# How to get cleaning contracts with realtors: listing cleans, move-outs and referral rules

> How to get cleaning contracts with realtors: offer the three cleans agents need (listing prep before photos, move-out before closing, move-in for the buyer), make them easy to order with a 48-hour turnaround and a flat price by home size, and build the relationship on reliability rather than referral fees. NAR’s Code of Ethics requires agents to disclose any profit on client expenditures, so most will not take a kickback; give them a vendor they can trust instead.

Published 2026-10-28, updated 2026-10-29 by Broombook · Get clients and grow · 13 min read  
Canonical page: https://broombook.com/guides/cleaning-contracts-with-realtors

## Key takeaways

- Agents buy three cleans: listing prep (before photos), move-out (before the final walkthrough) and move-in (a closing gift for the buyer). Price each as a flat rate by home size.
- NAR’s Code of Ethics Article 6 bars REALTORS from accepting a commission, rebate or profit on client expenditures without the client’s knowledge and consent; do not build your pitch on a referral fee.
- Cleaning is not on RESPA’s list of settlement services, but RESPA Section 8 is why agents and lenders are allergic to anything that looks like a kickback. Keep any thank-you small, disclosed and documented.
- Referral payments of $2,000 or more in 2026 to an individual or an unincorporated business trigger a Form 1099-NEC (the old threshold was $600); payments to corporations are generally exempt.
- A reasonable target, not a guarantee: first agent referral within 30 days of starting outreach, a steady 3 to 5 agent jobs a month by month 4 to 6, if you turn jobs around in 48 hours.

## What cleaning do realtors and real estate agents actually buy?

Realtors buy cleaning at three moments: before the listing photos, before the final walkthrough, and right after closing. Each one has a different payer, a different deadline and a different scope, and your offer should name all three.

| Clean | When | Who usually pays | Scope |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Listing prep (pre-photo) clean | 1 to 3 days before the photographer | Seller, sometimes the agent as part of their listing package | Deep clean of visible surfaces, windows inside, glass, grout, baseboards; occupied home |
| Move-out clean | After the seller moves, before the buyer’s final walkthrough | Seller (often required by the contract to deliver the home “broom clean” or better) | Empty-home deep clean: inside cabinets, appliances, closets, garage sweep |
| Move-in clean | Between closing and the buyer’s move | Buyer, or the buyer’s agent as a closing gift | Empty-home clean, sanitizing kitchen and baths, often with carpet or windows added |
| Rental turnovers | Between tenants | Owner or property manager | Empty-unit clean on a per-unit flat rate |
| Open house refresh | The morning of a weekend open house | Agent or seller | Short visit: floors, baths, kitchen, glass |

The volume is real. NAR reported that [existing-home sales ran at an annual pace of 3.99 million in September 2026](https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/existing-home-sales). Every one of those sales is a home that was shown, vacated and moved into, which is two or three cleaning opportunities per transaction, and the listing agent is in the room for all of them.

Move-out and move-in cleans are empty-home deep cleans; the [move-out cleaning checklist](https://broombook.com/guides/move-out-cleaning-checklist) is the scope most agents expect, and the guide to [starting a move out cleaning business](https://broombook.com/guides/move-out-cleaning-business) covers the landlord side of the same work. If you want the general playbook for finding clients first, read [how to get clients for a cleaning business](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-get-cleaning-clients); this page is only about the agent channel.

## Who pays, and how does an agent order a clean?

The seller or buyer pays in most cases; the agent is the one who recommends you and sets the deadline. Agents order by text, usually with two days’ notice and an address, and they expect a yes within the hour. Make that ordering path frictionless and you will beat every cleaner with a better price.

### Three payment setups that work

1. **Client pays you directly.** The agent texts you the seller’s name and number, you quote the seller, the seller pays by card before or on the day. This is the standard. Never agree to “collect at closing”; closing can slip, and you are not on the settlement statement.
2. **Agent pays as part of a listing package.** Some agents include a pre-photo clean in what they offer sellers. Invoice the agent’s brokerage or the agent personally, with a card on file, and treat them as a commercial account with a monthly statement.
3. **Agent buys a move-in clean as a gift.** The buyer’s agent pays you; you clean for the buyer. Send the buyer a card with the agent’s name on it. That buyer is also your best shot at a recurring client.

### What an agent needs from you

- A flat price by home size and type of clean, so they can tell the seller a number on the phone.
- A 48-hour (or better) turnaround, including weekends in busy months.
- A text reply within an hour, with a time slot, not a “we’ll call you back.”
- Photos when done, sent to the agent, because the agent is often not on site.
- Proof of insurance, because the home is under contract and any damage becomes the agent’s problem.

