Best Real Estate Accounting Software of 2024

Look for accounting software with strong core accounting functions along with CRM and client communications features or integrations.

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Written by Karrin Sehmbi
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Edited by Sally Lauckner
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Whether you’re a freelance real estate agent or you own a small real estate business, you’ll want accounting software with strong core accounting features, including double-entry accounting, income and expense tracking, and automated reconciliation of all your transactions. You’ll also want to choose software that includes tools to help you market your business and properties and manage communications with your clients. If those tools aren’t built in to the accounting software you select, then be sure the software integrates with third-party apps to help you meet those needs.

You’ll find both end-to-end real estate software solutions and accounting software with real estate-focused integrations in our list below.

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Best real estate accounting software

ProductStarting atPromotionLearn more
Zoho Books

Zoho Books

NerdWallet Rating 
4.5
Learn more

on Zoho Books' website

$0 

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275.

14-day free trial 

of the Premium plan.

Learn more

on Zoho Books' website

Xero

Xero

NerdWallet Rating 
5.0
Learn more

on Xero's website

$15/month 

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $42, $78.

75% off 

for six months on Business Edition plans.

Learn more

on Xero's website

QuickBooks

QuickBooks Online

NerdWallet Rating 
5.0
Learn more

on QuickBooks' website

$35/month 

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235.

50% off 

for first three months or free 30-day trial.

Learn more

on QuickBooks' website

FreshBooks

FreshBooks

NerdWallet Rating 
4.5
Learn more

on FreshBooks' website

$19/month 

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $33, $60, custom.

30-day free trial 

or monthly discount (terms vary).

Learn more

on FreshBooks' website

Sage

Sage Intacct

Learn more

on Sage's website

N/A 

Quote-based.

N/A 
Learn more

on Sage's website

Propertybase

Propertybase

N/A 

Quote-based.

N/A 
🤓Nerdy Tip

Real estate agents and brokerage firms have accounting software needs that differ from property managers and property management companies. If you manage properties, you may find a better fit for your business needs in the software solutions that make our list of the best property management software, including features for collecting rent and managing lease agreements.

A closer look at our top real estate accounting software picks

Zoho Books

Best overall real estate accounting software
Zoho Books
Zoho Books

Zoho Books

NerdWallet Rating  
4.5
Starting At  

$0

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $20, $50, $70, $150, $275. 

  • $0 per month for the Free plan.

  • $20 per month for the Standard plan.

  • $50 per month for the Professional plan.

  • $70 per month for the Premium plan.

  • $150 per month for the Elite plan.

  • $275 per month for the Ultimate plan.

Pros

Less expensive than some competitors; free plan available for businesses with less than $50K in annual revenue.

Email support in free plan; phone and chat support in paid plans.

Rich feature set includes excellent invoicing, inventory management, workflow rules and a capable mobile app.

Add accounting widgets to your phone’s home screen; track time using your Apple Watch.

Cons

Fewer third-party integrations and reports than some competitors.

No plan includes more than 15 users (can add additional users for a fee).

While Zoho Books is limited in direct third-party software integrations, Zoho itself offers a full suite of business apps that integrate seamlessly with Zoho Books.

  • Zoho CRM: A full customer relationship management (CRM) platform to help you manage relationships and communications with your clients and glean helpful insights to build your client base.

  • Zoho People: HR software to manage a team of employees, including recruitment, onboarding and payroll.

  • Zoho Expense: A tool for detailed travel and expense tracking, reporting and management.

  • Zoho Sign: An app to help you manage the end-to-end process of securing digital signatures on important documents.

Why we picked it: Zoho Books takes our top spot for real estate accounting software for a number of reasons. First is that it offers a variety of reasonably priced monthly plan options ranging from a free option (designed for small businesses with less than $50,000 of annual revenue and requiring access for only one user) to an option suited for well-established businesses that require access for more than a dozen users. In this way, Zoho is a solution that can evolve with you from a solo real estate agent to a midsize brokerage firm.

Zoho’s core accounting software is packed with standard features such as automated transaction reconciliation (including bank feeds and the ability to set transaction categorization rules), invoicing and billing capabilities, a customizable chart of accounts and more. It also includes a wealth of reporting and tax features. Additionally, real estate agents will find Zoho Books’ document management and collaboration tools, including a customer portal available in all plan tiers, particularly useful.

Propertybase

Best real estate software with accounting integration
Propertybase
Propertybase

Propertybase

Quote-based.

Pros

Designed specifically for real estate businesses.

Many useful software integrations.

Cons

Lack of pricing transparency.

Accounting functions are achieved through integration (limited to only one) rather than built in.

Property base offers a large library of software integrations.

  • QuickBooks Online: Seamless integration with your accounting software.

  • Zillow: An app to help market your listings.

  • DocuSign: Software to manage your paperwork.

Why we picked it: Propertybase is a complete software solution designed specifically for real estate businesses. Tools within the platform include those for CRM, marketing and sales. With Propertybase, you can build a website to showcase your brand, automate the marketing process to generate meaningful leads, manage client relationships and gather rich business insights.

The software handles all the unique needs of a real estate business apart from accounting. For that function, Propertybase has a direct integration with QuickBooks Online.

Xero

Best simple real estate accounting software
Xero
Xero

Xero

NerdWallet Rating  
5.0
Starting At  

$15

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $42, $78. 

  • $15 per month for the Early plan.

  • $42 per month for the Growing plan.

  • $78 per month for the Established plan.

Pros

Unlimited users in all pricing plans.

Integrates with more than 1,000 third-party apps.

Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.

