The 8 Best Credit Cards for Real Estate Agents
My top picks are based on features they offer, fees, and reviews from real estate agents themselves. Here are the eight best credit cards for real estate agents proven to help you take your business to the next level.
The 8 Best Credit Cards for Real Estate Agents
- Best overall Credit Card for Real Estate Agents: American Express Blue Business Plus
- Best for Unlimited Cash Back Rewards: Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards
- Best for High Credit Limit: Chase Ink Business Preferred
- Best Credit Card for Low Fees: U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards Elite Mastercard
- Best for Earning Rewards for Travel: Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard
- Best Prepaid Card with Unlimited Rewards: Emburse Spend Card
- Best Charge Card with Travel Rewards and No Preset Spending Limit: American Express Business Green Rewards Cards
- Best for Earning Cash Back on Office Supplies and Phone Services: Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card
American Express Blue Business Plus
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Overview
Why I chose it as the best overall credit card for real estate agents: This card is an all-around recommended choice for agents. It offers unlimited rewards of 2x points on the first $50,000 worth of purchases each year and additional points after you hit the cap. You will also get a sign-up bonus of 15,000 points after spending $3000 on eligible purchases during your first three months of membership.
Cardholders can enjoy 0% APR during the first 12 months of membership on exclusive balance transfers. There are no annual fees. Additional features include expanded buying power which allows high-standing members to pay over their credit limit, purchase protection that covers items bought with the card that are damaged or stolen, and extended warranty protection for items purchased with the card that extends manufacturer warranties.
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Ratings
- Buying power: 5/5
- Purchase protection: 4/5
- Warranty options: 5/5
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Pros & Cons
- No annual fees
- 0% APR for the first 12 months
- Sign-up bonus points
- Expanded buying power
- Fixed-rate rewards
- No cash advance options
- Charges foreign transaction feed
- 2x points rewards are capped after $50,000 in spending
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What differentiates it from others
The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors.
Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards
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Overview
Why I chose it as the best credit card for unlimited cash back rewards: The Bank of America Business Advantage Card is ideal if cash rewards are a priority. It offers unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases regardless of spending category. It also allows you to earn 75% more cash back on your purchases if you have an account with Bank of America and qualify for the Preferred Rewards for Business program.
Other benefits include 0% APR for the first nine billing cycles, no annual fees, and a sign-up bonus that allows you to receive a $300 statement credit when you spend at least $3000 within 90 days of opening the account. Use the security chip to pay for items with a convenient tap. It’s great for those with an existing business checking account with Bank of America.
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Ratings
- Sign-up bonus: 5/5
- 0% APR on purchases: 5/5
- Fraud monitoring: 4/5
- Zero liability protection: 4/5
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Pros & Cons
- No annual fees
- Sign up bonus
- Limited 0% APR
- Unlimited rewards with flexible redemption options
- 0% APR does not apply to balance transfers
- Charges foreign transaction fees
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What differentiates it from others
With it, you can earn unlimited, fixed-rate 1.5% cash back on all purchases, regardless of spending categories. You can redeem your rewards as a deposit into your Bank of America® checking or savings account, as a statement credit, or as a check mailed to you. What’s more, it doesn’t charge an annual fee.
Additional features include access to your credit score, fraud monitoring, zero liability protection which protects you from unauthorized transactions, and Balance Connect, which prevents declined purchases, returned checks, and overdrafts.
Chase Ink Business Preferred
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Overview
Why I chose it as the card that’s best for high credit limit: This card is ideal for agents looking to spend big and those who integrate online advertising into their marketing campaigns. It offers 3x points on the first $15,000 you spend annually on online advertising, phone, internet, cable, and travel. In other words, it provides rewards on many real-estate-related expenses. It continues to offer 1X points per $1 after the $150,000 cap.
Additional benefits include a sign-up bonus of $1000 if you spend $15,000 within the first three months of opening the account. It provides flexible redemption options to redeem rewards for travel, gift cards, merchandise, or cash back. It has a low annual fee of $95 and no foreign transaction fees.
