The Opportunity
The Rothenbury Group is seeking an experienced Senior Bookkeeper to support a Canadian real estate brokerage, a property management company, and several related businesses.
This position requires hands-on experience in two areas:
Real estate brokerage trust accounting and monthly trust reconciliation
Client retainer or reserve accounting, including receiving funds, applying authorized expenses, reconciling balances, and returning unused amounts
Retainer experience may come from property management, a law firm, professional services, or another environment where funds are held on behalf of clients. Candidates must also have direct Canadian real estate brokerage trust-account experience.
This is a senior individual-contributor position for someone who can independently maintain accurate records, investigate discrepancies, and keep trust, retainer, operating, and multi-company accounts properly reconciled.
Key Responsibilities
Trust and Brokerage Accounting
Maintain brokerage trust and operating-account records
Complete monthly brokerage trust reconciliations
Reconcile trust bank balances to accounting and individual deal records
Track deposits, disbursements, transfers, reversals, and adjustments
Reconcile completed deals, commissions, salesperson payments, co-operating brokerage amounts, and trust-to-operating transfers
Investigate unidentified funds, unmatched deposits, posting errors, and unsupported balances
Maintain complete reconciliation files and audit trails
Escalate unresolved or material trust differences
Client Retainers and Reserve Funds
Maintain separate balances by client, owner, property, or agreement
Track funds received, expenses applied, additional funding, refunds, and balances remaining
Confirm that deductions are authorized and supported
Reconcile client-level records to bank and general-ledger balances
Identify retainers requiring replenishment or return
Calculate and process approved refunds of unused funds
Investigate negative, unidentified, unsupported, or unreconciled balances
Maintain documentation supporting every use or release of client funds
Full-Cycle Bookkeeping
Maintain accounting records across multiple companies and legal entities
Complete bank, credit-card, general-ledger, and balance-sheet reconciliations
Prepare accruals, prepaids, depreciation, recurring entries, and approved journal entries
Reconcile intercompany, accounts payable, and accounts receivable balances
Apply and reconcile appropriate GST/HST treatment
Record payroll expenses, deductions, remittances, and liabilities
Support month-end and year-end close
Prepare internal financial statements and supporting schedules
Investigate unusual balances, incorrect coding, duplicate entries, and unsupported transactions
Maintain organized documentation and year-end working papers
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree or diploma in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field
Minimum five years of full-cycle Canadian bookkeeping or accounting experience
Direct Canadian real estate brokerage accounting experience
Hands-on experience maintaining and reconciling brokerage trust accounts
Experience with brokerage deposits, completed deals, commissions, and trust disbursements
Experience managing client retainers, reserve funds, or other money held on behalf of clients
Experience tracking client funds from receipt through authorized use, reconciliation, and refund
Strong bank, general-ledger, and balance-sheet reconciliation skills
GST/HST, payroll, intercompany, month-end, and year-end experience
Advanced QuickBooks Online proficiency
Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills
Strong written and verbal communication
Ability to work independently from the Vaughan office
Both brokerage trust-account experience and client retainer or reserve accounting experience are required. The experience may have been gained in different positions or industries.
Preferred Experience
Ontario real estate brokerage accounting
Property management accounting
Law-firm trust or retainer accounting
Brokerage or property-management systems
High-volume trust, deal, or client-fund reconciliation
Preparing records for audit, compliance, or year-end review
Cleaning up historically unreconciled accounts
Reviewing work completed by administrators or junior bookkeepers
Who Will Succeed
You understand that trust and retainer accounting requires more than matching a bank statement. Every amount held on behalf of a client must be supported by the appropriate deal, owner, property, agreement, and documentation.
You investigate discrepancies instead of carrying them forward. You also understand when funds may be applied, transferred, refunded, or released and when additional documentation or approval is required.
Unresolved trust differences, missing funds, negative client balances, unsupported deductions, and possible mixing of client and operating funds must be escalated immediately.
How to Apply
Apply with your resume. If your background aligns with the position, you’ll receive an email with a link to complete a short pre-recorded video interview within 24–48 hours of applying.
Schedule and Compensation
Full-time, Monday to Friday
In-office position in Vaughan
C$65,000–C$80,000 annually
Final compensation will depend on brokerage trust-account experience, client-retainer experience, reconciliation ability, Canadian bookkeeping background, systems knowledge, and overall qualifications.