What does the free version include?

Up to 5 listings across all statuses (active, under contract, and settled all count). The full 8-step commission calculation, unlimited agency profiles and tier configurations, tier tracking with period resets, FY earnings totals, complete backups, agency setup transfer, the Next Settlement widget, iCloud sync, Spotlight search, notifications, share cards, and Siri & Shortcuts support are free. Pro unlocks unlimited listings, Advanced Insights, Period Review, spreadsheet CSV import/export, and the Commission Scorecard and FY Progress widgets.

Does the 5-listing limit apply to active listings only?

No — the limit applies to your total portfolio across all statuses. Active, Under Contract, and Settled listings all count toward the limit of 5. This ensures accurate tier tracking across your full financial year.

How does Commission Buddy handle GST?

Tier thresholds in Australian real estate are assessed on Gross Commission Income including GST. Commission Buddy calculates both inc. and ex. GST values, applies fee levels to the ex. GST amount (standard industry practice), and tracks tiers against the inc. GST gross — matching your agency agreement exactly.

Can I set up multiple commission profiles?

Yes. You can create unlimited agency profiles — each with its own fee levels (franchise %, marketing %, fixed fees) and tier thresholds. Useful if you work across multiple offices, have different structures for residential vs commercial, or want to model alternative fee scenarios.

How do cross-tier deals work?

When a listing's gross commission crosses a tier threshold, Commission Buddy splits the BASE proportionally across rate bands. The portion of commission below the threshold is calculated at the lower split rate; the portion above is calculated at the new rate. This matches how most Australian agency agreements work.

What is the QuickCalc tool?

QuickCalc lets you estimate commission for any sale price instantly, without saving a listing. Enter a price and commission rate, pick a profile, and see the full breakdown — useful for appraisals or quick what-if scenarios. No data is saved.

What is Advanced Insights?

Advanced Insights (Pro) transforms Commission Buddy from a calculator into a business intelligence tool. It shows income trends month-over-month and year-over-year, forecasts your FY total based on current pipeline velocity, identifies your best suburbs and lead sources, analyses your fees, deductions, referral fees, and bonuses, tracks bonus triggers with progress bars, and shows goal pace in real time.

What is Period Review?

Period Review is a personalised performance summary for any timeframe — think of it as your commission Wrapped. Pick a period (this quarter, last quarter, this year, last year, last 30 days, or a custom range) and Commission Buddy generates a full breakdown: total net commission with prior period comparison, a "Where Did My Money Go?" waterfall (GCI → fees → deductions → referrals → bonuses → in-hand), your current tier and split progress, bonus trigger tracking with progress bars, a month-by-month chart, up to 12 personalised insights, and deal highlights. Available in the Insights tab. Pro only.

How do settlement and contract reminders work?

Commission Buddy schedules reminders on-device: a reminder at 9 AM on your estimated settlement date, a follow-up if a listing is still Under Contract 7 days after that date, Period Review notifications, days-on-market check-ins, referral follow-ups, and a weekly check-in. All reminders are scheduled locally — no server involved.

How do import and export work?

Commission Buddy has three manual transfer options in Tools → Import & Export. Complete Backup is free and exports all listings, agencies, fees, split settings, tags, and settings to one JSON file; restoring can merge with your current data or replace everything. Agency Setup transfer is free and exports one agency profile, including fees, tiers, split settings, and bonuses, so it can be imported as a separate copy. Spreadsheet CSV import/export is a Pro workflow for listings: export to Excel, Numbers, or Sheets, or import listings from CSV after previewing every row. Files are handled on your device and are separate from automatic iCloud Sync.

Yes. Commission Buddy has no backend server. Your listing data, sale prices, and commission figures are stored locally on your device using SwiftData. We do not collect, transmit, or have access to any of your financial data. iCloud sync (free, on by default) stores your data in your own personal iCloud account — not ours — and you can turn it off in Settings.

How does iCloud Sync work?

iCloud Sync is free and on by default. It uses Apple CloudKit to keep your data in sync across all your Apple devices signed in with the same Apple ID — open the app on a new device and your listings are already there. It works automatically in the background. Your data goes directly to your personal iCloud account — Commission Buddy's servers are not involved. You can turn it off in Settings → Sync.

