Brokerages mix 1099 agents with W2 staff, often across several states, so payroll has to handle commissions, contractors, and compliance at once. We weighted contractor payments, multi state compliance, cost, ease of use, and benefits, then ranked the six that fit property firms best.
Reviewed by M. HALLORAN·Updated APRIL 2026·How we vet
Tools compared6
Criteria weighted5
Last reviewedJune 2026
Paid placements0
How we ranked the field
Scored on our five criteria, reweighted for brokerages: clean 1099 contractor and commission payments, multi state tax compliance, running cost, day to day ease, and benefits and onboarding for staff. See the full rubric →
Contractor and commission pay30%
Multi state compliance25%
Cost20%
Ease of use15%
Benefits and onboarding10%
01
RANK
★ Editor’s Choice
Gusto
Best for brokerages paying agents and staff
Gusto pays W2 staff and 1099 agents from one place, files the right forms automatically, and handles multi state payroll on its Plus plan. It is the easiest fit for an independent brokerage that wants payroll and basic HR without a specialist. Very large franchises may outgrow its reporting.
Rippling unifies payroll, HR, and IT, so a growing brokerage can provision agents devices and apps on the same record that runs pay. It is modular and powerful, but the base platform fee and per module pricing make it more than a small office needs.
ADP RUN brings deep tax and compliance coverage and a dedicated specialist, useful when a brokerage operates in many states. Pricing is quote based and the platform can feel heavy, but few match its filing breadth for regulated payroll.
Paychex Flex pairs published entry pricing with a dedicated payroll specialist, a fit for owners who would rather hand payroll off. The interface is dated and add ons stack up, so confirm the all in quote for your headcount.
BambooHR is the strongest people record here, with clean onboarding, documents, and reporting for a brokerages employees. Payroll is a paid add on rather than the core, so pair it with a payroll specialist if agents are mostly 1099.
Deel suits property and proptech firms that hire contractors or staff abroad, with compliant contracts and payments in many currencies. For a purely domestic US brokerage it is more system, and cost, than the job requires.