CommCalc : an honors thesis (HONRS 499/CS497/CS498)

The goal of this project was to write a piece of software for calculating optimum commission rates for real estate listings. A realtor inputs information about a potential listing and the computer uses that information, as well as information about the real estate agency's historical listings and business expenses, to extrapolate a commission rate that allows the firm to break even on the listing. This optimum rate can then be used to determine if the listing could be profitable. If the optimum rate is low compared to what the market will bear, the listing is probably safe to take. If the calculated optimum rate is higher than what the market is likely to bear, then the agency should not list the property. Low rates estimated by the system can then be inflated according to the agent's expertise in order to glean more profit from a listing that is sure to sell.The program also keeps track of all of this information once it is entered into the system. This allows users to evaluate the performance of both the software and the real estate agency over time. Detailed logs are kept in order to assist administrative staff in auditing the information stored in the system. All user accounts are password-protected, ensuring that only authorized employees can access the system.