Brokerage, lending & investing

Books and taxes for commercial real estate brokers.

A lease commission paid in installments as a tenant occupies the space, a sale commission split with the buyer's broker, a tenant improvement allowance you fronted, and CoStar's monthly bill. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
SeptemberExample month
$13,600
what you made

September brought in $13,600. The second installment on the Meridian Plaza lease landed, so I logged it against that deal, not as new business.

  • CBRE lease commission depLease commissions
  • CoStar subscriptionMarket data software
  • Co-broker split, sale dealCo-brokerage splits paid
  • TI allowance advanceTenant improvement advances
  • Due diligence report feeDeal due diligence
Money in$52,000
Money out$38,400
Set aside for taxes$3,900
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Commercial books go wrong over the length of a deal.

A residential closing pays out once. A commercial lease can pay a broker in installments spread across the tenant's first year or two in the space, alongside a due diligence bill, a co-broker split, and sometimes a tenant improvement allowance fronted before any commission lands. When the books do not track a deal across that stretch, no single month tells you anything.

  1. 1

    A lease commission paid in installments looks like separate new deals

    Many commercial lease commissions pay out in pieces, often at signing and again once the tenant takes occupancy, sometimes a year apart. Booked without a link back to the original deal, each installment looks like a fresh, unrelated sale.

    What we doTies every installment back to the lease that generated it, so a string of payments over two years still reads as one deal, not several.
  2. 2

    A co-brokerage split gets confused with your full commission

    Representing one side of a sale or lease with another firm representing the other side means the total commission gets split before you ever see it, and if the whole amount is booked as income, your real earnings look inflated.

    What we doBooks only your side of a co-brokerage split as income, keeping the other broker's share off your books entirely.
  3. 3

    A tenant improvement advance reads as a straight loss

    Fronting or coordinating a tenant improvement allowance ahead of a lease commission means real money goes out before any income lands, and without linking the two, it looks like a cost with no return.

    What we doTies a TI advance to the lease deal it supports, so what shows up is the real net on that deal, not a standalone expense.
  4. 4

    Due diligence and market data costs blur into general overhead

    Property research reports, CoStar or LoopNet subscriptions, and site due diligence fees on a deal that may or may not close all draw from one account, making it hard to see what a deal actually costs to pursue.

    What we doKeeps deal-specific due diligence apart from standing subscriptions, so both the cost of chasing a deal and the cost of staying in business are visible.
  5. 5

    Long sales cycles make a quiet quarter look like no business

    A commercial deal can take six months to a year from first tour to signed lease, so a period with heavy legwork and no closing can look empty even while several deals are moving toward a close.

    What we doKeeps deal-related costs tagged to the pipeline they support, so spend during a long cycle reads as investment, not an unexplained slow patch.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a commercial broker.

Set up once for how a lease or sale commission actually pays out. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Lease commissionsPayments tied to a signed lease, tracked across every installment.
  • Sale commissionsCommission from representing a buyer or seller on a property sale.
  • Consulting and advisory feesFlat fees for site selection or market analysis outside a commission deal.
  • Referral fees receivedFees from brokers in other markets sending a client your way.

Money out

  • Co-brokerage splits paidThe other broker's share on a deal split between two firms.
  • Tenant improvement advancesCosts fronted toward a TI allowance ahead of a lease commission.
  • Deal due diligenceSite reports, surveys, and research tied to one specific deal.
  • Market data softwareCoStar, LoopNet, and similar subscriptions.
  • MLS and brokerage feesDesk fees and any commercial division dues.
  • MarketingOffering memorandums, signage, and listing flyers.

What we watch for you

  • Installments outstanding

    Commission still owed on signed deals not yet fully paid out, so income you have earned is not mistaken for income already banked.

  • Commission retained after co-broke

    Your actual take after any split with another firm, the real measure of a deal.

