This article is a walkthrough of the core workflows an admin handles daily: creating transactions, managing checklists and documents, sending forms for eSignature, reviewing submitted documents for compliance, managing commissions, and organizing your day with the Task List.
1. Create a transaction
Open the Transactions tab under Overview and click Create Transaction. New transactions are built in four steps.
Step 1: Transaction details.
At the top of the page, set three required fields:
Type sets the transaction type (traditional sale, commercial deal, rental, short sale, etc.).
Status is Opportunity when there's no signed listing or accepted offer yet, Active for listings on the market, or Pending for transactions under contract awaiting close.
Representing is Buyer, Seller, or Both.
Required fields turn red based on the status and representation chosen. Fill in the property address, milestone dates, and as much additional information as available. Additional fields are accessible by expanding the field set. Select Next.
Step 2: Agents and commissions.
Add the agent representing each side:
Select Add agent / commission, then Add agent.
Begin typing the agent's name and select from the dropdown.
Choose the commission plan that applies, then save.
Leave a single agent's share at 100%. For multiple agents on one side, adjust the split between them.
Enter the gross commission for each side represented, as a percentage of the sale price or a flat amount. Leaving this blank results in zero commission for all participants. In the Total Gross Commission field, enter the brokerage's total commission across the sides represented (one side if representing one side, combined if representing both).
If the brokerage also represents the other side, add those agents now using the same process.
Step 3: Contacts.
Add the seller, buyer, title or escrow officer, lawyer, and any other relevant parties:
Select Add contact and choose a role.
Begin typing a name. Select an existing contact, or choose Create new.
For new contacts, enter a first and last name at minimum. For businesses, split the business name into the first and last name fields.
Mark the contact Private (visible only to you) or Public (visible to the brokerage). The selection persists as the default for the next contact.
Add as many contacts as needed, then select Next.
Step 4: Checklists.
The system shows any checklists set to auto-apply based on the transaction's type, status, property type, and represented side. Review the suggested checklists and confirm. Required roles and field dependencies appear here so you can see what each checklist needs before it's added.
If you have the Can add/remove checklist transactions permission, remove a suggested checklist by selecting the X next to it, or add another by selecting + Add template and choosing from the list. Checklists added at this step behave the same as those added later from the Checklists tab on the transaction.
Once the checklist selection is final, select Create to finish setting up the transaction.
For full detail on how checklist templates are built, how auto-apply rules are configured, and the difference between Transaction and Buyer Offer checklist types, see Checklist Templates and Creating, managing, and automating checklist templates.
2. Navigate the transaction
After creation, key tools live on the left sidebar:
Edit updates any field (price, acceptance date, closing date) and changes status (active to pending, pending to closed, or canceled).
Create a copy duplicates the transaction with selected documents and contacts. Useful when a deal falls out and you need to relist with the original paperwork.
Checklist adds a transaction checklist. Once added, document tasks and action tasks are separated in the documents view.
Offers generates a publishable URL on the listing side for buyer agents to submit offers. On the buying side, it streamlines creating buyer offers, gathering signatures, and sending to co-op listing agents.
Users and Contacts lets you add, remove, and email contacts on the transaction.
Finance opens the transaction's financial area. The default view is Commissions for managing payouts and deductions. Additional tabs include Trust Deposit for trust-account activity and Ledger for posted entries. Lawyer letters are also generated from here. For full detail on the Trust Deposit and Ledger tabs and the lawyer letter workflow.
Activity is the full log of transaction updates with user, action, and timestamp.
3. Add a checklist and complete tasks
Select Add in the checklist section and choose the appropriate checklist.
Tasks come in two types.
Document tasks (document icon) require an uploaded document or completed eSignature.
Action tasks (checkbox) are checked off when the action is complete and do not accept documents or eSignature.
Each document task has an Exempt button.
Use it when a task doesn't apply to the current transaction. Exemption requests are reviewed by the compliance team and either approved or rejected.
Complete a task by uploading. Select Upload on the task and choose the file from your computer.
Complete a task by eSignature. Select Use forms on the task. The required forms load automatically.
For Use forms:
Review the form list. Remove a form with the X next to it, or add more with Add more forms.
Select Next to configure signers. Contacts added during transaction creation are auto-populated. Modify or add signers as needed. To require a specific signing order, check Assign signer order.
The Other parties section is for non-signing contacts whose information should populate on the document.
Select Next to prepare the forms. Many fields auto-populate from transaction, contact, and brokerage data. Fill in remaining fields manually. Use Save and close to return later.
Open the dropdown arrow to choose Send for eSign, Download, or Print.
