Senior Bookkeeper — Trust, Retainer & Multi-Company Accounting

Industry: Accounting, Financial Services, Legal, Property Management, Real Estate, Real Estate Brokerage and Leasing

Type: Full-Time

Location(s): Vaughan, Ontario, Canada (On-Site)

Compensation CAD $65,000 - CAD $80,000 Annually

Important Location Requirement

This job is remote; however, candidates must be located in the same country, city, or region where the job is posted. The successful candidate must be available to attend a local office, meeting, training session, or company event if requested. Please only apply if you are based in the location listed on this job posting. Remote does not mean the position is open worldwide.

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 workplace 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.

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.

📌 Senior Bookkeeper — Trust, Retainer & Multi-Company Accounting (Winnipeg)
🏢 Rothenbury Group
📍 Winnipeg