Professional services
Bookkeeping for real estate agents
Three closings in March, none in April. Your commission checks are already net of splits and fees. Your books should show the whole picture.
Updated October 4, 2026
In short
Agents are paid commission deposits from the brokerage or title company, usually after the split and transaction fees come out. Good books record the gross commission and each deduction, keep car and phone costs organized, and give you a monthly profit figure for estimated taxes. Solo agents usually fit our Simple tier; teams sit higher.
How the money moves
How money comes in and goes out
A typical deposit is your gross commission minus the brokerage split, a transaction fee, maybe a referral fee and a franchise fee. The settlement statement and your brokerage's commission statement show each piece.
On the cost side, you're paying for MLS dues, association dues, desk or tech fees, signs and photography, marketing, client gifts, and a car that does a lot of business miles. Plenty of it lands on a personal card.
Common problems
Where the books usually go wrong
Net deposits
Booking the check as income hides the split and fees, which understates both what you earned and what you spent to earn it.
Feast and famine
A strong spring can carry the whole year, but only if you set money aside for taxes while it's coming in.
Car and phone
Both are partly personal. Your accountant needs clean totals and a mileage log to claim the business share.
Marketing that blends together
Zillow leads, mailers, open house signs and sponsored posts all look alike on a statement unless they're tracked as you go.
Every month
What we do every month
- Record each closing as gross commission, with split and fees as expenses
- Categorize MLS, association, desk and transaction fees
- Group marketing costs so you can see what you spend to get a listing
- Keep car, phone and home office costs separate for your accountant
- Send a monthly profit figure to plan estimated taxes from
A month of books, for example
An agent closes two deals in May. The brokerage deposits $11,240 and $7,890. From the commission statements we'd record $24,000 in gross commission, $4,200 in splits and $670 in fees, then match the $1,100 she spent on listing photos and signs to those two properties. Her May profit, and her June tax set-aside, are clear.
Illustrative example, not a client story.
Getting started
What we need from you
- Brokerage commission statements or settlement statements for each closing
- Access to your bookkeeping software and business accounts
- Your mileage app export, if you use one
Software and statements we work from
- Brokerage commission statements
- Settlement statements
- Title company deposits
- MileIQ
- QuickBooks Online
Price
What it costs
Most solo agents fit the Simple tier, $200 to $400 a month. Teams with splits between several agents usually fall in Moderate or Complex.
One flat monthly price, set after the free review. See the pricing guide or estimate your tier.
Questions
Common questions
Do you work with teams?
Yes. Teams with internal splits have more to record, so they price higher than solo agents. The review sets the number.
Do you handle brokerage escrow or trust accounts?
Our work is with agents' and teams' operating books. Escrow and trust accounting held by a brokerage is a separate, regulated job, and we'd talk it through in the review.
Can you track mileage?
We don't log your drives, but we'll remind you to keep a log and record the totals so your accountant can use them.
What about my real estate license fees?
Licensing, continuing education and association dues are recorded as business expenses, each in its own category.
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