What is an agency, and when should I use one?
An agency is anyone who pays for jobs at a property that isn’t theirs. A real estate agent paying for a rental’s lawns. A care provider paying for its clients’ gardens. An NDIS plan manager paying for a participant. You set the agency up once, put its properties under it, and every job at those properties is billed its way.
When to use one
Section titled “When to use one”Ask who the invoice should go to. If it’s not the person at the property, whoever pays is an agency.
You don’t need one when the customer pays you themselves, or when an owner pays you directly with no agent in between. They’re a normal customer.
NDIS plan managers are agencies too, with a few extra rules. See How do I bill NDIS customers and plan managers?
Why use one
Section titled “Why use one”- The bill goes to whoever pays. Invoices go to the agency’s billing email, not to the tenant or client.
- You set it once. The name on the invoice, the price and the days to pay live on the agency, not on every property.
- One price for all its properties, if they want it. One rate for all charges its properties the same, per hour or per job. NDIS has its own rules.
- They can match the bill to the job. Every line has the date, the property and the work, like this: 21/10/2026. 14 Quenda Loop, Como. Mowing
- No surprise price changes. LawnFlow asks before putting a property under an agency changes what it’s charged.
Agency invoices go out through Xero. See How do I send invoices to Xero?
Who the invoice is made out to
Section titled “Who the invoice is made out to”Under 2 · Who’s the invoice made out to? there are three choices. All three go to the agency’s billing email. Only the name at the top changes. If you’re not sure which one they want, ask the agency.
- Riverbend Property Co itself: made out to the agency. Each line names the property, so no owner names are needed.
- Owner’s name, care of Riverbend Property Co: made out to the property’s owner, with a C/- Riverbend Property Co line under the name. Common for real estate, where the agent pays on the owner’s behalf.
- Owner’s name only: made out to the owner, with no C/- line.
For the two owner choices, add each owner’s name on the customer’s Billed to card. Until you do, the invoice uses the customer’s name. NDIS invoices always name the participant, whichever you pick.
With invoices going to Xero, the agency’s screen shows What the invoice will look like before anything is sent.
To set one up, see How do I bill an agency or property manager?