The Commission Structure
Broker commissions run 2% to 8% of the funded amount.* The lender pays -- not the borrower. It is their cost of origination. They get deal flow without hiring a sales team. You get paid for delivering it.
Where you land in that range depends on five things:
- Deal size -- Larger tickets often carry lower percentages, but the dollar payout is bigger. A 3% commission on $400K beats 6% on $50K.
- Credit quality -- Stronger borrowers mean cleaner deals. Slightly lower commission, but faster funding and fewer blowups.
- Lender -- Every lender has its own commission schedule. Some pay more on certain equipment types or deal structures.
- Equipment type -- Medical equipment, construction, restaurant, trucking -- each vertical has its own commission norms.
- Deal complexity -- More moving parts can mean a higher commission. Vendor programs, multi-unit deals, and startups often carry premium rates.
In many equipment finance transactions, the borrower is not charged a separate broker fee. The lender typically compensates the broker as part of its cost to acquire the deal. The borrower gets access to financing, the lender gets qualified deal flow, and the broker earns for bringing the transaction together.
*Commission ranges are based on typical industry structures and vary by lender, deal type, and market conditions. Not a guarantee of specific rates.
Deal Economics
Here is what the math looks like on three real-world deal types.*
Restaurant Oven
$3,000$50,000 financed at 6% commission
Small-ticket, fast close. A pizza shop needs a commercial oven. You package the app, submit it, and the lender funds in days. Clean $3,000.
Excavator
$7,500$150,000 financed at 5% commission
Mid-market construction deal. Used CAT excavator for a site contractor. Standard documentation, moderate complexity. $7,500 when it funds.
Medical Imaging Equipment
$12,000$400,000 financed at 3% commission
Larger ticket, more documentation. An imaging center financing a new MRI or CT scanner. Lower percentage, but $12,000 per deal adds up fast.
*Illustrative examples based on typical industry commission ranges. Actual commissions depend on lender, deal structure, credit quality, and other factors. These are not guarantees of specific outcomes or earnings.
What Drives Income Up
Deal Volume
More funded deals per month, more commissions. Volume is a function of prospecting activity and pipeline management. There is no shortcut.
Deal Size
A single $200K deal pays more than four $25K deals at the same commission rate. As you gain experience, you naturally move toward larger transactions.
Repeat Clients
A contractor who finances one excavator will finance another. One solid relationship can produce 3-5 deals per year without any new prospecting.
Referral Networks
CPAs, equipment vendors, attorneys, and other brokers can send you warm leads. One good referral partner can change your entire pipeline.
Niche Expertise
The broker who knows medical equipment inside and out wins deals over the generalist. Specialization commands trust and higher-quality deal flow.
Speed and Reliability
Lenders promote brokers who submit clean packages. Fast, accurate work earns better commission tiers and priority processing.
The Income Timeline
This is what a realistic ramp looks like.* No one closes deals on day one. Building a brokerage takes work, and the first months are about foundation, not income.
Ramp-Up
Training. Lender onboarding. First outreach. You are learning the system, building your initial prospect list, and getting your first submissions out the door. Revenue: likely zero. That is normal.
First Fundings
First deals start closing. You see your first commission checks. More importantly, you learn what works in your market and start refining your approach.
Momentum
Pipeline starts compounding. Repeat clients surface. Referrals trickle in. You develop a rhythm -- prospecting, submitting, closing -- and deal flow becomes more predictable.
Established
Consistent monthly closings. Solid lender relationships. Deep market knowledge. Growth from here means expanding into new niches, adding volume, or building a team.
*Timeline is illustrative and based on typical broker ramp patterns. Individual results vary based on effort, market conditions, prior experience, and other factors. This is not a projection or guarantee of income at any stage.
How Broker-in-a-Box Compresses the Timeline
The timeline above assumes you already have lender relationships, deal tools, training, and a launch plan. Without those, add months to every phase.
Broker-in-a-Box delivers the infrastructure on day one so you can skip the build phase and start the work phase:
- Pre-built lender network -- Relationships that would take months to establish on your own.
- Complete deal toolkit -- Applications, submission templates, packaging guides. No guessing what a lender needs.
- Structured launch plan -- A 45-day roadmap that tells you exactly what to do and when.
- Live deal support -- Real humans who help you structure and submit your first deals.
The goal: you are submitting deals within 30-60 days instead of spending that time figuring out where to start.
See the Full System
Broker-in-a-Box gives you the lender network, deal tools, and launch plan to start submitting deals in 30-60 days. Book a call to see if it fits.