## Can you pay a realtor a referral fee for cleaning jobs?

Usually not in the way you imagine, and you should not build the relationship on it. NAR’s Code of Ethics, state real estate license laws and the culture around RESPA all push agents away from taking money for vendor referrals. Offer reliability, a referral the other way, and small disclosed thank-yous instead.

### NAR’s Code of Ethics

[Article 6 of the 2026 NAR Code of Ethics](https://www.nar.realtor/about-nar/governing-documents/code-of-ethics/2026-code-of-ethics-standards-of-practice) says REALTORS shall not accept any commission, rebate or profit on expenditures made for their client without the client’s knowledge and consent, and that when recommending products or services they must disclose any financial benefit or fee they may receive from the recommendation. Standard of Practice 6-1 adds that they may not recommend a business in which they have a direct interest without disclosing it. So an agent can take a referral fee only if they tell their seller, in effect, “I get $50 when you hire this cleaner.” Most will not want that conversation.

### RESPA

The federal rule against kickbacks, [12 CFR 1024.14](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-12/chapter-X/part-1024/subpart-B/section-1024.14), prohibits giving or accepting any fee, kickback or thing of value for referring business that is part of a settlement service involving a federally related mortgage loan. Cleaning is not on the list of settlement services in [12 CFR 1024.2](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/12/1024.2), so RESPA usually does not reach a cleaner paying an agent, although that definition ends with a catch-all for other services a settlement provider requires the borrower or seller to pay for. But agents, lenders and title companies are trained on Section 8, and brokerages often have blanket policies against vendor payments as a result. Expect a “no,” and do not argue it.

### State license law

Many states regulate what a licensee can receive from third parties and require disclosure to the client; the details differ by state, so check your state’s real estate commission rules before you offer anything. This is not legal advice.

### Taxes on what you do pay

If you pay referral fees to an agent, a stager or anyone else, the IRS requires a Form 1099-NEC once payments to that person reach the reporting threshold: [$2,000 for payments made in 2026](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/am-i-required-to-file-a-form-1099-or-other-information-return) (it was $600 for earlier years). Payments to an incorporated business are generally exempt, except for medical or legal services. Collect a W-9 before the first payment so you know which kind of payee you have. Gift cards are income too.

### What to offer instead

- **A referral in the other direction.** Your recurring clients sell houses. Send sellers to the agent who sends you cleans. That is worth far more to them than $50.
- **A “closing gift” product.** A move-in clean the agent can buy at a flat price with a branded card. The agent pays; the buyer gets the gift.
- **Priority scheduling.** Partner agents get a guaranteed 48-hour slot and a direct line.
- **A small thank-you, disclosed.** If an agent’s brokerage allows a modest gift, send it after the job with a note, and keep it under what would need a 1099.

## How to set up a realtor cleaning partnership that lasts

A realtor cleaning partnership is a one-page vendor agreement plus a price card, a scope checklist and a direct line. It is not an exclusive contract; agents will not sign one. It is a promise about speed, scope and price that makes you the default.

### What the one-page agreement covers

1. **Services and flat prices.** Listing prep, move-out, move-in, open-house refresh, by home size. Prices valid for 12 months.
2. **Turnaround.** Scheduled within 48 hours of the request; same-week in peak season; what counts as a rush and what it costs.
3. **Scope.** Attach the empty-home checklist. State what is excluded (biohazards, hoarding, exterior windows above the first floor, pest issues).
4. **Access.** Lockbox codes, alarm codes, who meets you, and that you will lock up and report any issue in writing.
5. **Payment.** Card on file or payment before the clean; who the client of record is; cancellation terms (24 hours).
6. **Proof.** Before-and-after photos texted to the agent on completion; certificate of insurance attached.
7. **Referrals.** A sentence that you will refer sellers to them and that no referral fees are paid in either direction.

The [cleaning contract template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-contract-template) can be trimmed to this. Keep it short enough that an agent reads it on a phone.

### Make it easy to order

Give each partner agent a booking link where they or their client can pick the clean, the size and the date, and pay. Agents forward the link to sellers, which removes you from the phone-tag loop. Software like Broombook does this with a booking page and instant pricing; see [cleaning booking software](https://broombook.com/software/cleaning-booking-software) and [features](https://broombook.com/features) for what is included.