Can I use Siri and Shortcuts?

Yes — for free. Ask Siri to add a listing (it matches the address for you), list your active, under-contract or settled listings, or read out a listing's summary and commission rate. The same actions are available as Shortcuts so you can build them into your own automations.

How do I add a co-agent split?

When adding or editing a listing, expand the Commission Split section and toggle "Split with Another Agent". Enter your share percentage (e.g., 50% means you and the co-agent split equally). The app shows "Co-agent receives X%" beneath the slider. Your custom split percentages are auto-saved as presets for future use.

What agency templates are available?

Commission Buddy includes pre-filled agency profile templates for common Australian structures (major franchise, boutique, team, and flat split). These are starting points — you should confirm the exact figures with your agency agreement and edit the profile to match.

What commission structures does Commission Buddy support?

Commission Buddy works with virtually any Australian commission structure: flat splits (a fixed percentage after fees), tiered splits (your share increases as GCI crosses thresholds — quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly resets), franchise fee models (percentage royalties, marketing levies, fixed desk fees in any combination), pre-office and post-office deductions, referral fees, scheduled bonuses (per sale, monthly, quarterly, annual) with optional GCI trigger thresholds, and co-agent splits. Set up multiple agency profiles to handle different office arrangements side by side.

Support

Last updated: 17 June 2026

Support

support@commissionbuddy.app

Feature Requests

features@commissionbuddy.app

Bug Reports

bugs@commissionbuddy.app

Getting started

Add your first listing in five steps. The app walks you through the same flow on first launch.

Step 1

Property Address

Search for the property address. Commission Buddy uses it to identify the deal and show it on the properties map. Tap the address field and start typing — suburb or street name both work.

Step 2

Estimated Sale Price

Enter the vendor's expected sale price. Used for commission forecasting. You can update it to the final sale price once the contract is signed — no need to re-enter from scratch.

Step 3

Commission

Choose how you charge the vendor: a % Rate of the sale price, or a Flat Fee in dollars. Both are entered inclusive of GST — the app removes GST (÷ 1.10) automatically before calculating any fees or splits.

Step 4

Agency Profile

Select your agency profile — this defines your fee structure (franchise royalty, marketing levy, etc.) and office split. Set up your profile in Settings → Agency Setup before adding listings.

Step 5

Listing Date

The date you signed the agency agreement with the vendor — known as a Form 6 in QLD, an exclusive agency agreement in NSW, or a listing authority elsewhere. This starts your deal timeline. Log contract and settlement dates as the deal progresses.

Pro tip

The in-app tutorial walks you through these same 5 steps with live tips. Tap the ? button in the Add Listing form to reopen it at any time.

Commission glossary

Every figure in Commission Buddy has a specific meaning. Here's the full 8-step breakdown.

Commission flow

Sale price × commission rate (or flat fee) = Gross inc. GST

↓÷ 1.10 — Remove GST

Gross ex. GST

↓− Franchise fees, marketing levy, fixed charges

BASE (after agency fees)

↓× your office split %

Your Portion (agent net)

↓− Deductions & referral fees (if configured)

↓+ Bonuses (per sale, monthly, quarterly, annual)

↓× (1 − income tax rate) optional

Est. In-Hand (after estimated tax)

Gross inc. GST Tier basis

The full commission the vendor pays — your rate × sale price, including 10% GST. Tier thresholds are always measured on this gross inc. GST figure, matching your agency agreement.

$1,000,000 × 2.5% = $25,000 gross inc. GST

Gross ex. GST

Gross commission with GST removed (÷ 1.10). This is the base figure that franchise royalties, marketing levies, and other percentage fees are calculated on.

$25,000 ÷ 1.10 = $22,727 ex. GST

Office Split

Your agency keeps a percentage of the BASE (after fees). This percentage is set in your Agency Profile. In tiered structures, your share % increases as your cumulative gross commission crosses thresholds.

