Mileage Deduction for Real Estate Agents: What You Can Claim
Few jobs put more business miles on a car than real estate. Showings, listing appointments, open houses, inspections, the drive to the title company — most of it is deductible, and for a busy agent it's one of the largest write-offs on the return.
What an agent can — and can't — deduct
Real estate driving
| Trip | Usually deductible? |
|---|---|
| Showing properties to clients | Yes |
| Listing appointments and open houses | Yes |
| Driving to inspections, appraisals, closings | Yes |
| Between your home office and a showing | Often yes |
| Personal errands, or commute to a fixed brokerage desk | No |
If you have a qualifying home office, the trips from it to showings and appointments are generally business miles from the start — not a non-deductible commute. That can turn a big share of an agent's daily driving into a deduction.
How to log it without slowing down
An agent's day is a chain of short hops between properties — the exact trips that are easiest to forget and add up the most. Trying to remember them at tax time leaves money behind.
Tracking your real estate mileage
- Let drives log automatically as you move between showings and appointments.
- Swipe each one business or personal; note the purpose ('showing', 'listing appt').
- Keep personal trips separate so your business percentage is clear.
- At tax time, total business miles × the year's rate ($0.70/mi for 2025).
- Export the logbook for your accountant and keep a copy.
Milvo is built for this rhythm: it captures each drive in the background so you're not fumbling with a timer between houses, sorts with a swipe, and exports an IRS-ready logbook at tax time. One purchase, no subscription — unlike the tools that bill agents monthly.
Frequently asked questions
What mileage can a real estate agent deduct?
Driving for the business of selling real estate — showings, listing appointments, open houses, inspections, closings, and trips to the office or title company. Personal driving and a commute to a fixed desk generally don't count.
Is driving to a showing a commute or a business trip?
If you work from a qualifying home office, trips from there to showings are usually business miles, not a commute. Without a home office the treatment can differ — log the trip and its purpose so you have the record either way.
How much can agent mileage save me?
At $0.70 a mile (2025), an agent who drives 20,000 business miles has a $14,000 deduction — often thousands of dollars of tax saved. The size of it is exactly why the log needs to be complete.
Do I need to track mileage if my brokerage reimburses me?
If you're reimbursed under an accountable plan you generally can't also deduct those miles. Most agents are independent contractors who aren't reimbursed, so the deduction applies — keep the log to claim it.