## How to price listing cleans and move-out cleans for agents

Price listing and move-out cleans as flat rates by home size, with the move-out clean 20% to 40% higher than your standard deep clean because inside-the-cabinet work and appliances are included, and with a rush fee for anything under 48 hours. Agents want a number they can say on the phone, not a range.

### A price card for agents (hypothetical starting points)

| Home | Listing prep (occupied) | Move-out or move-in (empty) | Open-house refresh |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Condo or 1 to 2 bed, under 1,200 sq ft | $220 to $300 | $260 to $380 | $90 to $120 |
| 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,200 to 2,000 sq ft | $300 to $420 | $380 to $550 | $120 to $160 |
| 4 bed, 2,000 to 3,000 sq ft | $420 to $600 | $550 to $800 | $160 to $220 |
| Larger or heavily soiled | Quoted after a walk-through or photos | Quoted | Quoted |
| Add-ons | Inside oven and fridge included in move-out; windows inside $4 to $6 each; carpet by room; garage sweep $40 to $80; rush under 48 hours plus 20% |  |  |

Build these from your hourly cost and your timed jobs, not from the table. The [house cleaning price calculator](https://broombook.com/tools/house-cleaning-price-calculator) gives a starting point by home size, and the [house cleaning prices guide](https://broombook.com/guides/house-cleaning-prices) explains the deep clean and move-out multipliers. Remember that an empty home is faster per room than an occupied one but has more inside-cabinet work, so time five of each before you lock the card.

### Why agents accept a higher price than homeowners

A listing that photographs badly costs the seller real money, and a walkthrough that fails because the oven is dirty can delay closing. Agents are buying certainty on a deadline, so they rarely push on price. They push on whether you will show up Thursday.

## A step-by-step outreach plan for agents, brokerages and stagers

Start with the agents who already know you, then the brokerage office nearest your service area, then stagers and photographers who see every listing before it goes live. A reasonable target is the first referral within 30 days and a steady flow by month four.

### Days 1 to 14: the people who already know you

- Ask every current client whether they have an agent they trust; email that agent with the client’s permission and your one-page offer.
- Pull the top 20 agents by listings in your zip codes from any public listing site. Follow them, note what they post, and send a short message that references a specific listing.
- Set up your Google Business Profile with “move-out cleaning” and “listing cleaning” in the services, so agents searching those terms find you.

### Days 15 to 45: the brokerage office

- Call the office manager or broker of the nearest two or three offices and ask for ten minutes at the weekly sales meeting. Bring coffee, a price card and a stack of move-in gift cards.
- Offer one free or half-price listing clean per office for an agent to test you. One great result in a sales meeting is worth 50 cold emails.
- Ask to be added to the office’s preferred vendor list, if it has one, and ask what insurance the brokerage requires.

### Days 30 to 90: stagers, photographers and property managers

- Home stagers see every listing before the photos and are often asked “do you know a cleaner?” The [Real Estate Staging Association](https://www.realestatestagingassociation.com/) has a public “Find a Home Stager” directory; call the stagers in your area and offer the same 48-hour promise. Stagers also need their own inventory cleaned.
- Real estate photographers are on site with the agent; a clean house makes their job easier. Leave them cards.
- Property managers who also sell homes send both turnovers and move-outs; see [the turnover cleaning guide](https://broombook.com/guides/airbnb-cleaning-business) for how per-unit pricing works.

### Every week after that

- Text partner agents on Monday with your open slots for the week.
- Send before-and-after photos after every job; agents reuse them in their marketing.
- Ask for a review on Google after each agent job and tag the type of clean, so future agents searching see it.

## Which other cleaning business partnerships feed the same pipeline?

Movers, stagers, property managers, home inspectors, flooring installers and senior move managers all meet people at the same moment agents do: right before or after a move. The same one-page offer works for each, with the price card adjusted to what they order.

| Partner | What they send | What they want from you |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Moving companies | Move-out and move-in cleans, same week as the move | A date that matches the truck; a cross-referral of your clients who are moving |
| Home stagers | Pre-staging cleans, inventory cleaning | Two-day turnaround before install day |
| Property managers | Rental turnovers, carpet, windows | Per-unit prices, invoices by unit, a certificate of insurance |
| Home inspectors | Buyers who just learned the house is dirtier than it looked | Cards they can hand over, nothing else |
| Flooring and paint contractors | Post-work cleans before the family moves back in | Dust-specific scope and a quick quote |
| Senior move managers and estate sale companies | Empty-home cleans after a sale or clear-out | Patience with the family, a flat price, and photos |

The rules from the referral-fee section apply to all of these: pay nothing that you would not want disclosed, collect a W-9 before any payment, and prefer referrals that go both ways. A partner that sends you five jobs a month is a commercial account; treat them like one, with a monthly check-in and a statement.