75% split on $15,000 BASE = $11,250 stays at office

Your Portion (Agent Net) Primary figure

What you actually receive after all deductions — franchise fees, marketing, fixed charges, and the office split are subtracted. This is the primary figure used throughout Commission Buddy for totals, targets, and forecasts.

$25,000 gross → after fees & split → ~$4,800 agent net

Est. In-Hand Requires tax rate

Agent net further reduced by your income tax rate. Only shown when you've added a tax rate in Settings → Financial. This is an estimate — consult your accountant for actual tax obligations.

$4,800 net × (1 − 37%) = ~$3,024 est. in-hand

Estimated Pipeline Not yet settled

For listings that are Active or Under Contract, commission is estimated from the current sale price. These figures are shown separately and never included in your settled total or FY target progress.

Active at $900k → est. $3,200 your portion (not yet counted)

Financial Year Total Settled only

The sum of all agent net commissions from deals settled within the current financial year. This is what counts toward your annual target. The FY start month is configurable in Settings. Pipeline (unsettled) figures are always separate.

3 settled deals this FY = $14,400 agent net total → shown against your goal

Commission Buddy calculates figures based on the agency profile and rates you enter. Always verify against your agency's disbursement sheet.

In-depth guides

Tap the ? icon next to any field in the app to open these guides in context.

Commission Buddy supports two ways to enter what the vendor pays you, both inclusive of GST. GST is removed (÷ 1.10) automatically before any fees or splits are applied.

Two modes

• % Rate: a percentage of the sale price (e.g. 2.5%). Gross commission scales with the sale price.
• Flat Fee: a fixed dollar amount (e.g. $15,000). Gross commission is the same regardless of the sale price.

Pick the mode that matches your agency agreement using the chip toggle in the Add Listing form. You can switch between modes at any time — only the active value is saved.

Rates and fees are fully negotiable — this app does not provide financial or commission rate advice.

Your agency profile defines the fee structure and office split applied to every deal. Set it up once in Settings → Agency Setup and reuse it across all your listings.

Fee Levels

• Percentage fees (e.g. franchise royalty 6%) use commission ex. GST as the base
• Fixed fees (e.g. desk fee $150) are deducted as a flat dollar amount
• Drag to reorder — the order should match your disbursement sheet

After fees, the remaining BASE is split between you and the office. Many franchises offer tiered splits: your share increases as cumulative commission crosses set thresholds.

Use Start from a template when creating a new profile to pre-fill a structure for your agency type: Major Franchise, Boutique, Team, or Simple Flat Split.

Commission Buddy supports the two split structures used by virtually every Australian agency. Pick the one that matches your agency agreement when you create the agency profile.

Flat (single) split

A single percentage applied to every deal — e.g. you keep 50% of commission after agency fees, regardless of how much you've sold this period.

Best for: boutique agencies, team arrangements, simple PA / PM splits.

Tiered split

Your share increases as cumulative gross commission for the period crosses set thresholds — e.g. 40% up to $100k GCI, 60% from $100k–$200k, 80% above $200k.

Best for: major franchise networks (Ray White, LJ Hooker, McGrath, etc.).

How tiered splits work

What's Measured: Tiers are measured on gross commission including GST — not your net take-home. This matches how most Australian franchise agencies calculate tier progress.

Settlement Order: Your deals are sorted by settlement date. Each settled deal adds to your running total. When you cross a threshold, your split rate increases for the remaining portion.

Tier Crossing: If a single deal straddles a threshold, Commission Buddy splits the BASE proportionally across each rate band — giving you a precise, fair calculation.

Reset Period: Tier progress resets at the start of each period. Choose quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly to match your agency agreement.

Switching modes: Change a profile between Flat and Tiered at any time in Settings → Agency Setup. Existing settled deals re-calculate automatically against the new structure.

Enable this when you shared a listing with another agent and are splitting the commission between you.

My Split %: Enter YOUR share (e.g. 60%). The co-agent's share is the remainder (40%). Commission Buddy only tracks your portion.

When Applied: The split is applied after all fees and office deductions — it divides your net agent share between you and the co-agent.

