Benefits for brokerages and property managers, built around who is actually an employee

Ares Benefit Group works with real estate firms and property managers of about 2 to 50 employees. This page is for the company as an employer. It is not a page for an individual agent shopping for a personal policy.

How these firms actually staff

• Classification is the first fact. The IRS looks at behavioral control, financial control, and the type of relationship. An agent who is a true independent contractor is not enrolled in the company's group plan or funded through an ICHRA or QSEHRA as an employee. A W-2 transaction coordinator, receptionist, property manager, or maintenance technician can be. If your agents are employees under those rules, the label on the contract does not control. See the IRS classification page.
• Property management has a field crew of its own. Maintenance, cleaning, and leasing staff often work at multiple properties. An ICHRA can be a practical comparison to a group network when people do not work at a single site.
• Owners and producing brokers. A self-employed owner or that owner's spouse is not the intended participant in a CHOICE Arrangement (ICHRA), per HealthCare.gov. We will look at how the firm is organized before we assume the owner is eligible.
• More than one office or state. Growing brokerages and management companies often add a second office before they add a fiftieth employee. See multi-state teams.

Structures we compare for a team this size

The usual work is to write a plan for the W-2 staff — office, management, and maintenance — and to leave true independent agents off that plan. Group coverage, an ICHRA, or a QSEHRA can all serve that staff group.

• SHOP and other group coverage, when you want one employer-sponsored medical plan and you can meet eligibility and participation rules.
• A level-funded arrangement, when a carrier offers one for your census. We compare it with fully insured group coverage and do not treat either as automatically better.
• An ICHRA, when you want a set contribution and employees choose individual coverage. Permitted classes include full-time, part-time, hourly or salaried, work location, and a waiting period. It is for employees, not for a self-employed owner.
• A QSEHRA, when you are not an applicable large employer and you are not offering a group health plan. See ICHRA vs QSEHRA if both are on the table.
• Section 125 for pre-tax employee premium contributions on a group plan. A QSEHRA cannot be funded by salary reduction.
• Group life and disability and voluntary benefits.

A company under 50 full-time employees, including full-time equivalents, is generally not required by federal law to offer health coverage. If you have fewer than 25 full-time equivalents and you meet the wage, contribution, and SHOP rules, look at the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit.

Recruiting and keeping staff

Benefits help you hire office and property staff, and they can help you hire an agent only if that agent is actually your employee. We will not write a page that promises "agent benefits" as a way around classification.

What to send us

A roster of employees, a clear list of people you treat as independent agents, locations, and hours for W-2 staff.

Tell us about your real estate or property team

Our agents are licensed in all 50 states.