Brokerage, lending & investing

Books and taxes for transaction coordinators.

A per-file fee from one agent, a flat monthly retainer from a team, Dotloop and checklist software running every deal, and a spike in files the moment spring listings start closing. 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
JuneExample month
$6,700
what you made

June cleared $6,700 across 19 files. Three different agents paid you this month, so I kept each one's fees on its own line to see who is sending the most work.

  • Per-file fees, Agent APer-file coordination fees
  • Monthly retainer, Team BRetainer income
  • Dotloop subscriptionTransaction management software
  • E and O insuranceInsurance and licensing
  • Notary suppliesOffice supplies
Money in$8,600
Money out$1,900
Set aside for taxes$1,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Transaction coordinator books go wrong across many clients at once.

Working for eight or ten different agents at once means eight or ten different fee arrangements, each paying on its own schedule. When the books do not separate one agent's fees from another's, you cannot tell which relationships are actually worth keeping.

  1. 1

    Fees from different agents blend into one number

    A per-file fee from one agent, a flat monthly retainer from a team, and a per-closing bonus from a third client can all land in the same account within days of each other, and lumped together, it is impossible to see which client relationship is actually your best one.

    What we doKeeps each client's fees on its own line, so you can see exactly who is sending the most work and paying the most reliably.
  2. 2

    A seasonal spike in files looks like a random busy month

    Spring and summer closings mean a flood of files all at once, often more than the rest of the year combined, and without tracking file volume against income, a big month can look unpredictable instead of a normal seasonal pattern.

    What we doTracks income against roughly how many files ran through the month, so a seasonal spike reads as the normal shape of this business, not a fluke.
  3. 3

    Software and subscription costs get lost against a small expense base

    A transaction coordinator's costs are mostly small, recurring software subscriptions rather than big purchases, and without keeping them in their own line, it is easy to lose track of what is actually being paid for each month.

    What we doKeeps transaction management and checklist software in its own category, so recurring costs stay visible even when they are individually small.
  4. 4

    A dropped file from a slow agent looks like lost income

    A deal that falls through after you have already done coordination work can mean unpaid time if your fee only comes at closing, and without a category for that pattern, it looks like your business is simply less busy that month.

    What we doFlags files that closed against files that did not, so a normal rate of deals falling through does not read as a mystery dip in income.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a transaction coordinator.

Set up once for how each client actually pays you. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Per-file coordination feesFlat fees earned per closed file, tracked by which agent or team paid it.
  • Retainer incomeFlat monthly fees from a team or brokerage for ongoing coordination work.
  • Onboarding or setup feesOne-time fees for setting up a new agent client's process.
  • Referral fees receivedFees for referring an agent to another coordinator when you are at capacity.

Money out

  • Transaction management softwareDotloop, SkySlope, or a similar system used across all client files.
  • Insurance and licensingE and O insurance and any state notary or coordinator licensing costs.
  • Office suppliesNotary supplies, printing, and mailing costs for closing documents.
  • Continuing educationCourses to stay current on contract and disclosure requirements.
  • Phone and communication toolsA dedicated line or texting service to manage multiple agents' files.

What we watch for you

  • Revenue per client

    What each agent or team is actually paying you, so you know which relationships are worth prioritizing.

  • Files closed versus files started

    How many coordination jobs actually reach closing, since a fee often depends on it.

  • Income per file

    The average fee per file across all your clients, to see if your rates are keeping pace with the work.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month even through a seasonal spike, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things transaction coordinators 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 work with eight different agents. Can Gus show me who actually pays me the most?

Yes. Each agent's fees are kept on their own line, so you can see exactly who is sending the most work and paying the most reliably, not just one combined total.

This month had way more files than usual. Is that going to throw off my numbers?

No. I track income against roughly how many files ran through the month, so a busy spring reads as the normal seasonal pattern for this business, not an outlier.

One of my files fell through after I had already done most of the coordination work. Do I lose that?

If your fee is tied to closing, then yes, that specific file may not pay out. I flag it so it reads as a normal part of the business, not a mystery gap in income.

The tax side

The tax side of transaction coordination.

Most of what matters here is that you are usually paid as an independent contractor by multiple clients, each with their own arrangement.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Self-employment tax across multiple clientsFee and retainer income from every agent or team you work with carries self-employment tax at 15.3 percent up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500, combined across all your clients.
  • Quarterly estimated paymentsWith no withholding from any client, estimated payments due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 need a real look at your combined income across all agents.
  • The pass-through deductionMost independent coordinators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when fees from every client are booked correctly all year.
  • 1099s you may receiveA team or brokerage paying you $600 or more in a year as a contractor typically issues you a 1099-NEC. Gus tracks what each client paid so it can be checked against what you receive.

Deductions real estate transaction coordinators miss

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

  • Transaction management software
  • E and O insurance
  • State notary or coordinator licensing
  • Continuing education courses
  • Office supplies and printing
  • Phone and texting service for clients
  • Home office for a dedicated workspace
  • Accounting and bookkeeping software
  • Marketing to new agent clients
  • Professional association dues
  • Computer and monitor for file review
  • Internet service for remote work

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 transaction coordinator's year, kept every month.

File volume swings hard with the local closing season. Your team keeps you ahead of the tax side whether the month is packed or quiet. 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, and a monthly set-aside is planned around expected file volume for the 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 the spring closing spike changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the file count drops

    File volume usually eases as your agent clients' own closings slow down for winter. Gus looks at whether it is a good time to onboard a new agent client or invest in software before spring's rush.

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 real estate transaction coordinators. 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 transaction coordinators ask first.

Can Gus keep my income separate by which agent or team paid me?

Yes. Each client's fees are tracked on their own line, so you can see exactly who is sending the most work and how reliably they pay.

My income swings a lot between a slow month and a packed one. Is that a problem?

No. Gus tracks income against roughly how many files ran through the month, so the swings read as the normal seasonal shape of this business.

Some of my agents pay a flat retainer and others pay per file. Can Gus handle both?

Yes. Retainer income and per-file fees are tracked in their own categories, so you can compare which pay structure is actually working out better for you.

I sometimes refer overflow work to another coordinator for a fee. Does that get tracked separately?

Yes, referral fees received are kept apart from your own coordination fee income.

Do I need a business entity to work with this many different agents?

That depends on your volume and how you want to structure it. The accountant looks at your specific situation and advises what fits.

My records right now are just notes on which agent paid what. Can Gus work from that?

Yes. Send your bank statements and whatever notes you have. Gus sorts fees by client, and most coordinators 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