On the send screen, add CC recipients (signers automatically receive the executed copy), customize the email if needed, and select Send.
You can track progress in the eSignature dropdown.
Use the three-dot menu next to each signer to resend or change the email address. Use Restart eSign to make corrections; the forms reopen in their last-sent state. For a full overview of eSignature, see BoldTrail BackOffice eSignature.
For action tasks, complete the action and check the box.
4. Manage documents in Unsorted
The Unsorted folder is the working area for documents not yet attached to checklist tasks. Open it from the Documents section of the transaction.
Add documents by dragging and dropping from your computer, or by pulling from a connected eSignature integration via Add document.
Once a document is in Unsorted:
Assign to attaches the document to a checklist task.
Edit merges, splits (with optional direct assignment of split pages to tasks), renames, or deletes.
Email sends to any email address.
Download saves to your computer.
eSign prepares and sends for signature. Common when you receive an executed document from a co-op agent and need additional signatures from your clients.
5. Submit documents for compliance review
With the checklist complete, select the Action button on the page and choose Submit for review.
The compliance team is notified and submitted tasks move to Pending Approval.
6. Review submitted documents
From the main screen, open Approve Docs. The To Do category lists transactions with documents waiting for review, with document count, owner, submission date, and closing date.
Select a transaction to start. The review screen shows the task name, document length, and your review progress. Use the arrows to move between submitted documents and switch between document viewers if one loads faster than the other.
On the Review tab:
Approve moves the document forward.
Reject requires a rejection reason. Type one or select from the Insert reason dropdown. Custom reasons are configured in field settings. The reason is visible to the submitter for resubmission.
Three supporting tabs:
Info shows milestone dates and key transaction information.
Contacts shows names, phone numbers, and emails of contacts on the transaction.
Documents shows all documents required for the transaction, including those not yet submitted.
For exemption requests, approving completes the task on the agent's checklist. Rejecting requires the agent to complete and submit the document.
After the final document, you'll be prompted to send the submitter a compliance summary with counts of approved and rejected documents. Customize the message, apply an email template from field settings if applicable, and CC additional recipients (team lead, TC, etc.). Select Submit to send.
7. Manage commissions
Open Finances on the transaction (under Assets in the left sidebar) and stay on the Commissions tab.
Brokerage breakdown. Select Listing side or Buying side to view the brokerage's commission for that side.
Gross income is the total commission available for that side. Click the line to add shared income (split via the agent's commission plan) or unshared income (retained by the company).
Pre-commission deductions are taken off the top, reducing the agent's commission basis. Plan-driven deductions can be edited (click to open) or removed (the X).
Other income includes commission deductions the brokerage collects from the agent. Use Add for office income (collected from buyer or seller, increases the office's net commission only).
Post-commission deductions are added or modified here.
Office net is calculated automatically and is not directly editable.
Two important controls:
Edit changes which side the brokerage represents. Used to correct a side selected at creation, or to remove the buying brokerage when a buyer falls out.
Award allocation splits gross commission across multiple agents on the same side, and customizes sales volume distribution (switch from Auto-calculated to Entered manually).
Agent breakdown. Select the agent's name to view their commission detail.
Commission basis is the agent's gross commission. Not directly editable; calculated from brokerage gross income, pre-commission deductions, and any same-side split. Click the field for a detailed summary.
Pre-split and post-split deductions can be adjusted as needed. Any change recalculates the transaction commissions, so finalize before close.
Agent split is adjustable.
Add is available in any commission area for new deductions.
Additional controls:
Exclude transaction keeps the transaction from counting toward the agent's sliding-scale cap. Used for personal sales or deals that shouldn't accrue toward commission goals.
Delete agent removes the agent and their commission detail from the transaction.
Apply plan switches the agent to a different commission plan. Overwrites existing commission detail on the transaction.
To modify side income or add a new agent, use the controls at the top of the Commissions tab. To modify the total gross commission, use the corresponding field.
Once commissions are finalized, use the Actions button on the Finances page to post to the general ledger, generate lawyer letters, and generate broker or agent trade records. For full detail on each, see Getting Started with BoldTrail BackOffice (Canada).
8. Manage your day with the Task List
The Task List is where you track what needs attention across every transaction you have access to. Open it from the left sidebar.
It opens to two saved views. Requires attention shows the tasks assigned to you that need action. All transactions shows tasks across every deal you have access to, useful when helping a teammate move work forward.
Each task shows its due date and a status icon. Use the filters at the top to narrow by due date (past due, today, this week, later) or by compliance status (pending review, approved but not sent, and others). If you find yourself filtering the same way every day, select Edit view to save your own custom view.