Free Payroll Tool
Estimate your managed payroll cost
Enter your headcount and current spend to see what fully managed payroll would cost at $45 PEPM.
Open the Cost Calculator →Blog · Payroll Management · Real Estate
Real Estate Agencies: Payroll Outsourcing Cost vs. In-House Hire (2026)
Payroll outsourcing for a real estate brokerage costs $45 per employee per month, all-inclusive, against an in-house payroll clerk at the $58,260 BLS national median before benefits and taxes. Live in 3 to 5 business days, with commission-only agent payroll and agent contractor vs W-2 classification configured at setup.
What the outsourced price includes for a real estate brokerage
Processing on your schedule, federal and state deposits and filings in every state with an employee, new hire reporting, direct deposit, garnishment processing, W-2s and 1099s, year-end close, and the real estate brokerage configuration for commission-only agent payroll, agent contractor vs W-2 classification, split commission processing and draw-against-commission structures. Corrections caused by the provider are the provider's cost, including amended returns. There is no per-run fee, no per-state fee and no year-end fee.
What the in-house price includes, honestly
A payroll and timekeeping clerk at the BLS OEWS May 2025 national median of $58,260, about $75,738 loaded, plus software, plus the cost of the errors one person makes alone. The outside sales exemption from minimum wage and overtime requires that the employee's primary duty be making sales or obtaining orders or contracts, and that the employee be customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer's place of business. The salary requirements of the regulation do not apply to this exemption.
Break-even for real estate brokerages
At 50 employees outsourcing is $27,000 a year; at 100 it is $54,000. Both sit under the loaded clerk at about $75,738. Below about 20 employees the realistic comparison is with software rather than a hire, where the case rests on commission-only agent payroll rather than price.
The rules behind this page, with sources
General information, not legal advice. Every rule below was read on the agency page linked next to it.
- The outside sales exemption from minimum wage and overtime requires that the employee's primary duty be making sales or obtaining orders or contracts, and that the employee be customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer's place of business. The salary requirements of the regulation do not apply to this exemption. [DOL Fact Sheet #17F]
Read the full guide to how much payroll outsourcing costs, and the rest of the real estate brokerage payroll library.
Managed Payroll, Handled.
BEG manages payroll at $45 per employee per month, all-inclusive. Get an instant cost comparison for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in the outsourced payroll price for a real estate brokerage?
Processing, all federal and state filings, new hire reporting, direct deposit, garnishments, W-2s and 1099s, year-end close and the real estate brokerage pay code setup. No per-run, per-state or year-end fees.
What does a payroll clerk cost a real estate brokerage in-house?
$58,260 a year at the BLS OEWS May 2025 national median, about $75,738 with benefits and employer taxes, before software.
What does a payroll error cost a real estate brokerage?
The outside sales exemption from minimum wage and overtime requires that the employee's primary duty be making sales or obtaining orders or contracts, and that the employee be customarily and regularly engaged away from the employer's place of business. The salary requirements of the regulation do not apply to this exemption.
What does managed payroll cost for a real estate brokerage?
$45 per employee per month, all-inclusive, inside the payroll software you already use, with no monthly minimum. Commission-only agent payroll, agent contractor vs W-2 classification and split commission processing are configured at setup, not billed as add-ons.
Related Resources
Anthony leads payroll solutions at Business Executive Group, a national managed payroll firm serving businesses across industries including Real Estate Agencies. BEG manages payroll at $45 PEPM, all-inclusive, with deep expertise in compliance, multi-state filing, and industry-specific payroll requirements. Get instant pricing at beghr.com.
Authoritative source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
From the blog