  • Deal pursuit cost

    Due diligence and research spend on deals still in progress, to weigh against what closes.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month even between installments, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things commercial brokers ask Gus.

Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.

The Meridian Plaza deal pays out in three pieces over two years. Why does the second payment look like a whole new sale?

It should not. I tie every installment back to the original lease, so all three payments read as one deal spread over time, not three separate sales.

I fronted twelve thousand for a tenant's buildout before the lease commission landed. Is that just gone?

I keep it tied to that lease. Once the commission comes in, you will see the real net on the deal, the advance against what it brought back.

Should I be setting up a separate entity for deals I co-invest in with a client?

That is above my pay grade. A real accountant looks at the specific deal structure and tells you what makes sense.

The tax side

The tax side of a commercial brokerage.

Most of what matters here is timing: commissions paid in installments over years, and a due diligence cost on a deal that never closes.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Self-employment tax on installment commissionsCommission income, even paid out over several years on one lease, carries self-employment tax at 15.3 percent up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500 in the year each piece is received.
  • Quarterly estimated paymentsWith commission timing spread unevenly across the year, estimated payments due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 need a real look at what installments are expected when.
  • The pass-through deductionMost brokers can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when installment income and co-broke splits are booked correctly all year.
  • Deal costs that never closeDue diligence and research spent chasing a deal that falls through are usually still deductible as ordinary business costs, even without a commission to show for them.

Deductions commercial real estate brokers miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • CoStar or LoopNet subscriptions
  • Offering memorandums and flyers
  • Site due diligence and survey fees
  • MLS and commercial division dues
  • Co-brokerage splits paid
  • Continuing education and designations
  • E and O insurance
  • Vehicle mileage for site tours
  • Office space or a shared suite
  • Client entertainment for a deal
  • Phone and data plan
  • Professional headshots and marketing

General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.

All year, not just April

A commercial broker's year, kept every month.

Deals move on their own timeline, not the calendar. Your team keeps you ahead of both what is owed now and what is still coming. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, referral fee 1099s go out, and a monthly set-aside is planned around installments expected this year.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether installment payments landed on schedule or shifted.

  4. October

    Before fiscal year ends

    Corporate tenants and buyers often push to close before their own fiscal year ends, not the calendar year. Gus looks at what is worth doing or buying before December while that push is on.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.

Book a call
  • Monthly bookkeeping

    Every transaction sorted into categories set up for commercial real estate brokers. You never categorize a thing.

  • An accountant checks every transaction

    Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.

  • Your business tax return, filed

    Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.

  • The monthly number

    What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.

  • Your own bookkeeper

    A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.

  • On your books all year

    Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.

  • Cancel any time

    No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.

Straight answers

Questions commercial brokers ask first.

How does Gus track a lease commission that pays out over two years?

Every installment is tied back to the original lease, so payments landing months or years apart still read as one deal, not new business each time.

I split most of my sale deals with a broker at another firm. Does the whole sale commission count as mine?

No. Only your side of the split, what actually lands in your account, counts as your income. The other broker's share never touches your books.

I fronted money for a tenant improvement allowance. How does that get booked?

It gets tied to the lease deal it supports, so once the commission comes in, what is left over reflects the real net, not just an expense with nothing to show for it.

A deal I spent six months on just fell apart. Is that money wasted for tax purposes too?

The due diligence and research spent chasing it is usually still a deductible business cost, even without a closing to show for it.

Does Gus separate tenant rep deals from landlord rep deals?

He can keep them in separate lines if that split matters to how you track your business. Either way, each deal's commission and costs stay tied together.

My books have not been kept up for over a year across a dozen open deals. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send the bank statements and commission agreements you have. Gus sorts each deal's payments and costs, and most brokers know where they stand within a couple of weeks.

Is a real accountant checking my books?

Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.

What does it cost, and can I cancel?

It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.

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Book a call

Pick a time. That's the whole signup.

Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.

  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever