Top Real Estate Agent IRS Audit Triggers

by Express Cash Flow Blog Posts

Real Estate Agent IRS Audit Triggers

As the calendar year ends, every real estate agent will look back at how the year went financially.   Your income (or profit) is almost always in an inverse relationship with your tax obligations.  As a real estate agent, you will want to take as many steps as possible to avoid an audit.  With that in mind, here are the top audit triggers, and what you can do to avoid them.

Income Audit Triggers

  1. Income Numbers Don’t Match. Make sure your 1099’s match up to what you report to the IRS.  This is the fastest way to get a letter from the IRS because the IRS will automatically detect a discrepancy.
  2. You made a lot of money this past year. This one is simple, and it is good.  You want to make a lot of money as a real estate agent, that’s probably why you got in the business.  However, increasing your income also increases the amount of your income the IRS could stand to gain by auditing you.  If you are making a lot of money during the year, make sure you can prove everything that you are taking as a deduction.
  3. You made a lot less money this past year. This is not as good.  If you made a lot less money, an audit could be even more devastating.  If you are legitimately reporting all income, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about, but if there’s a chance you might not have reported everything (even by accident), this won’t look good in an audit.

Deduction/Employment Audit Triggers

  1.  As A Real Estate Agent, You’re Self Employed. If you are a real estate agent, this likely applies to you.  Even if you’ve set up your business as a corporation or an LLC , you will still fall into a higher risk category than someone earning a paycheck from a large company.  Be extra cautious about the deductions you take, an make tax liability payments promptly.
  2.  You deduct your home office and/or vehicle. You should!  But as a real estate agent, you have to do this one right.  You should get clear with your CPA on exactly how much is allowable for home office and vehicle deductions, as going over these thresholds can be a red flag that results in an audit, regardless of how much income you make.  Be very careful to follow these guidelines.
  3.  Meal/Entertainment Deductions. Yes, these deductions are allowable, but under strict guidelines.  Are you spending amounts that are “excessive” or “lavish”?  Are you spending amounts that are too large in proportion to your gross income?  All of these things can be red flags that trigger an audit, and you will find yourself in a difficult situation trying to justify these expenses.  Meals and entertainment costs are deductible up to 50 percent if they are ordinary and necessary to your business.
  4.  You were particularly generous this year! The IRS is always on the lookout for people who inflate their charitable donations and use a range based off a percent of income that is reasonable.

Bottom line if you have questions about a deduction that you can take ask your CPA, its better to then going through an audit.

About Us:

Express Cash Flow provides commission advances for real estate agents and brokers.  Check us out at www.ExpressCashFlow.com or call us at 844-818-2274.

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Building The Best Referral Base

by Express Cash Flow Blog Posts

Referral Base Is Key

Much is made of how real estate agents are always doing business “by referral only” and mention that the best compliment you can give them is a referral of a family member, friend, or associate.  This is on business cards, email signatures, personalized notepads and perhaps even hanging on a sign in real estate offices.  But how do all these real estate agents go about building the referral base they seek?  We’d like to share with you some of their tricks of the trade.

  1. Always be involved in your community: This doesn’t just mean involvment in your community to secure buyers and listings, but also when it has NOTHING to do with real estate. Get to know the people living in your community.  Become an advocate for these issues and make yourself a local presence, for everything that isn’t about your own self-interest, and you will start to your referral base grow.
  2. Pick a Non-Profit You Are Passionate About, and Support It: This gives you an opportunity to do work that you care about.  It also helps build a network of like-minded people. What’s more, non-profits are generally led by successful people whom are more likely to transact in real estate, and eventually be a boost to your bottom line.  See?  It really is all for a good cause!
  3. Be A Resource for Others: One of the best ways for people to remember you as a savvy business person is to always have what they need, right then. This means knowing the right contractor, plumber, electrician, landscaper, photographer and hairdresser at a moment’s notice.  Being the resource people trust in the business community will help you build relationships.  In time, this will lead to reciprocity amongst your referral base.
  4. Pick A Strong Networking Group: Many industry veterans will tell you that belonging to a networking group is a must.  BNI, Toastmasters, Le Tip, ProVisors and other networking groups are all great options. These groups are crucial to building your networking skills and referral base.  However, it is crucial to pick the right group.  If the whole group is new to their business together, this will be a slower path towards growth.
  5. All The face time: In today’s world of modern day technology, we have more ways than ever to avoid actually sitting and talking with other people. We can email, text, call, Facebook Message, Tweet or Snapchat all of our contacts.  We’re to the point where getting face time is not the same thing as FaceTime.  We humans are social creatures, and the best way to stay top of mind is the old fashioned way.  This means being in the same place at the same time, and having meaningful conversations.  So schedule coffee, lunch, drinks, dinners, gym sessions or walks on the beach.  Spend time with people.  People who enrich you both personally and professionally, and whom have genuine interest in your business.  The ROI on this time spent with another real live human is the best way to grow your referral base.

