How it runs for real estate agents and brokerages
Policies for agent onboarding, fee changes and referral agreements are written and applied. Your controller works alongside your CPA, who still prepares tax returns and provides tax advice.
What are outsourced controller services?
Outsourced controller services provide the review layer that sits between bookkeeping and the owner: a senior accountant who checks the close, owns the accounting policies, tests the controls around cash and spending, and explains the financial statements. The controller does not do daily posting. They make sure what was posted is right and documented before anyone relies on it.
What we handle for real estate agents and brokerages
- Monthly close reviewed and signed off before release to the broker
- Agent disbursements tested against contractor agreements and cap schedules
- Trust reconciliation reviewed before the broker's signature
- Cash forecast built from pending pipeline and fixed overhead
- Office expansion and recruiting plans modeled with company dollar targets
The KPI that matters here
Close reviewed and lender or franchisor package issued by business day 10 each month.
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
More for real estate agents and brokerages
Other services for real estate
Controller services in other industries
Frequently asked questions
What does a controller add for a brokerage that already has a bookkeeper?
The bookkeeper posts closings and pays bills; the controller checks that splits follow agreements, that the trust account reconciles, that revenue is complete against the transaction platform and that cash covers overhead through slow months. The controller also produces lender, franchisor and partner reporting and coordinates year-end with your CPA.
Can the controller review trust account compliance?
The controller reviews the monthly three-way reconciliation, samples deposits and disbursements against purchase agreements and closing records and reports any exception to the broker before signature. This is an accounting review, not a legal opinion; the broker remains responsible under the license, and any regulatory question goes to your attorney.
How does the controller forecast cash in a seasonal market?
The forecast starts with pending transactions and their expected closing dates, applies historical fall-through rates you agree and nets expected agent disbursements, referral fees and royalties. Fixed overhead is laid against the result week by week. The controller updates it monthly and flags months where cash may fall below the level you set.
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