Background: Brain metastases (BM) in RCC have been associated with poor overall survival. Systemic targeted and immunotherapy and the increasing use of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is likely to improve outcomes. Methods: A retrospective database of mRCC patients treated at our institution between 2006 and 2015 was compiled and patients with BM identified. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. BM patients were compared to non-BM patients after adjusting for the timing of BM diagnosis, either prior to or during 1^st line systemic therapy (ST). Results: 56 of 248 mRCC patients (22.6%) were diagnosed with BM, 35 (62.5%) prior to and 21 (37.5%) during 1^st line ST. 43/56 (77%) received definitive local therapy for BM (surgery 10, SRS 26, or both 7). 9 received WBRT only and 4 had no CNS-directed therapy. All patients received ST. The median OS for ST-naïve BM patients compared with non-BM patients was 19.5 vs. 28.7 months (p = 0.012). Survival for patients developing BM on 1^st-line therapy was not significantly different from patients without BM progressing on 1^st line ST (11.8 vs. 17.8 months, p = 0.66). BM patients with poor risk mRCC by IMDC criteria did worse than those without BM regardless of line of therapy. Conclusions: Survival for patients with BM and favorable or intermediate risk mRCC is significantly better than historical reports and similar to non-BM patients in our population which was heavily treated with both systemic and local therapies. Patients with BM and poor risk RCC had significantly worse survival, suggesting that risk group should be considered when counseling on prognosis and selecting treatment.