ToolsSource: Inman
Side×Inman: most broker-owners say ≥20% of transaction files bounce back for fixes
Original headline: “Most broker-owners say at least 20 percent of files come back for fixes” — Inman, Oct 26, 2026
Inman’s Taylor Anderson reports the first quarterly Side × Inman benchmark from Side’s Brokerage Ops Score self-assessment, completed by 40 broker-owners between Sept. 10 and Oct. 8. Just over two-thirds said at least 2 of every 10 transaction files come back for correction (30% said 3+; only about 25% said 0 or 1); roughly two-thirds spend at least 20% of their own time on ops and 28% spend more than 40%, while 73% said they could double volume with no or only minor added support. Side VP Product Steven Price said breakdowns usually hit at the agent→back-office handoff after contract signing — missed disclosures, mismatched ownership, inconsistent commission splits — not at closing; recommended fixes include capturing core deal facts once as structured data, knowing file needs by deal type/market, and settling who gets paid from day one, while tracking first-pass rate, staff intervention frequency, closing→agent payment time and late compliance/money problems. Side runs back office for 600+ companies and opened SideOS in July to independents and franchisees outside its network; Inman notes the sample is self-reported first 40 respondents and not industry-representative, and that Side is a founding Inman 2.0 partner.
Our take (opinion & analysis, not reporting)
For US agents and team leads: treat file bounce-backs as a handoff problem after the contract is signed, not a closing-day scramble — capture disclosures, ownership and commission splits once as structured intake instead of retyping into the back office. Ask your TC/ops lead what first-pass rate and staff-intervention frequency look like on your deals, and settle “who gets paid” on day one so splits do not resurface as late compliance. This Side × Inman sample is only 40 self-selected broker-owners, so use it as a checklist prompt, not as a claim that every brokerage matches these percentages.
Online discussion: no notable public discussion found yet (checked Oct 26, 2026).