Commission Disbursement Authorization (CDA) — Louisiana Edition Template

The Commission Disbursement Authorization is the short document that makes agents' money move. Signed by the broker (or an authorized manager), the CDA instructs the closing agent — title company, escrow officer, or closing attorney — how to disburse the brokerage's commission at closing: how much to the brokerage, and how much directly to the agent per their split. Because license law in every state requires commissions to be paid to the broker (not directly to a salesperson except as the broker directs), the CDA functions as the broker's written payment direction that lets closing agents cut agent checks at the table without violating that rule.

This 2-page template includes: transaction identification (property, closing date, file number, buyer/seller); the brokerage's total commission due with the calculation basis (percentage of sales price or flat fee); itemized disbursement instructions (brokerage company dollar, agent split, team member splits, outstanding fee deductions, referral fees payable to outside brokers); wiring/delivery instructions with payee details; the broker's authorization signature with license number; and a hold-harmless provision for the closing agent relying on the instruction. A second page provides a multi-agent/team split table for deals with multiple participating licensees.

Operationally, CDAs reduce E&O exposure by eliminating verbal disbursement instructions and creating an audit trail that matches the brokerage's commission ledger — important in states that audit trust-account and commission records. The included notes flag states where direct-to-agent disbursement at closing is restricted or where commission checks must pass through the brokerage first, in which case the CDA still documents the internal split instruction. Simple document, big operational value.

About this Louisiana Edition: Louisiana is the only civil-law jurisdiction in the library, and every template was redrafted in its vocabulary — immovable property, parishes, the act of sale, and the Louisiana Civil Code rather than common-law contract doctrine. Agency terms follow the Louisiana real estate agency disclosure statutes (La. R.S. 9:3891 et seq.), which require the Commission's agency disclosure pamphlet and permit dual agency only with written informed consent from both the buyer and the seller, so the dual agency consent here is a true consent instrument. The seller disclosure edition is built around the Louisiana Residential Property Disclosure Act (La. R.S. 9:3196 et seq.) and the Commission's mandated property disclosure document, the listing and buyer agreements carry the written-agreement and definite-term requirements enforced by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission, the independent-contractor agreement reflects sponsoring-broker supervision under the Louisiana Real Estate License Law, and each instrument recites the Louisiana Uniform Electronic Transactions Act and the civil-law writing requirement for transfers of immovable property. Not legal advice; have a Louisiana-licensed attorney review before use.