Who wrote this — and why you should still trust it. This guide is published by ProAxis Tax & Accounting Services, a licensed CPA firm in Bergen County with a real estate investor practice. Yes, we include ourselves. The deal: every firm below is real, independently established, and described only with facts from its own public materials. We say who each firm is best for — including when that is not us. No firm paid to be listed.
New Jersey real estate makes money twice — in cash flow and in tax treatment. But only if the accounting keeps up. Depreciation, cost segregation, passive-activity rules, 1031 deadlines, and multi-LLC structures are where returns are won or quietly lost.
This guide compares six NJ firms that publicly specialize in real estate. Each gets an honest “best for” lane. Pick by your portfolio, not by proximity.
How we chose
- Real estate depth. A dedicated real estate practice or service line — not one line in a services list.
- Fit by portfolio type. A two-unit landlord, a developer, and a commercial owner need different firms.
- Verifiable claims. Everything below comes from each firm’s own website, checked July 3, 2026.
- New Jersey presence. Every firm here serves NJ investors.
Quick comparison
| Firm | Location | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| ProAxis Tax & Accounting | Bergen County (100% virtual) | Individual investors and small portfolios — property-level books + REPS/STR planning |
| KRS CPAs | Paramus | Commercial owners and complex holding structures |
| SRG Advisors | Hackensack | Owners and operators wanting a real-estate-centric full-service firm |
| Magone & Company | Parsippany | Developers and property managers |
| Urbach & Avraham | Edison | Central NJ landlords wanting a local traditional firm |
| Cowan, Gunteski & Co. | Tinton Falls / Toms River | Shore-market commercial real estate and wealth structuring |
1. ProAxis Tax & Accounting Services — best for individual investors and small portfolios
Our firm. See the disclosure at the top — judge us by the criteria.
ProAxis runs investor finances as one system: property-level bookkeeping (each building’s true P&L, not one blended ledger), depreciation and cost-segregation coordination, multi-LLC and K-1 structures, and proactive planning for Real Estate Professional Status and the short-term rental rules. The firm is licensed in New Jersey and New York — which matters for cross-Hudson portfolios — and is 100% virtual with published bookkeeping pricing ranges.
On transactions, ProAxis works alongside your qualified intermediary and closing attorney on 1031 exchanges, and models NJ-specific costs like the exit tax and mansion tax before you sell.
Choose ProAxis if: you own one to a few dozen units, want to see each property’s real return monthly, and want REPS/STR planning done before year-end, not explained after. Look elsewhere if: you’re a developer running project accounting (see Magone), or a commercial owner with institutional-grade structures (see KRS).
2. KRS CPAs, LLC — best for commercial owners and complex structures
KRS CPAs in Paramus runs a dedicated real estate practice led by partner Simon Filip, who publishes as “The Real Estate Tax Guy.” Publicly emphasized: commercial and residential rentals, 1031 exchanges, fix-and-flips, foreign ownership, and structuring for real estate holdings — serving developers, owners, brokers, property managers, and investors across the NJ/NY metro area.
Choose KRS if: your holdings are commercial-scale or your structure (foreign owners, layered entities) needs a dedicated real estate tax practice.
3. SRG Advisors, LLC — best for owners wanting a real-estate-centric full-service firm
SRG Advisors in Hackensack publishes real estate as a core focus: financial statements, 1031 exchange support, tax preparation, and consulting for property owners — alongside general accounting services.
Choose SRG if: you want a Bergen-local firm where real estate is the practice’s center of gravity, including your non-real-estate accounting.
4. Magone & Company — best for developers and property managers
Magone & Company in Parsippany publicly emphasizes cost segregation, 1031 exchanges, and passive-activity deductions, serving real estate developers, investors, and property managers — plus acquisition due diligence and payroll processing.
Choose Magone if: you develop projects or manage properties for others and need due-diligence and operational accounting depth.
5. Urbach & Avraham, CPAs — best for Central NJ landlords
Urbach & Avraham in Edison publishes a real estate service line covering cost segregation, 1031 exchanges and tax-deferral transactions, routine bookkeeping, and financial statement preparation.
Choose Urbach & Avraham if: you’re in Middlesex/Central NJ and want a nearby traditional firm handling the books and the deferrals.
6. Cowan, Gunteski & Co., P.A. — best for shore-market commercial real estate
Cowan, Gunteski & Co. (“Cg”), with offices in Tinton Falls and Toms River, has served the Tri-State area for four decades. Its commercial real estate emphasis: tax-efficient investment structuring, acquisition due diligence, financial forecasting, and wealth management around real estate holdings.
Choose Cowan Gunteski if: your properties sit in the Monmouth/Ocean shore market and you want structuring plus wealth planning under one roof.
How to actually decide
Ask every candidate three investor-specific questions. Will I get a P&L per property, or one blended ledger? Walk me through when cost segregation pays — and when it doesn’t. Who tracks my 1031 deadlines, and what happens if the exchange breaks? Firms without a real estate practice answer all three vaguely.
Timing matters more than cleverness here. REPS hours are documented during the year, not reconstructed in March. Cost segregation is decided before filing. Exchange clocks start at closing. If a firm only calls you at tax time, the strategies above are already off the table.
For the broader vetting framework, see How to Choose a CPA in Bergen County NJ and our county-wide comparison of the best CPA firms in Bergen County. For what investor bookkeeping includes month to month, see Bookkeeping for Real Estate Investors.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the best real estate CPA in New Jersey?
It depends on what you own and where you’re headed. For individual investors and small portfolios that want property-level bookkeeping plus proactive tax planning (REPS, short-term rentals, 1031 coordination), ProAxis Tax & Accounting Services (Bergen County, 100% virtual) is a strong fit. For commercial owners with complex holding structures, KRS CPAs in Paramus runs a dedicated real estate practice. For developers and property managers, Magone & Company in Parsippany focuses there. Match the firm to your portfolio. Disclosure: this guide is published by ProAxis, with comparison criteria stated openly on the page.
How much does a real estate CPA cost in NJ?
Most investors pay for two things: monthly or quarterly bookkeeping and annual tax work. Property-level bookkeeping typically runs $300–$500 per month for a solo investor with a few units, and $700–$1,400 for growing portfolios — scoped by property count and transaction volume. Returns with rental schedules, K-1s, or multi-LLC structures typically run $800–$3,000+. These are typical published ranges, not an offer; final fees are scoped during an engagement.
Do I really need a real-estate-specialist CPA for rental properties?
Once you pass one or two units, usually yes. The specialist differences are concrete: property-level books (so you can see each building’s true return), depreciation done right (including cost segregation when it pays), passive-activity and Real Estate Professional Status rules applied correctly, and 1031 exchanges coordinated on deadline. A generalist preparer typically files what happened; a real estate CPA changes what happens.
What is Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) and why does it matter in NJ?
REPS is an IRS status (IRC §469) that lets qualifying taxpayers deduct rental losses against ordinary income instead of having them trapped as passive losses. It requires 750+ hours and more than half your working time in real property trades. The short-term rental rules offer a separate path for STR owners. Both are documentation-heavy and frequently examined — see our full REPS and short-term rental guide for the tests and record-keeping.
This guide is general information, not tax, legal, or investment advice, and does not create a CPA-client relationship. All third-party firm information comes from public sources — each firm’s own website — as of July 3, 2026, and may change. We are not affiliated with, and received no compensation from, any firm listed. All trademarks and firm names belong to their owners. Verify any firm’s license at CPAverify.org or through the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.