Agent fees run from the agent to the brokerage, come out of the agent's share after the split, and can never exceed what that agent earned. Answers to the common questions about setting them up, percentage bases, and zero-commission deals.
Who can set up agent fees?
Master admins only. The Agent Fees page sits in Admin / Settings under Financials. If you can't see it, that's why.
Can an agent fee be paid to someone other than the brokerage?
No — use a deduction instead. Agent fees always go to the brokerage. A deduction lets you name any payee, in-house or outside, so the same charge gets set up as an agent deduction when the money isn't yours to keep.
Can I charge an agent fee when the agent earns no commission?
No — but you can still put it on the CDA. Fees come out of earned commission, so there's nothing to deduct from at $0. Type the amount into the Co-op Brokerage Commission & Special Instructions box instead (for example, “Collect $350 transaction fee from agent at closing”) and it prints on the CDA above or below the payables.
What can a percentage-based agent fee be calculated on?
Six values. Gross Commission, Sale Price, Distributable Commission, Broker Gross, Agent Gross, or Gross Commission less Referral Commission — chosen in the Fee % Basis column.
Can I add a fee that only applies to one transaction?
Yes. Create the fee on the Agent Fees page and leave its default amount blank. It waits on the list and only counts on the transactions where someone types an amount into it.
Will changing a fee update transactions I've already entered?
No — changes apply going forward. To bring an existing transaction up to date, open it, click [Update Commissions], and re-enter the commissions so the new amount or basis recalculates.
Do agent fees show up on the CDA?
The CDA lists payables, not a fee breakdown. It tells title which checks to cut. For a line-by-line view of what an agent paid, use the agent's commission statement.
What does “Brokerage Fees + Taxes Collected” mean on a transaction?
It's the total of all agent fees paid to the brokerage. The label reads the same way whether or not tax is part of it, so if your agents don't pay you taxes, that portion is $0 and you can ignore it.
Where can I see everything one agent has paid in fees?
The YTD pop-up, or the Agent Income report. The agent's YTD pop-up appears while you're entering commissions and totals each fee they've paid. For a full year, run the Agent Income report with deduction details included.
Learn More
Agent fees are what an agent pays the brokerage out of their own share of a commission: office admin, E&O, B&O tax. Set them up once and they're ready on every transaction.
See Agent Fees
Still Have Questions?
Didn't find your answer above? Email us at help@paperlesspipeline.com and we'll help.