Saved Presets: Save your most-used split percentages in Settings → Co-Agent Split Presets. They appear as quick-select chips when adding a listing.

The listing date is the date you signed the agency agreement with the vendor — the official start of your listing engagement. Commission Buddy uses a single, consistent label ("Listing Date") regardless of state, so the field is always in the same place.

The same document by state

• QLD: Form 6 — the official appointment of agent document
• NSW: Exclusive agency agreement
• VIC: Authority to sell / listing authority
• WA / SA / TAS / NT / ACT: Sales agency agreement

This is not the marketing go-live date — it's the date the legal authority to sell was signed.

Your annual target is a personal net commission goal for the financial year. Set it in Settings → Annual Target.

How It's Tracked: Your target is compared against your FY settled net commission. The home screen and Insights tab show progress as a percentage, progress bar, and remaining amount.

Net Basis: Targets are based on net commission (after all deductions) — not gross sale volume. Use the "GCI (ex. GST)" goal type if you want to track against gross.

Pace indicator: Insights shows whether your current pipeline velocity is on track to reach your goal by the FY end date.

Period Review is a personalised performance summary for any timeframe — like a commission Wrapped. Find it in the Insights tab via the Period Review button.

Available periods

• This Quarter / Last Quarter
• This Year / Last Year
• Last 30 Days
• Custom date range

What's included

• Total net commission & comparison with the prior equivalent period
• "Where Did My Money Go?" waterfall — GCI → fees → office split → deductions → referrals → net → bonuses → total in-hand
• Tier summary — current tier reached, split %, GCI, progress to next tier
• Bonus trigger progress — scheduled bonuses matched to the review period with progress bars
• Month-by-month bar chart of settled income
• Up to 12 personalised insights — take-home rate, agency fees total, referral fee impact, bonuses earned, strongest month, year-on-year % change, goal progress
• Deal highlights — highest GCI sale, fastest settlement, top lead channel

Notifications: Commission Buddy sends a "Your Period Review is Ready" notification on the first day after each quarter ends. Enable it in Settings → Notifications.

Bonuses are payments your agency makes on top of your normal split when you hit a target. Configure them on the agency profile in Settings → Agency Setup → Bonuses. They flow into your net commission and Period Review automatically.

Schedules supported

• Per sale: a flat amount or % added to every settled deal that meets the trigger.
• Monthly / Quarterly / Annual: paid once per period if the cumulative GCI for that period reaches the trigger threshold.

Trigger thresholds

Each bonus has an optional GCI trigger — the minimum gross commission (inc. GST) that has to be reached before the bonus applies. Leave it blank for an unconditional bonus.

Examples:

• $2,000 quarterly bonus when quarterly GCI ≥ $80,000
• 1% per-sale bonus when GCI on that sale ≥ $25,000
• $10,000 annual bonus when FY GCI ≥ $500,000

Where they appear

• Commission breakdown: per-sale bonuses are added at the bottom of the 8-step breakdown for each settled listing.
• Insights → Splits: bonus trigger progress bars show how close you are to each scheduled bonus.
• Period Review (Pro): earned bonuses are added to your in-hand total and called out in the personalised insights.

Note: Bonuses are calculated using the same settlement-date and tier-period logic as splits, so a quarterly bonus uses your quarterly GCI window, not a calendar quarter.

Property form field guide

Quick reference for every field in the Add / Edit Listing form. Available in-app via the ? button.

Pricing

Expected / Estimated Price

The vendor's expected asking price. Optional — used for forecasting before a final sale price is confirmed. Has no effect on settled income reporting.

Final Sale Price

The actual price on the contract of sale. Commission Buddy calculates your commission from this price. Update it once contracts are exchanged.

Commission

Commission — % Rate or Flat Fee (inc. GST)

Enter either a percentage of the sale price or a fixed flat fee in dollars, both inc. GST. GST is removed automatically. Example: 2.5% on $800k = $20,000 inc. GST = $18,182 ex. GST.

