Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Lowest annual cost
$19,800
Cheapest pricing structure
Flat fee
Percentage model annual cost
$23,040
Flat fee model annual cost
$19,800
Tiered model annual cost
$23,040
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How to use this
- 1Enter number of units managed.
- 2Enter average monthly rent ($).
- 3Enter percentage model rate (%).
- 4Enter flat fee model, per door per month ($).
- 5Enter tiered model: units at tier 1 rate.
- 6Enter tier 1 rate (%).
- 7Enter tier 2 rate (units beyond tier 1) (%).
- 8Read your lowest annual cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Property managers price their services in several structures — flat monthly fee per door, percentage of collected rent, or a tiered structure that drops the percentage as you add more doors — and the cheapest structure depends entirely on your rent levels and portfolio size. This calculator runs your actual unit count and average rent through three pricing models side by side so you can see which one actually costs less for your specific portfolio instead of assuming percentage-based pricing is always more expensive on higher-rent units, which isn't always true once volume discounts and flat-fee minimums are considered.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Number of units managed: 15
- Average monthly rent: 1600 $
- Percentage model rate: 8 %
- Flat fee model, per door per month: 110 $
- Tiered model: units at tier 1 rate: 10
- Tier 1 rate: 9 %
- Tier 2 rate (units beyond tier 1): 6 %
Results
- Lowest annual cost: $19,800
- Cheapest pricing structure: Flat fee
- Percentage model annual cost: $23,040
- Flat fee model annual cost: $19,800
- Tiered model annual cost: $23,040
What each field means
Inputs
- Number of units managed
- The number of units managed used in the calculation. Starts at 15 so you have a working example on load.
- Average monthly rent ($)
- The average monthly rent used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1600 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Percentage model rate (%)
- The percentage model rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 8 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–20 %.
- Flat fee model, per door per month ($)
- The flat fee model, per door per month used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 110 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Tiered model: units at tier 1 rate
- The tiered model: units at tier 1 rate used in the calculation. Starts at 10 so you have a working example on load.
- Tier 1 rate (%)
- The tier 1 rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 9 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–20 %.
- Tier 2 rate (units beyond tier 1) (%)
- The tier 2 rate (units beyond tier 1) used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 6 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–20 %.
Results
- Lowest annual cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cheapest pricing structure
- Returned as a plain value. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Percentage model annual cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Flat fee model annual cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Tiered model annual cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Which pricing model is usually cheapest?
Flat fee tends to win at higher rent levels since the fee doesn't scale with rent, while percentage-based pricing tends to win at lower rent levels. Tiered pricing usually lands in between and rewards larger portfolios, so the right answer depends entirely on your specific rent and unit count, not a universal rule.
Should I negotiate a tiered structure as my portfolio grows?
Yes — most managers will discuss volume discounts once you're above 10-15 doors with one company, since the marginal cost of managing an additional unit within an existing route or system is lower than the average cost of the first unit. Ask directly; discounted tiers are rarely offered proactively.
Does a lower percentage always mean a better deal?
No — check what's excluded. Some managers advertise a low percentage but charge separately for leasing, renewals, inspections, and maintenance coordination markups that add up to more than a slightly higher all-inclusive percentage from a competitor. Compare total annual cost, not the headline rate.
Is flat-fee pricing riskier for the manager or the owner?
It shifts more downside to the manager on vacant or low-rent units (they collect the same flat fee whether or not the unit is occupied, so alignment on filling vacancies fast can weaken), while percentage pricing means the manager makes more only when rent is actually collected, which usually aligns incentives better around occupancy and rent growth.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Property Manager Commission Tier Comparison Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pm-commission-tier-comparison
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pm-commission-tier-comparison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Property Manager Commission Tier Comparison Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Property Manager Commission Tier Comparison Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/pm-commission-tier-comparison) (2026).