Sotheby's International Realty operates as a franchise focusing on brokering and marketing of residential real estate.

As of 2018, the Sotheby's International Realty network had more than 19,000 sales associates in 990 offices in 72 countries and territories worldwide.

The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby’s International Realty name and the development of a full franchise system.

[4] Subsequently focused marketing websites include waterfront, golf, ski, and historic properties.

Sotheby's International Realty has offices worldwide with the most of them in USA, and Europe (Antwerp, Porto, Paris, Montenegro,[5] Dublin...) The company publishes Reside, a semi-annual real estate and lifestyle magazine, which won the Hermes Platinum Award for creative excellence and outstanding design and editorial in 2009.