Co-Agent Split

Toggle on when you shared the listing with another agent. Enter your share %. The split is applied after all fees and office deductions. Save common splits as presets in Settings.

Dates

Listing Date

Date the agency agreement was signed (Form 6 in QLD, exclusive agency agreement in NSW, etc.). Starts the deal timeline. Not the marketing go-live date.

Contract Date

Date exchange of contracts occurred. Moves the listing to Under Contract status.

Settlement Date

Date legal ownership transfers. Commission becomes payable. This deal counts as settled income from this date.

Est. Settlement Date

Estimate of expected settlement. Used for pipeline forecasting only. Not required.

Organisation

Free vs Pro

Feature	Free	Pro
Listings tracked	Up to 5	Unlimited
Full commission breakdown (8-step engine)
Unlimited agency profiles & tier configurations
Tier tracking & period resets
Financial year-to-date totals
Next Settlement widget
Commission Scorecard & FY Progress widgets
Advanced Insights (trends, forecasting, suburb performance)
Complete backup & agency setup transfer
Spreadsheet CSV export & import
All shipped widgets
Share cards
iCloud sync (across all Apple devices)
Siri & Shortcuts (add & query listings)
Spotlight search
Settlement & contract reminders
Period Review (personalised performance summary)
Annual target tracking

Commission structures we support

Commission Buddy is designed to handle the full range of Australian real estate commission structures. Set up your agency profile once — the app handles the rest.

Flat Split

A fixed percentage of commission after fees. Common in smaller independent offices. Enter a single split rate (e.g. 70/30) and your fees — done.

Tiered Split

Your split rate increases as your cumulative gross commission crosses thresholds. Supports quarterly, half-yearly, or yearly reset periods. Deals that straddle a tier boundary are split proportionally across rate bands.

Franchise Fee Models

Percentage royalties (e.g. 6% franchise fee), marketing levies, technology fees, fixed desk fees — in any combination and order. Deducted from commission ex. GST before your office split.

Deductions & Referral Fees

Mentoring levies, desk fees, marketing charges, and referral fees — applied before or after the office split. Set them at the agency level (automatic for every deal) or as one-offs on individual listings.

Bonuses

Over-reserve bonuses, quarterly target rewards, annual GCI bonuses, or any additional income. Set a schedule (per sale, monthly, quarterly, annual) and an optional GCI trigger threshold. Track progress toward each bonus in real time.

Co-Agent Splits

When you share a listing with another agent, enter your share percentage. Applied after all fees and office deductions. Save common splits as presets for quick reuse.

Use Start from a template in Agency Setup to pre-fill a structure matching your office type: Major Franchise, Boutique, Team, or Simple Flat Split. Then customise to match your exact agreement.

How to restore a purchase

Open Commission Buddy → Settings → Restore Purchases. Your Pro subscription will be restored automatically using your Apple ID. Make sure you are signed in with the same Apple ID used to make the original purchase. If you continue to have trouble, contact support.

How to cancel your Pro subscription

Go to iOS Settings → your Apple ID → Subscriptions → Commission Buddy Pro → Cancel Subscription. Cancelling stops future billing. Your Pro features remain active until the end of your current billing period. If you cancel and later resubscribe, your data is still on your device — nothing is deleted.

Import & Export guide

Open Tools → Import & Export in Commission Buddy to back up your data, move it between devices, share agency setups, or work with listings in a spreadsheet. Manual files are separate from iCloud Sync, which continues to sync automatically through your own Apple ID.

Complete Backup

Free. Exports everything as one JSON file: listings, agencies, fees, tiers, split settings, bonuses, tags, and app settings.

Spreadsheet CSV

Pro. Export listings for Excel, Numbers, Sheets, or your accountant. Import listings from CSV after previewing every row.

Agency Setups

Free. Export one agency profile with its fees, tiers, split settings, and bonuses, then import it as a separate copy.

When to use each option

Use Complete Backup before a major cleanup, when moving to a new device without relying on iCloud, or when you want an offline copy of everything. Restore can merge new items into your current data, or replace your current listings, agencies, tags, and settings with the backup.

