Custom commission settlement app for estate agents
Appfront builds apps that help estate agency offices settle commission: from the commission agreement in the instruction through to the sale, the invoice to the client and the statement to the notary, with the split across the agents involved. So that a file which passes through the notary is settled the same day and nobody has to calculate afterwards.
What is a commission settlement app?
A commission settlement app records for every instruction what has been agreed: a percentage of the sale price, a fixed amount, a tiered scale or a combination, along with any additional costs and VAT. On sale or letting, the app calculates the commission, prepares the invoice and passes the amount on to the notary, who deducts it at completion. It then splits the proceeds between the agent, the branch and, where applicable, the co-operating office, according to the arrangements in place.
Without an app, the agreement sits in the instruction to act, someone works out the commission on a sale in a spreadsheet, the invoice goes through the accounts, and the split is calculated at the end of the quarter. That works until the first dispute over a tiered scale, a shared instruction, or an agent who left halfway through a file. And the notary phones to ask what amount to deduct before the invoice has even been prepared.
We build custom software because commission arrangements differ per office. An office with a fixed fee per broker calculates differently from one with a percentage per file, and a franchise has a formula-based fee that sits somewhere in between. The agreements you make with clients and with your people determine the calculation. The app should know those agreements, not a generic version of them.
Agreement per file
Percentage, fixed amount, tiered scale or combination, with additional costs and VAT, recorded at instruction rather than only at sale.
Invoice and notary
The invoice on sale in a single step, and the statement to the notary in the format they expect.
Split across agents
What the agent receives, what the branch keeps and what goes to a co-operating office, calculated per file and paid out per period.
How we build your commission settlement app
We start with your instructions to act and the arrangements with your agents, since that is where the rules the app must follow are set. We then build the settlement from file through to the accounts.
Which commission structures you use, which additional costs apply, and how you split proceeds across agents, branches and co-operating offices. We review a sample of instructions and staff arrangements with you.
The commission agreement per file, the calculation on sale or letting, and a check that the sale price on the file matches the deed.
The invoice to the client, the statement to the notary and the receipt of the amount after completion, all tracked in the app.
Distribution per file and per period, linked to your accounting and payroll. After that, we take over the management of the app.
What a commission settlement app does in practice
The components below appear in almost every estate agency. Which ones you need depends on your commission structures and how you split proceeds.
Commission agreement per file
Percentage, fixed amount, tiered scale, minimum, additional costs and VAT, recorded at instruction with the signed instruction attached.
Calculation on sale
The commission from the sale price and the agreement, checked against the deed, with a breakdown of how it is built up.
Settlement invoice
The invoice to the client in a single step, in your house style, with the payment status attached.
Statement to the notary
The amount the notary deducts at completion, in the format the notary's office expects, with receipt tracked.
Split across agents
Per file, who receives what, according to the agreement per agent, per branch and per co-operating office.
Summary per period
Settled and outstanding commission per estate agent, per branch and per month, as the basis for payouts and bookkeeping.
Who we build a commission settlement app for
The app is intended for offices where commission is split across several people and parties, and where settlement currently involves too much manual work and disagreement.
Estate agency offices with multiple agents
Each agent has their own agreement, files change hands, and the split must add up correctly for every file.
Estate agency chains and franchises
A formula fee on top of the split per office, and reporting that shows the formula per branch.
Letting agents
Letting commission, often a fixed amount or a month's rent, with high volumes and small amounts that need to be settled quickly.
Offices that collaborate
Shared instructions with another office, where the split is set out in the agreement and must be honoured at settlement.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
This page is about settling commission after a sale. For the process before that, from viewing to accepted offer, we have a separate page on bid log and viewing schedule software. For broader property management there is property management software, and you can read about our approach at building an app.
Why choose Appfront for your commission settlement app?
Commission is the revenue of an estate agency. A settlement that is correct for each file and closes each period is not administration but the core of the business.
The agreement is fixed at instruction
No need to work out what was agreed only at the point of sale. The commission type and additional costs are recorded at the moment the instruction is signed.
Your split rules, including the complicated ones
By agent, by branch, by collaborating office and by formula. What you have agreed is reproduced, and a file that changes hands is divided pro rata.
The conveyancer doesn't need to call
The notification goes from the app to the conveyancing firm as soon as the invoice is prepared, and receipt after completion is tracked through to the bookkeeping.
Security and privacy in a commission settlement app
Commission agreements and the split between agents are confidential, even within the office. Access is governed by role: an agent sees their own files and their own split, the branch management the whole branch, and administration the invoices and payments. Every access to split data is logged.
Invoices and settlements are immutable once sent. A correction is made through a credit note and a new invoice, both visible on the file. If a client or agent disputes a figure, the build-up of every settlement can be traced in full.
Frequently asked questions about a commission settlement app
Questions estate agency firms ask before getting started with this.
It records the commission agreement for each file at instruction, calculates the commission on sale or letting, prepares the invoice, passes the amount to the conveyancer and splits the proceeds across agents, branches and collaborating offices. Payment is tracked through to the bookkeeping.
Yes. Percentage, fixed amount, tiers based on the purchase price, minimum, additional costs and VAT are recorded per file according to your terms of engagement. If you change your rates, you change the configuration, not the code.
Once the invoice is prepared, the notification with the amount to be withheld goes to the conveyancing firm in the format they expect. After completion, the app tracks receipt and flags it if an amount fails to arrive.
Yes, according to the agreement per estate agent: a percentage of the commission, a fixed amount per file, or a combination. Where a file changes hands between agents, the app divides the commission in proportion to the agreement you make for it. The result goes to payroll or accounting per period.
Yes. For rentals, commission is often a fixed amount or a month's rent, with many files and small sums. The app settles these in the same way, with the invoice to the client and the split across the agents involved.
Yes. The file and sale price come from your CRM, the invoice and payment go to your accounts package, and the split goes to your payroll. We connect to the packages you already use.
Sometimes, and we'll tell you so. Custom development makes sense if your splitting rules don't fit a standard package, if shared instructions and franchise fees are currently calculated by hand, or if the statement to the notary and the payment aren't tracked in the same file.
Want to settle your commission per file accurately?
Tell us which commission models you use and how you divide the income. We'll review a few instructions with you and show what an app would concretely deliver in your situation.