Brokerage, lending & investing

Books and taxes for solo real estate agents.

A commission check that already had the brokerage's cut taken out, a referral fee, MLS dues, and the marketing that keeps your sphere calling you back. 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
$5,500
what you made

June cleared $5,500. The referral fee to the agent in Denver came out of the Baker closing, so I logged that as a cost, not a smaller sale.

  • Coldwell Banker commission depCommission income
  • Referral fee, Denver agentReferral fees paid
  • MLS and board duesMLS and license fees
  • Canva and closing giftsMarketing
  • Mileage reimbursement noteVehicle and mileage
Money in$21,400
Money out$15,900
Set aside for taxes$1,400
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A solo agent's books go wrong in the same few places.

There is no team splitting the deposit, but the brokerage already has, and every closing carries its own mix of referral fees, closing gifts, and marketing that led to it. When the books do not separate what you actually kept from what passed through, you cannot tell if a slow quarter is a real problem or just a lag between listings and closings.

  1. 1

    The commission deposit already has the brokerage's cut removed

    The check that lands in your account is what is left after the brokerage's split, but without that noted, it looks like the whole commission, which throws off how much of each sale price you actually earned.

    What we doBooks the deposit as your actual commission income and keeps a note of the split, so your real take is what shows up, not a guess.
  2. 2

    A referral fee looks like a discount on the sale

    When you pay another agent a referral fee out of your commission for sending you the buyer or seller, it can get missed entirely or lumped in as a smaller sale instead of a real cost.

    What we doBooks referral fees paid out as their own cost, so your commission income stays accurate and the fee still counts against what you owe in taxes.
  3. 3

    Marketing spend never gets tied to what it brought back

    Postcards to your sphere, a boosted Facebook post, and a closing gift for last month's buyer all come out of one card, with nothing showing which of it is actually bringing referrals back.

    What we doKeeps marketing in its own line so you can watch it against closings over time, even without a formal lead source to track.
  4. 4

    A slow month before a closing looks like no income at all

    Real estate income lands in bursts weeks or months after the work that earned it, so a quiet bank statement in the middle of a deal can look like trouble when a closing is already lined up.

    What we doKeeps a running view tied to your pipeline, not just the calendar month, so a lag before a closing does not read as a bad month.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a solo agent.

Set up once for how you get paid and where you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Commission incomeWhat lands after the brokerage's split on each closing.
  • Referral fees receivedFees from other agents for sending you a buyer or seller.
  • Rental placement feesCommission for placing a tenant, kept apart from sale income.
  • Bonuses and incentivesOne-time production bonuses your brokerage pays for hitting a volume mark.

Money out

  • Referral fees paidWhat you pay another agent for a lead that closed.
  • MLS and license feesMLS dues, board dues, and state license renewal.
  • MarketingPostcards, social ads, closing gifts, and signage.
  • Vehicle and mileageGas, maintenance, and mileage for showings and closings.
  • Continuing educationRequired courses and designations you keep current.
  • E and O insuranceErrors and omissions coverage most brokerages require.

What we watch for you

  • Commission retained

    What you actually kept after the brokerage split, the real measure of a good month.

  • Marketing against closings

    What you spent on marketing compared to closings that followed, to see what earns its keep.

  • Referral fees paid out

    How much of each closing went to another agent, so pricing your time stays honest.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe as commissions land in bursts, tracked every month so April holds no surprise.

Ask Gus

Things solo 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 paid another agent a referral fee out of my last check. Does that still count as my income?

Only what actually landed in your account counts as your commission income. The referral fee is its own cost, and it still lowers what you owe.

This month looks empty but I have a closing scheduled in three weeks.

Real estate pays in bursts. I keep an eye on your pipeline too, so a quiet month before a closing does not read as a problem.

Should I set up an S corp now that I am doing more volume?

That is above my pay grade. A real accountant looks at your actual numbers and tells you if the switch is worth it this year.

The tax side

The tax side of a solo agent's business.

Most of what matters here is what counts as your income after splits and fees, and getting the set-aside started before commissions land in bursts.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Self-employment taxCommission income carries self-employment tax at 15.3 percent up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500, since most agents are paid as independent contractors.
  • Quarterly estimated paymentsWith no withholding on commission checks, estimated payments are usually due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
  • The pass-through deductionMost agents can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when commission income and referral fees paid are booked correctly all year.
  • Vehicle expenses for showingsMileage between showings, listings, and closings is usually deductible, using either the standard mileage rate or actual vehicle costs, whichever the accountant finds works better for your year.

Deductions solo real estate agents miss

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

  • MLS and board dues
  • State license renewal
  • Continuing education courses
  • E and O insurance
  • Closing gifts
  • Postcards and direct mail
  • Social media ad spend
  • Professional headshots
  • Sign riders and lockboxes
  • Mileage between showings
  • Phone and data plan
  • Home office for a dedicated workspace

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 solo agent's year, kept every month.

Listings and closings do not follow a calendar month. Your taxes come on a schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of both. 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 if you paid any, and a monthly set-aside is planned so April is already handled.

  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 market changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the slow season

    Winter usually means fewer showings. Gus looks at what is worth buying or doing before December while things are quieter.

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 solo 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 solo agents ask first.

I do not have a bookkeeping system at all right now. Where do we start?

Send your last bank statement, the one your commission deposits land in. Gus sorts what is on it, and most agents can see where they stand within a week.

How does Gus handle a commission that is split between two closings in the same deposit?

He separates each closing by the deposit's detail from your brokerage, so two sales landing together still show as two distinct pieces of income.

I do a handful of rental deals a year too. Does that change anything?

No. Rental placement fees get sorted the same way as sale commissions, as their own category so you can see how much of your year came from each.

Can Gus tell me if my marketing is actually working?

He tracks what you spend on marketing against the closings that follow. It will not prove which postcard did it, but the trend over months tells you if the spend is paying off.

Do I need to send my books in every single month?

Just when Gus asks, usually once your last bank statement is ready. He works from what you send, and messy or late is fine, since he sorts it either way.

I am thinking about switching brokerages mid-year. Will that mess up my books?

No. Gus keeps commission income under one line no matter which brokerage it comes from, so a switch mid-year does not break the picture of your year.

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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What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for

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