Use Spreadsheet CSV when you want to analyse listings outside the app, send listing data to your accountant, or bring existing listings in from a spreadsheet. CSV imports are for listings only; calculated columns are ignored and recalculated from your agency setup.

Use Agency Setups to share a fee structure with a colleague or move a single office setup between devices. Imports are non-destructive: Commission Buddy creates a new agency profile rather than overwriting an existing one.

Privacy note: import and export files are handled locally by the app and the iOS share/file picker. Commission Buddy does not upload your listings, sale prices, agency structures, or backup files to Commission Buddy servers.

CSV Import guide

Pro feature. Bring existing listings in from a spreadsheet. You can download a ready-made sample template from inside the app (Tools → Import & Export) to see the exact columns. Commission Buddy previews every row before inserting so you can review warnings and deselect rows before confirming.

Required column

Address

The only column that must be present. A row with a blank Address is marked as an error and skipped. Every other column is optional — missing values are left blank or set to sensible defaults.

Optional columns (read on import)

Suburb, State, Postcode

Used for the map and Insights suburb analytics. If blank, Commission Buddy fills them in automatically after import using Apple's on-device geocoder. Values you supply are never overwritten.

Agency

Matched case-insensitively by name against your saved agency profiles. If the name isn't found, the row is flagged but still imports — assign an agency manually afterwards.

Estimated Price, Final Price, Commission Rate %, Commission Flat Fee (inc. GST)

Used for the commission calculation. Estimated Price defaults to 0 if omitted. Provide either a Commission Rate % or a Commission Flat Fee — if both are blank, commission won't calculate until you add one in the app. If both are present, the flat fee takes precedence.

Listing Date, Contract Date, Settlement Date

Australian date formats accepted (e.g. 1/03/2026 or 01-03-2026). Listing Date defaults to today if omitted. Used for duplicate detection — a row is skipped if an existing deal shares the same Address and Listing Date.

Co-Agent Split, My Split %

Co-Agent Split accepts Yes/No (or true/false/1/0). My Split % is your share of the commission — defaults to 50% if Co-Agent Split is enabled but no percentage is supplied.

Status, Withdrawn Reason, Lead Source, Tags, Notes

Status values: Active, Under Contract, Settled, Withdrawn. Tags are semicolon-separated (e.g. Auction;Referral). Unknown values fall back to defaults. Notes are imported as-is.

Ignored on import — calculated fields

These columns appear in the exported file but are not stored on import — Commission Buddy recalculates them from your agency profile. You don't need to include them in a hand-crafted file.

Commission inc. GST Commission ex. GST Total Fees BASE Office Split % Your Net Commission Post-Office Deductions Post-Office Fees Total

Examples

Minimal — Address only

Address
12 Sample Street
7 Example Avenue
Unit 3/99 Demo Road

Recommended — enough for a full commission calculation

Address,Suburb,State,Postcode,Agency,Listing Date,Estimated Price,Commission Rate %
12 Sample Street,Sampletown,QLD,4000,My Agency,1/03/2026,750000,2.5
7 Example Avenue,Exampleville,NSW,2000,My Agency,15/02/2026,1200000,2.2
Unit 3/99 Demo Road,Demoville,VIC,3000,My Agency,20/01/2026,550000,2.75

Import warnings — row still imports

These are shown in the preview screen per row. The listing is imported but you'll need to fill in the missing detail manually.

No Commission Rate % — commission calculation will be unavailable until you add one in the app.

No Estimated or Final Price — no sale value shown in your pipeline until you add one.

No Agency — commission calculation is disabled until an agency profile is assigned to the listing.

Suburb / State / Postcode blank — these will be filled in automatically via on-device geocoding after import. No data leaves your device.

All FAQs

About Commission Buddy

Commission Buddy is built and maintained by Scott Breen — a solo developer based in Australia. The app is designed specifically for Australian real estate agents, with correct GST handling, franchise split structures, and the terminology used in the industry every day. If you have a question, a feature idea, or a bug to report, I'd genuinely love to hear from you.

Bundle ID: com.pinecode.commissionbuddy