What you need to know
Real estate agents drive an average of 18,000+ business miles per year showing properties, meeting clients, and attending closings. At the 2026 IRS rate of 72.5¢/mile, that is over $13,000 in potential tax deductions. As a 1099 independent contractor, nearly every mile you drive for your business is deductible — but only if you keep a proper log. This free IRS-ready generator was built specifically for realtors to capture every property tour, client meeting, and open house.
Quick tips for mileage log for real estate agents
- Every property showing counts — log address-to-address mileage
- Client lunches, broker open houses, and MLS caravan tours all qualify
- Drives to the title company, inspector, appraiser, or closing all count
- Add the property MLS number or address in the purpose field for audit safety
- Home office to first showing is deductible if you claim a home office (Form 8829)
- Real estate agents are 1099 contractors — deductions go on Schedule C
- 2026 rate is 72.5¢/mile — just 18,000 miles equals $13,050 deducted
- Keep your log contemporaneous — update it weekly, not at tax time
How Many Miles Do Real Estate Agents Drive?
The average real estate agent drives between 15,000 and 25,000 business miles per year. Between property showings, listing appointments, open houses, client meetings, inspections, and closings, a working agent can easily put 300-500 business miles on their car every week. Top-producing agents in spread-out markets often exceed 30,000 miles annually.
At the 2026 IRS standard mileage rate of 72.5¢ per mile, 20,000 business miles translates to a $14,500 tax deduction. That is money most agents simply forget to claim because they never kept a proper log. For a self-employed realtor in the 24% federal bracket, that deduction is worth roughly $3,480 in actual tax savings — every single year.
The catch: the IRS will not take your word for it. You cannot estimate "about 20,000 miles" at tax time. You need a contemporaneous log showing the date, destination, purpose, and miles for each business trip. That is exactly what this generator produces.
What Driving Is Deductible for Realtors?
As a 1099 independent contractor, nearly all of your work-related driving is deductible. This includes: driving to property showings with buyers, traveling to listing appointments, hosting and setting up open houses, attending broker tours and MLS caravans, meeting clients for coffee or lunch, driving to inspections, appraisals, and closings, trips to the title company or attorney, and runs to pick up signage, lockboxes, or marketing materials.
There is one important exception: commuting. Driving from your home to your broker office (your regular workplace) is considered a personal commute and is not deductible. However, here is the key for agents: if you qualify for and claim a home office as your principal place of business (Form 8829), then trips from your home office to showings, listings, and appointments become fully deductible business miles. Most agents who work primarily from home qualify for this.
Driving between two business locations is always deductible — so a trip from one showing to the next, or from the office to a closing, counts regardless of your home office status.
Mileage App vs Printable Log for Agents
Many agents try GPS mileage apps like MileIQ or Everlance, then get frustrated: the apps drain phone battery, misclassify personal trips as business (or vice versa), require constant swiping, and charge $5-12 per month. Worse, an app that auto-logs everything still requires you to add the business purpose for each trip — which the IRS requires and which no GPS can guess.
A structured log you fill in weekly is often more defensible in an audit because every entry has a deliberate, specific purpose ("showing - 123 Oak St with the Johnsons") rather than an auto-generated guess. This free generator gives you that structure without the subscription, the battery drain, or the privacy concerns of constant location tracking.
The workflow most agents prefer: keep a running note of showings on your phone during the week, then spend five minutes every Friday entering them here and downloading the updated PDF. Contemporaneous, accurate, and audit-proof — for free.
Filing Your Real Estate Mileage Deduction
Real estate agents report income and expenses on Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business) as part of their personal 1040 return. Your total business mileage deduction goes on Line 9 (Car and truck expenses) of Schedule C.
You will choose between the standard mileage method (multiply business miles by 72.5¢) and the actual expense method (track and deduct the business-use percentage of gas, insurance, repairs, lease, and depreciation). For most agents driving a normal car, the standard mileage method produces a larger deduction and requires far less paperwork — just the mileage log. If you drive an expensive SUV with high operating costs, run both calculations and compare.
Whichever method you choose, keep your mileage log and supporting records (closing statements, showing confirmations, calendar entries) for at least three years after filing. The generated PDF from this tool serves as your primary record; your MLS showing history and calendar are excellent corroborating evidence if you are ever questioned.
How this generator helps
Most mileage trackers force you to download an app, create an account, or pay a subscription. This generator does none of that. Enter your trips above, click "Generate IRS-Ready PDF," and download a properly formatted log in seconds. Your data stays in your browser between sessions, so you can come back and add more trips throughout the year.
What goes in the PDF
The generated PDF includes everything the IRS requires: date, start location, end location, purpose, miles driven, and trip type. It also includes your odometer readings (if entered), a calculated tax deduction summary, and a clean header showing your name and vehicle. Print it, email it to your CPA, or upload it to TurboTax — it is ready for tax filing as-is.