Brokerage, lending & investing

Books and taxes for luxury real estate agents.

A seven-figure closing that took a year to land, a co-broke split with an agent from another firm, drone footage and print for one listing, and a referral fee to a broker across the country. 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
NovemberExample month
$22,800
what you made

November cleared $22,800 off the Cove Road closing. The co-broke agent's half came out before it hit your account, so I logged only your side as income.

  • Sotheby's commission depCommission income
  • Referral fee, out of stateReferral fees paid
  • Drone and print, Cove RdListing marketing
  • Compass Concierge drawListing prep advances
  • Client gala sponsorshipClient events
Money in$84,000
Money out$61,200
Set aside for taxes$5,900
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Luxury books go wrong in the gaps between big closings.

A handful of high dollar sales a year, months apart, each carrying its own co-broke split, staging advance, and print campaign, is a different rhythm than a volume business. When the books average it out like a normal month, the number tells you nothing true about what a deal actually cost to land.

  1. 1

    A co-broke split is not a discount on the sale

    On a luxury deal, both sides often split the commission with an agent from another brokerage entirely. If the whole gross commission gets booked before that split, your income looks nearly double what actually landed.

    What we doBooks only your side of a co-broke split as income, with the other agent's portion never touching your books at all.
  2. 2

    One listing's marketing spend swallows a slow quarter

    Professional photography, drone video, a printed brochure, and a launch event for a single estate listing can run into five figures, all spent months before the sale closes, if it closes at all.

    What we doKeeps per-listing marketing in its own line so a big spend on one property does not read as a bad quarter when the closing is still ahead.
  3. 3

    A staging or concierge advance gets treated as a straight loss

    A program that fronts renovation or staging costs on a luxury listing gets repaid out of the closing, but without linking the two, the advance looks like money gone with nothing to show for it.

    What we doTies a listing prep advance to the closing that repays it, so what is left over is the real cost, not the full amount fronted.
  4. 4

    Client events and gifts get lumped into general marketing

    A sponsorship at a charity gala, a bottle of wine sent to a past client, and a broadly targeted ad campaign are different kinds of spend with different returns, but on one card they all look the same.

    What we doKeeps client events and gifts apart from broad marketing, so relationship spend and lead generation can each be judged on their own.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a luxury agent.

Set up once for how you get paid and where the money goes on a high dollar listing. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Commission incomeYour side of the split after the brokerage and any co-broke agent.
  • Referral fees receivedFees from agents in other markets sending a buyer or seller your way.
  • New development commissionsFees for representing buyers on a new luxury build or condo project.
  • Consulting and advisory feesFlat fees for advising an out-of-area buyer or a private seller before a listing.

Money out

  • Referral fees paidFees paid to another agent, often out of state, for a referral that closed.
  • Listing marketingPhotography, drone video, print, and launch events, kept by listing.
  • Listing prep advancesStaging or renovation costs fronted ahead of a sale and repaid at closing.
  • Client eventsSponsorships, dinners, and appreciation events for past and current clients.
  • MLS and brokerage feesDesk fees, MLS dues, and any luxury division membership.
  • TravelTrips to show or list a second home or a far-flung property.

What we watch for you

  • Cost per closing

    Marketing and prep spend against each closed sale, since one deal can carry a heavy upfront cost.

  • Commission retained after co-broke

    Your actual take after any split with an outside agent, the real measure of a deal.

  • Referral fees paid out

    How much of a big closing went to another agent, so pricing your time on a referral stays honest.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things luxury agents 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.

I spent nine thousand on the Cove Road launch and it has not closed yet. Does that mean this quarter looks terrible?

That spend sits under that listing's own line, not lumped into a general marketing number. When it closes, you will see the real cost against the sale.

Half of my last commission went to the other agent on the deal. Why does my income look lower than the sale price would suggest?

Because only your half ever counted as your income. The co-broke agent's portion never touched your books, so nothing there is missing, that is just the real number.

Should I set up a corporation now that deals are getting bigger?

That is above my pay grade. A real accountant looks at your actual year and tells you if a switch makes sense.

The tax side

The tax side of a luxury agent's business.

Most of what matters here is keeping a co-broke split honest and making sure a big year does not surprise you with what it owes.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Self-employment tax on a big yearCommission income carries self-employment tax at 15.3 percent up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500, and a year with a few large closings can owe more than the estimates first planned for.
  • Quarterly estimated paymentsWith big, irregular commission checks and no withholding, estimated payments due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 matter more here than in a steady volume business.
  • The pass-through deduction and its limitsMost agents can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income, but the benefit narrows above $201,750 taxable income single or $403,500 joint, which a strong luxury year can reach.
  • Referral fee 1099sAn out-of-state or out-of-brokerage agent paid $2,000 or more in referral fees in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.

Deductions luxury real estate agents miss

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

  • Professional photography and drone video
  • Print brochures and signage
  • Listing launch events
  • Client appreciation gifts and dinners
  • Referral fees paid
  • MLS and luxury division dues
  • Travel for out-of-area listings
  • E and O insurance
  • Professional headshots and branding
  • Continuing education and designations
  • Home office for a dedicated workspace
  • Phone and data plan

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 luxury agent's year, kept every month.

Closings can land months apart and reshape the year in a single deal. Your team keeps you ahead of what each one means for taxes. 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 so a strong year does not surprise you in April.

  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 a big closing this year changed the number more than expected.

  4. October

    Before the fourth quarter push

    Estate and second-home buyers often move before year end. Gus looks at what is worth doing or buying before December while there is still time.

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 luxury real estate agents. 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 luxury agents ask first.

How does Gus handle a co-broke commission split with an agent at another firm?

Only the portion that actually lands in your account counts as your income. The other agent's share never shows up on your books at all, so your numbers reflect your real take.

I only close a handful of deals a year. Will the monthly number even mean anything?

Yes. Between closings you will see marketing and prep costs building against listings still in progress, so the month still tells you something even without a sale that month.

Can Gus tell whether a nine thousand dollar listing launch actually paid off?

He ties the spend to that specific listing, so once it closes, you see the real cost against the sale price. He will not tell you which part of the launch mattered most.

I sometimes list a second home for a client out of state. Does travel count for anything?

Travel for a legitimate business purpose like listing or showing a property is usually deductible. Gus keeps it in its own line and the accountant confirms it fits.

Do client gifts and gala sponsorships count as marketing?

They are kept in their own category, separate from broad marketing like ads or print, since they are usually deductible business expenses but serve a different purpose than lead generation.

My last two years of books are a mess across a handful of huge deals. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send the bank statements and closing statements you have. Gus sorts each deal's income and costs, and most agents 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