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Ratings
- Redemption options: 5/5
- Annual fee: 5/5
- Foreign transaction fee: 4/5
- Reward points: 5/5
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Pros & Cons
- You can redeem points for travel through the card for 25% more
- Travel and purchase protection
- No foreign transaction fees
- No interest-free financing
- Charges an annual fee
- Cardholders must reach a high cap to qualify for the sign-up bonus
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What differentiates it from others
Simply put – their welcome offer. Spend $8,000 during the first three months after opening an account, you get 100,000 bonus points—which is equivalent to $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel.
Other features include cellphone protection for you and your employees, purchase protection which covers new purchases for 120 days, extended warranty protection that extends the life of manufacturer warranties, fraud monitoring, and free employee cards at no additional cost so you can earn rewards faster.
U.S. Bank Business Triple Cash Rewards Elite Mastercard
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Overview
Why I chose it as the best credit card for low fees: This card is a good choice for agents who want extended 0% APR and incentivizing cash-back rewards. It offers a 0% APR for 15 months and allows you to earn 5% cash back on hotels and car rentals booked through the Travel Rewards Center. It offers 3% cash back at restaurants, office supply stores, gas stations, and mobile phone providers. Cardholders can enjoy 1% cash back on all other purchases.
Other benefits include a signup bonus of $500 cash back after spending $4500 in the first 150 days of opening the account. There’s also an ExtendPay plan feature that allows you to pay off large purchases without interest – cardholders must pay a small monthly fee which varies per cardholder.
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Ratings
- Cash back awards: 5/5
- No annual fee: 5/5
- Annual software credit: 4/5
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Pros & Cons
- 0% APR which applies to purchases & balance transfers
- Unlimited cash back rewards
- No annual fee
- Balance transfer fee is applied during introductory period
- The 0% intro APR does not apply to cash advances
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What differentiates it from others
Get a $100 statement credit for recurring software subscriptions, such as FreshBooks or QuickBooks, for your real estate accounting needs.
The card also offers a car-rental collision damage waiver that covers you in case of an accident or theft, purchase insurance that covers items damaged or purchased within 90 days, and extended warranty protection which extends manufacturer’s warranties.
Bank of America Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard
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Overview
Why I chose it as the best card for earning rewards for travel: As the name suggests, this card is perfect for agents looking to earn travel rewards. The card allows you to earn 1.5X points per. $1 spent that you can redeem for travel at the Bank of America Travel Center. You can also apply it to your statement as credit for travel and dining expenses, gift cards, and cash back.
Other benefits include Business Advantage 360, which you can use to access digital tools for free, no annual fee, and 0% APR on purchases. It offers a sign-up bonus of 30,000 bonus points which equals a $300 credit toward dining or travel if you spend $3000 or more within the first 90 days of opening the account. You will also get boost rewards that allow you to get 7% more points if you own a Bank of America checking account and qualify for the highest Preferred Rewards for Business Tier.
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Ratings
- Cash back rewards: 5/5
- Sign-up bonus: 5/5
- Insurance coverage: 4/5
- No blackout dates: 5/5
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Pros & Cons
- No annual fee
- No blackout dates on travel
- 3x points on travel
- Welcome bonus points
- Low ongoing rewards on nontravel purchases
- Short 0% APR during the introductory period that doesn’t apply to balance transfers
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What differentiates it from others
There are no foreign transaction fees and insurance coverage needed on travel-related expenses.
Emburse Spend Card
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Overview
Why I chose it as the best prepaid card with unlimited rewards: This card is ideal for agents who don’t like to carry debt. It’s a prepaid business card that doesn’t require a personal credit check. It offers unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases.
The card offers benefits like no annual or monthly fees. You can get free employee cards at no additional cost. You can load your card with up to $100,000 and get an increased load limit with approval. You can also monitor your transactions in real time with easy-to-use software.
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Ratings
- Budget visibility: 5/5
- Eliminate expense reports: 5/5
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Pros & Cons
- Will not accrue debt
- Easy-to-use software allows you to trace transactions
- High load limit
- No annual or monthly fees
- No signup bonus
- Can’t be used to build personal or business credit
- Can’t be used to withdraw cash from ATMs
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What differentiates it from others
Get Unlimited Cash Back on software, advertising, dining, gas, and travel. There are also no rotating categories or limit to how much you can earn.
