When your brokerage was small, tracking commissions in an Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheets probably worked just fine. You could set up your own formulas, keep tabs on deals, and make quick edits as needed.
But when your company starts to grow, everything changes. More agents. More deals. More complex commission plans. Suddenly, those simple spreadsheets aren’t so simple anymore. Mistakes can creep in, tasks can take longer, and typically, you spend more time troubleshooting than running your business. If this sounds familiar, it may be time to look for a new system and process. There’s a better way.
Here are five clear signs your brokerage has outgrown spreadsheets and how Loft47 can help you move forward.
1. Errors Are Costing You Time and Trust
When commissions are calculated in spreadsheets, even a single incorrect keystroke or a broken formula can throw off the entire payout. It only takes a small error for an agent to lose confidence in the process.
If you find yourself double-checking every cell or redoing calculations for accuracy, that’s a big red flag. In real estate, brokers know that accuracy is everything, both for your agents and for your trust and escrow accounts.
Loft47 solves this by automating commission calculations from the get-go. Once a deal is entered, the math is handled for you, no manual formulas needed, no endless copy-paste, no risk of deleting the wrong cell. It keeps your numbers accurate, so you and your team can remain confident in your commissions.
2. Admin Work Is Taking Over Your Day
Spreadsheets may be free, but they’re rarely fast. As your brokerage grows, so does the amount of manual work: entering data from contracts, updating totals, reconciling transactions, and making adjustments for bonuses or fees.
If your day feels like it’s swallowed up by spreadsheet maintenance, you’re losing valuable time you could spend on recruiting, training, and building client relationships.
Loft47 integrates with tools you already use, like dotloop, DocuSign, SkySlope, Xero, and QuickBooks Online, so data flows automatically from contract to close. No duplicate entry. No hunting for missing information. Our software creates connected workflows that give you back hours every week.
3. Agents Keep Asking for Payout Updates
In many brokerages, agents have to email or call to find out when they’re getting paid or how much they’ve earned so far. That means you’re stopping your work to dig through the spreadsheet, find the deal, and send an update.
Not only does this slow you down, but it also creates frustration for agents who want answers right away.
With Loft47, every agent has their own secure, mobile-friendly portal. They can see pending deals, completed transactions, paystubs, and year-to-date earnings anytime, no waiting for an email. That level of transparency makes life easier for you and keeps your team happy.
4. Commission Plans Are Getting Too Complex for Spreadsheets
Starting out, commission structures could be straightforward: a set split for everyone. But as you’ve grown, you’ve likely introduced tiered splits, caps, bonuses, team overrides, or custom fees.
Trying to manage it all in a spreadsheet is not only time-consuming, it’s risky. One small error can lead to a big payout mistake. And if you have to make frequent plan changes, it’s even harder to keep everything straight.
Loft47 is designed for flexible, customizable commission structures. If you need to handle different types of team arrangements, apply bonuses, or adjust fees, it can adapt without you having to rebuild your entire system.
5. Reporting Takes Forever
Good decisions come from good data. But if generating reports means pulling numbers from multiple tabs, checking for errors, and hoping everything is up to date, you’re wasting time and risking bad calls.
Spreadsheets are static snapshots. If you want real-time insight into how your brokerage is performing, you need a system that updates instantly.
With Loft47, you can run detailed reports on transactions, payouts, agent performance, and more, all in real time. You’ll know exactly where your business stands, and you can spot trends or problems early.
Moving Beyond Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets are a great starting point, but they’re not built for growth. Once your brokerage reaches a certain size, the risks, inefficiencies, and stress they cause start to outweigh their convenience.
That’s where Loft47 comes in. It’s built specifically for real estate brokerages that want to save time, improve accuracy, and give their agents a better organized experience overall. By automating commission tracking and connecting your systems, Loft47 helps you spend less time managing numbers and more time growing your business.
If you’re spending hours fixing formulas, answering payout questions, and wrestling with complex commission plans, it’s a sign you’ve outgrown spreadsheets. Loft47 can take you to the next level.
Learn more about our software and see how easy it can be to manage commissions with confidence.