Two brokers, one client
A flexible office broker emails to introduce a company looking for a ten-desk office. The sales manager replies and books a tour. Three weeks later, a different broker claims the same company as their introduction. Meanwhile the company's office manager says they found you on Google and contacted you directly before either broker.
The deal completes. Both brokers invoice for commission. The finance team asks sales who introduced the client, and the sales manager searches their inbox to find out.
Why commission is hard to track
Brokers are an important source of private office deals for many operators, and they expect to be paid when an introduction becomes a membership. Each broker agreement sets its own terms. The admin problem is recording who introduced whom, and when, in a way everyone trusts.
- Introductions arrive by email to different salespeople.
- Prospects may already be in your CRM from a direct enquiry.
- The date of introduction is not recorded formally.
- Commission terms differ by broker: percentage, basis, payment timing, clawback.
- Deals change after introduction, such as a different office or term.
- Commission invoices arrive months later and are checked by hand.
What the confusion costs
Paying commission twice, or paying on an introduction that was not really the broker's, is money lost. Refusing a claim without evidence damages a relationship you depend on. Finance cannot accrue commission accurately. And salespeople spend time reconstructing email trails instead of selling.
Brokers notice how they are treated. An operator that pays promptly and correctly, and can show its records when there is a question, tends to get more introductions.
Disagreements also drag on. Without a dated record, a disputed claim becomes weeks of emails between sales, finance and the broker, and the commission, whoever is owed it, sits unpaid while everyone argues.
The broker register we build
- Introductions are captured in your CRM from broker emails, parsed automatically or forwarded to a dedicated address, with the date, broker, contact and requirement.
- Each new introduction is checked against existing contacts and companies, and any prior contact is shown with its date, for the sales manager to decide how to respond under your broker agreements.
- Tours, proposals and deals are linked to the introduction record.
- Each broker's commission terms are recorded, and when a deal completes, the commission due is calculated from the signed agreement.
- A monthly statement per broker is prepared for approval and, once approved, commission invoices are matched to it.
- Changes such as early termination are applied under any clawback terms you have agreed.
| Question | Answered by |
|---|---|
| Who introduced this client, and when? | The introduction record with its date |
| Had we already been in contact? | The prior contact check |
| What commission is due? | Calculated from the deal and the broker's terms |
| Does the broker's invoice match? | The monthly statement |
How competing claims are resolved is a matter for your agreements with brokers and your own judgement. The register gives you the dates and the evidence.
After the register is running
Brokers get something from it too. A monthly statement showing each introduction, its outcome and the commission due is easier for them to reconcile than a string of emails, and it cuts down the questions they send you.
Every introduction has a date and a source. Competing claims are dealt with using the record, not recollection. Commission is calculated consistently and paid correctly. And you can see which brokers bring deals that last, which helps decide where to focus relationships.
Finance also gets what it needs: an accrual for commission on deals signed but not yet invoiced, and a clean match between each broker's invoice and your statement.
Does this sound familiar?
- Two brokers have claimed the same client.
- Introduction dates are not recorded formally.
- Commission invoices are checked by searching emails.
- Commission terms differ by broker and are hard to apply.
- You cannot say which brokers bring your best members.