About Us:

Express Cash Flow provides commission advances for real
estate agents and brokers.  Check us out at www.ExpressCashFlow.com or call us at 844-818-2274.

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Real estate agent at work in California

Finding the Best Commission Advance Company

by Express Cash Flow Blog Posts

Real estate agent at work in CaliforniaThis past summer, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that single-family housing sales were at a higher level than they’d been in nearly 10 years. That’s good news for those who depend on the real estate market to make a living. Strong markets don’t always mean you are able to avoid a cash crunch, though. In order to quell cash flow issues before they become a burden, you might consider a commission advance company.

Attractive Mixed Race Woman in Front of House and Sold Real Estate Sign.

Different Types of Commissions for Realtors

by Express Cash Flow Blog Posts

Many advance companies in California get asked about how realtors are compensated. This can be a complicated question to answer as there are a few different kinds of commissions. If you have been wondering this same thing, then this article will outline some of the most common forms of realtor compensation we use. Each commission advance company in California will encounter these same payment processes.

Exclusive Right to Sell Commissions

Realtors love having their clients sign these contracts. Basically this means that even if another agent is actually the one to close the deal that finally sells the house, the original agent reserves the right to take their contracted share of the sale price. The most common percentage we see in the real estate world is 3%.

Exclusive Agency Commissions

When you sign up with an agency rather than a specific agent, then you will get the help of many people at the agency. How the agents get paid in these scenarios will differ for each company. Some will pool the commissions with all who helped, and others will assign one person who will get the lion’s share of the money. Each sale, however, will give part of its whole to the agency owners and/or managers. This is like paying dues for working under the umbrella of a successful company. Signing this kind of contract means you will pay them if the house sells before a specific time frame. Usually that time frame is 6 months. This is by far the most common listing practice.

Open Listing Commissions

This listing type will give you the most freedom as the seller, but will also solicit less loyalty from the agent. This means that you will get the help of an agent, but whoever is the one to bring about the sale will be the one to get the commission from the sale. Agents working under this listing type will be aggressive, and will also have other projects going on due to the possibility of losing the sale to others.

Please visit www.ExpressCashFlow.com.  Express Cash Flow offers Commission Advances for real estate agents and brokers nationwide.

Commission Advance

Why Get A Commission Advance?

by Express Cash Flow Blog Posts

No matter how much you make, chances are you have developed a lifestyle that somewhat matches your income. Having to wait a long time for the money you’ve already earned is an unnecessary hassle that can put a strain on your pocketbook. At Express Cash Flow, we manage your commission advance in California based on what you need and your normal work output. Why should you get a commission advance?

The paperwork of a real estate transaction can be a strenuous process. Waiting for your commission can be difficult when you know that your work is done. Trying to grow a real estate business is hard enough without having to wait for the money you’ve already earned. You’ve got bills to pay off, an office to supply, and you’re probably already working on the next deal. Your business can’t afford to be put on hold. An advance can keep the cash flowing, as it’s being earned. Taking advantage of this advance service means you can always be working on the next deal and earning the next commission check.

So, don’t add to your stress level. Don’t put on the brakes every time a commission takes too long to get there. Your business deserves to keep pumping away, and you deserve to have a business that is working as hard as you.