Simple layout and easy to use.

Cons

No phone number for customer support listed.

Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.

Xero’s app store contains hundreds of apps that integrate with the accounting software.

  • Loft47: An app designed for real estate agents and brokerage firms to track and manage commissions, escrow funds and more.

  • Landlord Studio: Property management and accounting software that includes income and expense reporting categories specific to the real estate industry.

  • Re-leased: Software to assist with financial management related to landlords and tenants.

Why we picked it: Xero includes several features built directly in to its accounting software that real estate businesses will find useful. The software’s contact management tool will enable you to keep detailed records of client communications and keep contact information at the ready. You and your team can also photograph and upload receipts for convenient expense tracking, organize and share documents, and track the financial health of your business. You can also do all of this and more from Xero’s highly rated mobile app.

Plus, Xero receives a full 5-star rating from NerdWallet. It stands out among competitors for its simplicity and ease of use. We typically recommend it as an excellent alternative to QuickBooks Online, as it carries nearly all the same features but at a more affordable price.

QuickBooks Online

Best real estate accounting software for growing brokerage firms
QuickBooks
QuickBooks

QuickBooks Online

NerdWallet Rating  
5.0
Starting At  

$35

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $65, $99, $235. 

  • $35 per month for the Simple Start plan.

  • $65 per month for the Essentials plan.

  • $99 per month for the Plus plan.

  • $235 per month for the Advanced plan.

Pros

Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.

More than 750 app integrations, including live, in-house bookkeeping.

Robust feature set includes thorough record-keeping, comprehensive reporting, excellent invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.

Daily phone support and 24/7 chat support in all plans.

Cons

Lacks industry-specific features.

Limited account users with each plan.

QuickBooks Online boasts an app library of more than 750 software integrations.

  • Stratafolio: App for recognizing lease and property management business insights and automating processes related to commercial real estate.

  • OwnerRez: A platform for managing vacation rental bookings and payments.

Why we picked it: QuickBooks Online is one of the best known and widest used accounting software products on the market. As such, it’s a smart choice for a brokerage firm looking for an out-of-the box accounting solution that any bookkeeper or accountant is sure to be well-versed in.

With four plan options, QuickBooks is an accounting software solution that can grow with your real estate business. Many of the product’s best and most useful features — such as advanced financial planning and tracking, comprehensive reporting and 24/7 support — are packaged in the Plus and Advanced plans, which come at a higher price point than many others on this list. This is why we believe QuickBooks Online is better suited for brokerage firms rather than solo agents.

FreshBooks

Best accounting software for freelance real estate agents
FreshBooks
FreshBooks

FreshBooks

NerdWallet Rating  
4.5
Starting At  

$19

Additional pricing tiers (per month): $33, $60, custom. 

  • $19 per month for the Lite plan.

  • $33 per month for the Plus plan.

  • $60 per month for the Premium plan.

  • Custom pricing for the Select plan.

Pros

Stay in touch with clients through the FreshBooks mobile app and get notified when invoices have been viewed or become overdue.

Intuitive, customizable invoicing capabilities compete with those of more robust accounting solutions.

Track time and add billable hours to invoices in all plans.

Weekday phone support in all plans.

Cons

Lacks features that quickly growing companies need, like audit trails for accountants to review.

Highest-tier Select plan only comes with two users (additional users add $11 per month) and lower-tier plans put limits on billable clients.

Least expensive plan lacks double-entry accounting reports, bank reconciliation and accountant access.

FreshBooks offers more than 100 direct software integrations, although it lacks apps directly related to real estate.

  • Gusto: A popular cloud-based payroll and HR management app.

  • Acuity Scheduling: A scheduling automation app to help you manage client bookings, reminders and cancellations.

Why we picked it: FreshBooks is NerdWallet’s pick for best overall freelance accounting software. It comes with all the standard accounting features you would need and expect, but its low-cost monthly plan options make it especially desirable for self-employed real estate agents (or even vacation rental hosts who wish to carefully track and report their rental income). Alongside its accounting features, FreshBooks includes tools for generating and customizing invoices, collecting online payments, tracking time and expenses, managing projects and generating reports.

Sage Intacct

Best accounting software for midsize real estate businesses
Sage
Sage

Sage Intacct

Quote-based.

Pros

Automation features streamline financial processes.

Customizable reports and dashboard enhance business insights.

Consolidates many functions, like billing, invoicing, cash flow management, payroll and HR, within a single product.

Cons

Quote-based pricing makes it difficult to compare with competitors.

Not suitable for small businesses that don’t plan to grow.

Like others on this list, Sage has a marketplace of apps that integrate with its software, though it lacks integrations specific to real estate.

  • Sage Intacct Payroll powered by ADP: Payroll software.

Why we picked it: For well-established real estate businesses looking to automate as much of the accounting process as possible, including accounts payable and accounts receivable, and engage with powerful reporting and insights software, Sage Intacct is a solid cloud accounting software solution. It’s designed for businesses of 20 to 500 employees, and you’ll find its quote-based pricing better suited to firms with large software budgets.

Methodology

NerdWallet independently reviews accounting software products before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Information is gathered on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy.

NerdWallet’s accounting software ratings favor products that are easy to use, reasonably priced, have a robust feature set and can grow with your business. The best accounting software received top marks when evaluated across 10 categories and more than 30 subcategories. Learn more about how we rate small-business accounting software.

These ratings are meant to provide clarity in the decision-making process, but what’s best for your business will depend on its size, growth trajectory and which features you need most. We encourage you to research and compare multiple accounting software products before choosing one.

NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.