Commercial Leasing Commission Net Payout Calculator
Your net commission is your gross, minus any co-broker split, minus your brokerage's share up to your cap, minus referral and flat fees. On a $60,000 gross at a 70% house split, take-home before tax is roughly $42,000, and it arrives in two parts: an execution half and an occupancy half.
How the commission waterfall works
The number on the commission agreement is rarely the number that hits your account. Your gross passes through a series of deductions, in a specific order, before it becomes your take-home. Getting the order right matters, because applying the deductions in the wrong sequence changes the result.
The usual order is: the co-broker split comes off the top first, because it divides the commission between two brokerages before anything else. What remains is your firm's side. That is then split with your own brokerage according to your house split, up to your annual cap. Referral fees and flat transaction or desk fees come out after. Whatever is left is your net, before tax.
Worked example: a $60,000 gross commission, no co-broke, a 70/30 house split, and no remaining cap. The brokerage takes 30%, or $18,000, leaving $42,000. Add a co-broke or a referral fee and the take-home drops accordingly. The calculator above runs your specific numbers and shows the line-by-line breakdown.
Co-broker split vs broker-brokerage split
These two are constantly confused, and they are not the same thing. A co-broker split divides the commission between two brokerages on the same deal, for example the tenant-side firm and the landlord-side firm. A broker-brokerage split, often called the house split, divides your firm's share between you and your own brokerage through tiers, caps, or a flat percentage.
Both can happen on the same commission, so your real take-home is the commission, minus the co-broke if there is one, then split with your house. It pays to know all three numbers before you count on the money. The detail on each is in the guides on co-broker commission splits and how broker-brokerage splits work.
How the annual cap changes your take-home
Many brokerages cap the amount they take in a given year. Once you have paid your house its capped amount, your split effectively becomes 100% for the rest of the period. That means an identical deal can net very differently depending on whether you have hit your cap. Enter your remaining cap in the calculator and it splits the deal across the pre-cap and post-cap rates automatically, the same way your brokerage would.
When each half actually pays
Net take-home is only half the picture. The other half is timing. A commercial leasing commission usually pays in two parts, an execution half when the lease is signed and an occupancy half when the tenant takes the space. The execution half often follows signing within a reasonable window. The occupancy half waits on the build-out and can sit for months.
That is why this calculator asks how many months until you are paid. A deal that nets $42,000 on paper is a different financial reality if half of it lands ninety days from now. The full timeline is covered in when commercial leasing brokers actually get paid, and the reason the back half lags is in the 50/50 trap.
Closing the cash-flow gap
If your net is solid but the timing is the problem, a commission advance turns the unpaid portion into cash now. Cash For Commish purchases future commission payments at a flat 3⅓% discount per month outstanding, with no underwriting or origination fees and no personal guarantee, funding the next business day. You are selling an earned asset, not borrowing.
To see whether an advance beats waiting or borrowing, use the advance vs loan calculator. For strategy on evening out the gaps between closings, see how to smooth income and cash flow forecasting.
Frequently asked questions
How do commercial leasing commission splits work?
The gross commission is divided first between brokerages through any co-broker split, then your firm's share is split with your own brokerage through your house split, up to your annual cap. Referral and flat fees come out after. What remains is your net.
What is the difference between a co-broker split and a house split?
A co-broker split divides the commission between two brokerages on the same deal. A house split divides your firm's share between you and your own brokerage. Both can apply to the same commission.
How much does a broker keep after the house split?
It depends on the split and whether you have hit your cap. At a 70/30 split with no cap reached, you keep 70% of your side. Once you cap out, you keep close to 100% for the rest of the year, minus any flat fees.
How is the annual cap applied?
Your brokerage takes its split only until you have paid in your capped amount for the year. After that, it stops taking a split and you keep your full side, typically less a fixed transaction fee.
Why does the calculator ask how many months until I am paid?
Because a commercial leasing commission usually pays in two parts, an execution half and an occupancy half, and the occupancy half can lag by months. Timing affects when your net actually reaches your account, and whether an advance makes sense.
