I would steer clear of RE/MAX. You will be on the hook personally for five years and this industry is extremely unstable. RE/MAX worked in the 70's & 80's when agents were looking for higher commissions and being able to brand themselves. All the big brokerages provide that now.

I enjoyed the somewhat lower cost to get into the franchise

The structure is one that will not last in the real estate industry. It puts all of the weight on the franchise owner to make them self competitive and this just isn't possible when dealing with the large corporate owned brokerages like Compass.

RE/MAX charges to much to the franchise owners and agents. Slim down corporate and actually provide the proper training and support to the current owners. Stop penalizing offices that are small and trying to grow by charging them for agents they don't have.