relationships travel across postal codes.
Who does bookkeeping for a Caring Transitions franchise?
Caring Transitions sales arrive as a mix of relocation fees, estate sale commissions and online auction settlements, each with its own timing. So a close that treats them as one revenue line will hide which service is carrying the month. Royalty and branding both run on the preceding month's receipts with dollar minimums underneath. That means the effective Caring Transitions rate on a slow month differs from the headline rate, and the close tracks both. Cumulative receipts against the Winners' Circle rungs belong on a standing schedule from month one, since the rebates lapse in sequence. Averan provides bookkeeping, controller, and fractional CFO support for franchise owners and has Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors on the team.
- The filing gives no profit figure. The filing reports sales and not earnings, so what an owner keeps is not disclosed.
- The filing breaks out no cost lines. Wages, rent and cost of goods are not broken out, so margin cannot be rebuilt from the document.
- The filing gives no attainment figure. The filing does not say how many locations reached the average it publishes.
Questions worth putting to Caring Transitions
The filing answers what it answers. These are the gaps an owner or a buyer should close directly.
- What do locations at the median spend on wages and rent as a share of sales? The filing reports sales only.
- Which factors does Caring Transitions see in its highest-selling locations, such as trade area, years open and size?
- How long does a new location take to reach the average you publish, and what does the build-up look like month by month?
- At what level of sales do the minimum charges stop applying and the percentage take over?
- How many Caring Transitions locations closed, were sold, or changed hands last year, and why?
Run your own numbers.
The Franchise Numbers Check runs the same checks on your own numbers. It scores where you stand and compares you with Item 19 of your brand’s FDD. It works out what one location earns and spends, and builds a 13-week cash forecast. It checks whether you are ready to open another one. It is free and it runs in your browser.
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Talk to AveranWhere these figures come from.
Every figure here comes from C.T. Franchising Systems, LLC’s 2026 FDD and is unaudited by us. We are unaffiliated with the brand. Calculations of our own are labeled where they appear, the figures describe past performance at other businesses and are not a projection of yours. This page is an educational summary. It is not an offer to sell a franchise, and it is not financial, legal or tax advice. Caring Transitions® is a registered trademark of its owner. How Averan reads a Franchise Disclosure Document.
These figures come from the brand's disclosure. They are not a forecast, an offer to sell a franchise or advice. Source: C.T. Franchising Systems, LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 1 April 2026.
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