We recommend following this 5-step process to set up your QuickBooks and BTBO integration. Please consult with your accountant or bookkeeper during this process to ensure a smooth setup experience.
Step 1: Understand How BTBO + QuickBooks Work Together
Think of real estate accounting in two parts: transactional accounting and operational accounting.
What BTBO Handles (Transactional accounting)
Agent commissions and payouts
Transaction-related income and expenses
Commission plan calculations
Real estate transaction tracking
Automatic debits and credits through the built-in general ledger
What QuickBooks Handles (Operational accounting)
Accounts Payable (AP)
Bank reconciliation
Staff payroll
Office expenses (rent, utilities, etc)
General business operations
How They Work Together
Step | What Happens | Where It Happens |
1 | You close a transaction | BTBO |
2 | BTBO tracks all income and calculates payouts | BTBO |
3 | BTBO processes commission payments automatically | BTBO |
4 | Transaction data syncs to QuickBooks as journal entries | QuickBooks |
5 | Your accountant uses QuickBooks for P&L and other reports | QuickBooks |
The result: no more manual data entry in QuickBooks for transactions. No more figuring out commission plans manually. Your accountant works with clean, automatically synced data.
Step 2: Purchase and Configure QuickBooks Online
You'll need to purchase and set up your QuickBooks Online account before connecting it to BTBO.
Most users find QuickBooks Online "Plus" sufficient, but consult with your bookkeeper or accountant to confirm the right plan for your business needs.
Watch our setup video for detailed configuration steps:
Step 3: Set Up Your Chart of Accounts
BTBO comes with the most commonly used real estate accounts already configured. However, you'll want to customize your chart of accounts to match your specific business needs.
What to add to BTBO:
Only add GL accounts that are transaction or agent-related
Example: Staging Expense account ✅
Example: Marketing expenses for listings ✅
What NOT to add to BTBO:
General operational expenses
Example: Office Rent Expense ❌
Example: Staff salaries ❌
How Account Sync Works
For Invoices:
BTBO GL account name (not number) maps to QuickBooks service/item name
Must be an exact match
For Bills:
BTBO GL account name (not number) maps to QuickBooks GL account name
Must be an exact match
Need help with your chart of accounts? View our detailed Chart of Accounts guide
Step 4: Set Up the QuickBooks Integration
Once your QuickBooks account is ready and your chart of accounts is configured, you'll connect BTBO to QuickBooks.
Watch our integration setup video for step-by-step instructions on connecting your accounts. Click here to view the detailed QuickBooks Accounting Integration - Setup Guide.
Step 5: Run a Test Transaction & Troubleshooting
Before going live, it's important to test your integration with a sample transaction to ensure everything is syncing correctly. Watch this video to see an example transaction synced to QuickBooks.
Questions? Contact our support team.
Need your accountant involved? Share this guide with them so they understand how the two systems work together.