American Express Business Green Rewards Cards
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Overview
Why I chose it as the best charge card with travel rewards and no preset spending limit: This card is a top choice for agents who like traveling. It also has no preset spending limit. It allows you to earn 2x points per $1 flight and hotels booked on AmexTravels. You can earn 1x points per $1 on all other purchases.
Other benefits include a signup bonus which allows you to earn 15,000 bonus points when you spend $3000 in eligible purchases within the first three months of membership.
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Ratings
- No preset spending limit: 5/5
- Pay Over Time option: 5/5
- Awards: 4/5
- Sign-up bonus: 4/5
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Pros & Cons
- Flexible spending limit
- Option to pay off items over time
- Bonus rewards
- No cash advances or balance transfers
- Charges foreign transaction fees
- No 0% APR
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What differentiates it from others
You can use the Pay Over Time feature to carry a balance on eligible purchases with APR. The flexible credit limit will adjust based on your purchase, payment, and credit history. It offers a low annual fee of just $95 per year.
Additional features include purchase protection which covers items lost or stolen within 120 days of purchase. The extended warranty extends manufacturers’ warranties. Travel accident insurance covers travel-related injuries.
Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card
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Overview
This card offers 5% cash back on the first $2500 spent on agent expenses such as office supplies, internet, cable, and phone services. It also provides 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent on gas stations and restaurants and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
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Ratings
- Cash back options: 5/5
- Employee cards at no additional cost: 5/5
- High rewards: 5/5
- Sign-up bonus: 4/5
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Pros & Cons
- High rewards for agent-related expenses
- Introductory 0% APR on purchases
- Cash sign-up bonus
- 0% APR does not apply to balance transfers
- Balance transfers carry a high fee of 5%
- Designed mainly for office-oriented companies
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What differentiates it from others
Benefits include no annual fee, 0% APR on purchases for the first 12 months, a signup bonus of $750 cash back when you spend $6000 in the first three months and flexible redemption options.
Additional features include an auto-rental collision damage waiver that protects your car in the case of accident or theft, purchase protection that covers purchases from damage or theft within the first 120 days of purchase, and extended warranty protection that extends manufacturer warranties on eligible purchases.
These cards offer benefits for agents looking to start and grow their businesses. Each provides features suited to a wide range of personal and professional needs. Which will you be adding to your wallet?
Why Should a Real Estate Agent Apply for a Credit Card?
Keeps Business and Personal Expenses Separate: Agents must keep personal and business expenses separate. It makes it easy to identify tax deductions. It offers an itemized report of your spending which is ideal for bookkeeping.
A business credit card will make it easy to determine your professional expenses. It will keep them separate from your other expenses. It will be helpful at tax time. It will provide a good indication of your income.
Suitable for Agents That Are Just Starting: Real estate agents often face challenges starting their businesses. They won’t bring in a lot of income, but they will accrue several expenses. A credit card helps them afford what they need to get their company off the ground without breaking the bank.
Ideal for Agents That Want to Grow Their Business: More experienced agents may decide to grow their businesses. They may choose to open additional offices, or they may want to take continuing education courses to increase their services. A credit card will allow them to afford those expansions.
The card will work like a business loan without the tedious application process. It will also offer lower interest rates than a bank loan.
What Should Agents Look for in a Credit Card?
Low APRs: APR is the annual interest rate on a credit card. It’s ideal to choose a credit card with a low-interest rate. Some cards may offer 0% APR for a limited time. Interest-free is an attractive offer. However, you should also find a card that will keep rates low when interest begins to accrue.
Low or No Fees: Some credit cards require you to pay a fee for using them. The lower the cost, the better. The best option is to find a card that doesn’t require payment.
Rewards: Many credit cards offer a rewards program. Rewards come in the form of points. Typically, cardholders will get one point for every dollar they put on the credit card. Some will offer additional points if you add an authorized user, refer a friend, hit a milestone, or when you first use the card.
You can exchange points for travel, cash back, merchandise, gift cards, exclusive events, and donations. You can usually redeem them through your online account. Find a card that offers rewards, ideally, one you can use to exchange points for items you will use.
Expanded Buying Power: Some cards will allow you to spend over your credit limit if you use the card often and make timely payments. This feature will help you afford items you may not have otherwise been able to buy. But be aware that buying more expensive items also means more interest.