Keller Williams was founded in 1983 in Austin, Texas with 32 agents and has since grown to become one of the largest real estate franchises in the United States. In the 1980s, the company lost many of its top agents but reinvented itself under new leadership. By the 2010s, formal systems were put in place to ensure continued predictable growth. After adopting a new training initiative in 2011, the company became the largest real estate franchise in North America within two years, and has since increased its global agent count, units, and volume substantially compared to competitors.