## What is a realistic timeline, and how do you track agent referrals?

A reasonable target is the first agent job within 30 days of consistent outreach, three to five agent-referred jobs a month by month four to six, and a handful of agents sending you everything they list by the end of year one. Track every job by source so you know which agents and offices are worth the coffee.

### What slows it down

- Saying no to a Thursday job on Tuesday. Agents remember the first no.
- Quoting ranges. Give the number.
- Not sending photos. The agent cannot vouch for what they did not see.
- Chasing the referral fee instead of the next listing.

### Columns for your tracker

- Date, address, type of clean, home size, price.
- Referring agent, brokerage, how they first found you.
- Payer (seller, buyer, agent) and payment status.
- Photos sent, review requested, referral sent back to the agent.
- Did the buyer or seller become a recurring client?

A simple CRM keeps this in one place and reminds you to text the agent on Monday. See [cleaning business CRM](https://broombook.com/software/cleaning-business-crm) for how Broombook keeps each client’s properties, access notes and messages in one place, and the [guide to growing a cleaning business](https://broombook.com/guides/how-to-grow-a-cleaning-business) for the numbers to watch once the agent channel is working.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I approach a realtor to offer cleaning services?

Reference a specific listing, offer three flat-priced cleans (listing prep, move-out, move-in) with a 48-hour turnaround, and ask for ten minutes at their office’s weekly sales meeting. Bring a one-page price card and offer one test clean at a discount. Follow up every Monday with your open slots.

### Can a realtor accept a referral fee from a cleaning company?

Under NAR’s Code of Ethics Article 6, a REALTOR cannot accept a commission, rebate or profit on their client’s expenditures without the client’s knowledge and consent, and must disclose any fee from a recommendation. State license rules add their own limits. Most agents decline; offer referrals back, priority scheduling and a closing-gift clean instead.

### Does RESPA apply to cleaning referral fees?

Usually not. RESPA Section 8 (12 CFR 1024.14) bans kickbacks for referring settlement services on federally related mortgage loans, and cleaning is not on RESPA’s list of settlement services in 12 CFR 1024.2. But brokerages train agents on RESPA and many ban vendor payments outright, so do not count on paying for referrals.

### Who pays for a move-out clean when a house is sold?

Usually the seller, because most purchase contracts require the home to be delivered broom clean or better. Collect payment from the seller before or on the day of the clean; do not agree to be paid at closing.

### How much should I charge a realtor for a move-out clean?

Price it as an empty-home deep clean by size: roughly $260 to $380 for a small condo, $380 to $550 for a 3-bed, 2-bath home and $550 to $800 for a 4-bed, with a 20% rush fee under 48 hours. Build the numbers from your own timed jobs and hourly cost.

### Do I need to send a 1099 for referral fees?

If you pay a person or an unincorporated business $2,000 or more in referral fees during 2026, the IRS requires a Form 1099-NEC (the threshold was $600 for earlier years); payments to corporations are generally exempt. Collect a W-9 before the first payment and count gift cards as income.

### What are the best cleaning business partnerships besides realtors?

Movers, home stagers, property managers, home inspectors, flooring and paint contractors, and senior move managers all meet clients at moving time. Offer each the same one-page vendor agreement with a price card and a 48-hour turnaround, and send referrals back.

## Sources

- [National Association of REALTORS: 2026 Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice (Article 6, SOP 6-1)](https://www.nar.realtor/about-nar/governing-documents/code-of-ethics/2026-code-of-ethics-standards-of-practice)
- [eCFR: 12 CFR 1024.14, prohibition against kickbacks and unearned fees (RESPA Section 8)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-12/chapter-X/part-1024/subpart-B/section-1024.14)
- [Cornell LII: 12 CFR 1024.2, RESPA definitions (settlement service)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/12/1024.2)
- [IRS: am I required to file a Form 1099? (reporting thresholds, $2,000 for 2026)](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/am-i-required-to-file-a-form-1099-or-other-information-return)
- [National Association of REALTORS: existing-home sales (September 2026)](https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/existing-home-sales)
- [Real Estate Staging Association: Find a Home Stager](https://www.realestatestagingassociation.com/)

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Broombook is scheduling, online booking and crew software for residential cleaning businesses. More guides for cleaning business owners: https://broombook.com/guides