2025-09-05

Franchise

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Tech- enabled Real Estate Brokerage Business in India?

From my 13+ years of running a tech-enabled real estate brokerage business in India, I want to share a practical cost calculator for setting up this business.

A lot of people in the industry say, “You don’t need much money to start a brokerage; you can do it for free.” That may be true if you’re starting as a one-man army, working from your laptop. But here I am talking about building a real business, not just self-employment.

Self-employment is, in my view, a glorified job. Business is something else entirely—it requires systems, teams, and infrastructure. Let’s break down what it really takes to establish a brokerage business in India.

1. Skills You Need Before Starting

The single most important skill today is digital marketing.

You can outsource digital marketing, but it will be expensive and unreliable. With AI reshaping the market, you must build an in-house digital team. Unless you understand digital yourself, you won’t be able to guide your team properly.

Here are the platforms and tools you need to master (or hire for):

• YouTube, Quora, Medium, blogging
• Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Canva
• Google search + AI search optimization
• Paid ads (Meta, Google, YouTube)

Today, traffic is fragmented across more than 20 platforms, not just Google. You need expertise across all of them to build a sustainable funnel.

2. Team Requirements

You will need a dedicated digital team of at least 7–10 people, including:

• YouTube specialist
• SEO expert
• 3–4 video editors
• Content writers
• Paid ads manager (Meta & Google)
• Blogger/outreach specialist

👉 Estimated Cost: ₹10–15 lakh/month (more if you hire top talent).

In addition, you should keep a minimum paid ads budget of ₹1–10 lakh/month depending on the scale.

For marketing automation tools (WhatsApp, SMS, drip email, CRM integrations, etc.), keep aside ₹2–3 lakh/month.

3. Licenses & Registrations

• RERA License (mandatory for agents): Costs around ₹1–2 lakh depending on the state.
• Renewal: Every 3–5 years depending on state policy.

You will also need to register your company as a Partnership, LLP, or Pvt. Ltd. and get GST registration to start official transactions.

4. Office & Infrastructure

• Minimum: 1,000 sq. ft. office space.
• Cost varies by city. For example, in Noida, it’s around ₹100/sq. ft.
• Staff required: office boy, HR, admin.

👉 Estimated Monthly Cost: ₹2–3 lakh (depends on location & manpower).

5. Sales & Operations Team

This is your backbone. You’ll need:

• Sales staff & team leaders
• Telecalling team
• Operations team (to handle site visits, client issues, etc.)

👉 Estimated Monthly Cost: ₹10–15 lakh (site visits add to this).

6. Accounts & Compliance

• Accounts team / outsourced firm
• Chartered Accountant
• GST filing, TDS compliance

👉 Estimated Annual Cost: ₹10 lakh.

7. CRM & Technology

• In-house CRM development: Very expensive, can run into crores.
• Third-party CRM (subscription basis): Cheaper and scalable, charged per user ID.

You will also need:

• Website development (can be outsourced or built in-house)
• Product development manager (to source projects continuously)
• In-house videographer & anchor for property shoots

👉 Estimated Monthly Cost: ₹50,000 – ₹1 lakh.

Fixed cost and variable cost

9. Total Cost Estimate

• Monthly: ~₹36.25 lakh
• Yearly: ~₹4.35 crore

👉 This assumes you are building a scalable, full-fledged brokerage firm, not just a one-man setup.

Final Word

If you are serious about building a scalable real estate brokerage business in India—not just a solo career—you should be prepared for:

• Initial Setup Costs: ₹30–40 lakh
• Monthly Running Costs: ₹25–40 lakh
• Annual Burn: ~₹4+ crore

This is a serious business, not a side hustle. But if done right, the returns are massive—because real estate remains one of the highest-reward industries in India.

Author: Vivek Raman (Co-founder Regrob.com)

If you are looking for a real-estate franchise opportunity with us Plz Call us at +91-9870313070 or visit - https://franchise.regrob.com/