Sketch of Your Transaction
Before you record a closing, sketch it out. Enter the commission on each side, every payout that comes out of it, and see your net to broker and the deposit you should expect from title.
Saved in this browser as you type. Nothing is uploaded.
Commissions
One line per side. If you represented both the buyer and the seller, list each side separately.
Payouts
Every dollar that leaves the gross: agent commission, referral fees, franchise royalties, transaction fees. Enter a percentage of gross or a flat dollar amount. Check the box if title paid it at the table.
Expected deposit from title
Gross commission less anything title already paid out at the table. This is the check you should actually see hit the bank.
- Gross commission
- $0.00
- Expected deposit from title
- $0.00
Nothing marked as paid at the table yet.
What is a transaction sketch?
A transaction sketch is a one page summary of a real estate closing, written out before you record it in your books. It lists the commission earned on each side of the deal, every payout that comes out of that commission, and what is left as net to broker. Almost all of it comes straight off your commission disbursement authorization, the CDA.
Agents and brokers use it for two things: to record a closing correctly the first time, and to know the exact deposit to expect from title once anything paid at the table is backed out.
How to sketch out a transaction
Most closings get booked wrong for the same reason: the gross commission goes in, and the payouts get remembered later, one at a time, out of order. Sketching the deal first fixes that. Five steps:
- 1
Pull up your CDA
The commission disbursement authorization has almost everything you need. Have it open next to the worksheet.
- 2
List the commission by side
Enter the sale price and your broker's commission rate for each side you represented. Both sides of a deal get their own line.
- 3
List every payout
Agent commission, referral fees, franchise royalties, transaction fees. Anything that leaves the gross belongs here, as a percentage of gross or a flat amount.
- 4
Flag what title paid at the table
Do not leave it off. List it, then check the box. The worksheet subtracts it so you know the real deposit to expect.
- 5
Read the net to broker
That bottom number is what the deal actually leaves you with. Now you can record the whole closing without guessing.
A worked example
A $750,000 sale where you represented both sides. The list side pays 4% and the buy side pays 2%, so gross commission is $45,000. The agent takes 80%, or $36,000, and title pays it at the table. Franchise royalties take another 5%, or $2,250. Total payouts are $38,250, which leaves $6,750 net to broker.
Here is the part that trips people up. The deposit from title is not $45,000 and it is not $6,750. Title already paid the agent $36,000 at the table, so the check you should watch for is $9,000. If a different number lands, something on the CDA moved. Hit “Load example” on the worksheet above to see it filled in.
Then stop doing it by hand
A worksheet is the right tool for one deal. It is the wrong tool for forty. Kapytl reads the closing documents, applies your splits and fees, and books the whole transaction with the payouts attached, so gross commission, net to broker, and your expected deposit are already sitting there when the deal closes. No sketch, no spreadsheet, no reconciling in April.
Transaction sketch FAQ
What is a transaction sketch?
A transaction sketch is a one page summary of a closing before you record it in your books. You list the commission earned on each side of the deal, every payout that comes out of it, and what is left over as net to broker. It turns a commission disbursement authorization into numbers you can actually book.
What do I need to fill this out?
Your commission disbursement authorization, also called the CDA. It has almost everything: the sale price, the commission rate on your side, and the payouts title is instructed to make. Have the closing statement handy too if referral fees or transaction fees are not on the CDA.
What if I represented both the buyer and the seller?
List each side on its own line in the commissions section. A $750,000 sale at 4% on the list side and 2% on the buy side is $30,000 plus $15,000, for $45,000 of gross commission. Keeping the sides separate is what makes the sketch match your CDA.
What does paid at the table mean?
It means title cut the check directly instead of routing the money through your account. The payout still belongs in the sketch, because it came out of your gross commission. Check the box so the worksheet subtracts it and shows the smaller deposit you should actually expect from title.
What is net to broker?
Net to broker is gross commission minus every payout on the deal. It is the amount the brokerage genuinely walks away with once the agent split, referral fees, franchise royalties, and transaction fees are all out. Solo agents can read it as what the deal actually earned you before overhead and taxes.
Do I have to start over on every deal?
The worksheet saves in your browser as you type, so you can come back to a half finished sketch. Download the CSV or print a PDF when you are done. Kapytl does this automatically on every closing, so the sketch step disappears entirely.
Keep going
- Commission Calculator: see your real take-home after split, expenses, and taxes.
- Commission tracking: every closing tracked from contract to deposit.
Sketch one deal. Then let Kapytl do the rest.
AI-powered bookkeeping that books every closing with its payouts attached, so net to broker and your expected deposit are always current. Free to start.