How it runs for real estate agents and brokerages
Your accountant prepares the disbursement batch per closing, codes vendor bills in Bill.com or your ledger, tracks recurring subscriptions so unused tools are noticed and keeps W-9s current before any first payment. You approve and release every payment; we prepare and document.
What is accounts payable outsourcing?
Accounts payable outsourcing means a remote specialist runs the process from vendor invoice to approved payment run: capturing bills, coding them to the ledger, matching them to purchase orders and receipts, chasing approvals and preparing payments for release. The business keeps control of the bank account and the final release. The provider works in the company's own software.
What we handle for real estate agents and brokerages
- Agent disbursement batches prepared per closing for broker approval
- Referral fees payable recorded when the closing funds and paid on schedule
- Franchise royalties and transaction fees calculated and reconciled monthly
- MLS, association and lead-generation subscriptions tracked per office
- W-9 collected before first payment to any agent, partner or vendor
The KPI that matters here
Agent disbursements prepared for approval within 1 business day of funds arriving.
Real estate compliance notes
1099-NEC for agents and referral partners
Brokerages report commissions paid to licensed agents on Form 1099-NEC because agents who meet the IRC section 3508 tests are statutory nonemployees. Referral fees paid to other brokerages and payments to unincorporated vendors are reported the same way once they reach the annual threshold. We keep W-9s and cumulative totals current so the forms are prepared for your review and filing by the January deadline.
Commission splits and disbursement records
Each closing is documented from the settlement statement through the commission disbursement authorization to the agent payment, so the split, cap progress, franchise royalty and any referral fee are traceable. Many state commissions require these records to be retained for several years. We file the documents with the entry in LedgerDesk.
Earnest money and trust accounts
Most state real estate commissions require earnest money to be held in a separate trust account, never commingled with operating funds, with a transaction-level ledger and a monthly reconciliation. Some states require interest-bearing accounts or set deadlines for deposit and disbursement. We maintain the ledger and reconciliation; the broker signs and remains responsible under the license.
Client money in the UK, Canada and Australia
UK letting and estate agents must belong to a Client Money Protection scheme and keep client money in a separate account. Canadian and Australian agencies operate under provincial or state trust-account rules with regular reconciliation and audit requirements. We prepare the ledgers and reconciliations in the format the regulator or auditor expects.
Real estate software we work in
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
- Gusto
- Bill.com
- Stripe
- Brokermint
- SkySlope
- dotloop
- Lone Wolf Back Office
- All 50 platforms
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Frequently asked questions
How do you make sure an agent is paid the right amount?
The disbursement is prepared from the settlement statement, the commission disbursement authorization and the agent's split and cap status in the ledger. Any fees the agreement allows to be netted are deducted and shown on the agent statement. The broker sees the calculation and approves the batch before anything is released.
Can you handle franchise royalty reporting?
Yes, royalties and any national marketing fees are calculated from the closed commission data each month, reconciled to the franchisor's statement and posted with the closing they relate to. Differences between the franchisor's figure and the ledger are listed for the broker before payment. The same data supports the franchisor's monthly production report.
Do you manage recurring software and lead subscriptions?
Recurring vendors such as CRM, lead-generation, transaction-management and e-signature tools are listed with the office, cost, renewal date and card used. The accountant flags renewals a month in advance and lists tools with no recent activity so the broker can cancel or reassign them. Card statements are reconciled against this list.
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