Real Estate
Where we focus within real estate
Our work in real estate concentrates on the areas where the accounting complexity is highest and the compliance stakes are real.
Agency structuring
Real estate agencies often run across several entities: the agency itself, a trust for principal ownership, and sometimes a separate property or investment vehicle. We structure and manage these so ownership, risk and tax sit where they should.
Trust account awareness
Trust account handling carries strict obligations that go well beyond standard bookkeeping. We understand the separation between trust and operating funds, and we structure our advice and reporting so that distinction stays front of mind at every step.
Our approach to real estate
Commission income and trust obligations need a different lens.
Cash flow, compliance and structure are different for agencies. Generic advice does not cut it.
Real estate agencies deal with commission-based income that can be lumpy month to month, a mix of employed and contracted agents, and trust account obligations that sit outside normal business banking. Treating an agency like a generic small business misses all three.
We have worked with principals and multi-agent agencies for over a decade. We understand how commission splits, contractor arrangements and trust obligations flow through the numbers, and how to structure ownership so the business and its principals are properly protected.
Commission income smoothed into planning
We help you plan tax and cash flow around income that moves month to month, rather than working off a flat annual assumption that doesn’t hold up.
Contractor and employee agent arrangements
We manage the compliance difference between employed and contracted agents, including superannuation and payroll tax obligations for each.
Trust-account aware structuring
Our advice reflects the boundary between trust funds and operating funds, not a one-size-fits-all small business template that ignores it.
Multi-entity ownership
Where the agency, a principal’s trust and any property interests sit across multiple entities, we keep the structure clean and the reporting clear.
Why Wiseman
Deliberately focused on you
Rather than serving every kind of business, we’ve built our practice around growth-minded, family-owned businesses. Here’s what that means in practice.
Built for family business
We focus on established, family-owned businesses turning over $1M or more, with real depth in construction, professional services and real estate.
A dedicated client manager
Your advice comes from an experienced client manager who knows your business.
Independent & conflict-free
We don’t sell financial products, lending or property. Nothing we recommend is shaped by what we have to sell.
Proactive all year
Regular advisory meetings and Xero-based KPI monitoring, so we help you plan ahead rather than only reporting on the year that’s already gone.
Value, not price
We compete on the quality of advice and the results it drives, a long-term partnership, not the cheapest return in town.
Genuinely local
An Ipswich firm that understands South East Queensland business, growing alongside the owners we work with.
Do real estate agencies need something different from a standard business accountant?
Yes. Commission-based income, trust account obligations and multi-entity ownership don’t fit a generic small business template, which is exactly where real estate accountants like us focus. We’ve worked with principals and multi-agent agencies for over a decade.
Does your service include managing our trust account?
Trust account handling carries strict obligations that sit outside normal business banking. Our structuring and reporting are built around keeping that separation clear, alongside the rest of your agency’s accounts.
Our commission income moves around a lot month to month. Can you still help us plan?
That’s exactly the pattern we plan around. Rather than working off a flat annual assumption, we build tax and cash flow planning around income that’s genuinely lumpy, so a slow month doesn’t throw the whole year out.
We have a mix of employed and contracted agents. Do you handle both?
Yes. Employed and contracted agents carry different superannuation and payroll tax obligations, and we manage that distinction properly rather than treating every agent in the agency the same way, whichever category they sit in.
Our agency, a principal's trust and a property interest all sit in different entities. Can you keep that straight?
That’s a common structure in real estate, and one we work with regularly. We keep the agency, the trust and any property interests clearly structured so ownership, risk and reporting stay clean across all of them. See structuring and asset protection for how we approach it.
What should we have ready before the first conversation about our agency's structure?
Your current accounts, a picture of how the agency, any trust and other entities are set up, and a conversation about where the business and its principals are heading. From there we can tell you what, if anything, needs to change.
