
(3)	Revenue Recognition

We earn revenue from the following principal sources:


•	Transaction commissions;


•	Advisory and management fees;


•	Incentive fees;


•	Project and development management fees; and


•	Construction management fees.

We recognize transaction commissions related to leasing services and capital markets services as revenue when we provide the related services unless future contingencies exist. Advisory and management fees related to property and facility management services, valuation services, corporate property services, consulting services and investment management are recognized in the period in which we perform the related services. We recognize incentive fees in the period earned, based on the performance of funds' investments, contractual benchmarks and other contractual formulas. If future contingencies exist, we defer recognition of the related revenue until the respective contingencies have been satisfied.

We recognize project and development management and construction management fees by applying the percentage of completion method of accounting. The efforts expended method is used to determine the extent of progress towards completion for project and development management fees, and the costs incurred to total estimated costs method is used for construction management fees.

Gross and Net Accounting: We follow the guidance of FASB Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 605-45, "Principal and Agent Considerations," when accounting for reimbursements received from clients. In certain of our businesses, primarily those involving management services, our clients reimburse us for expenses incurred on their behalf. We base the treatment of reimbursable expenses for financial reporting purposes upon the fee structure of the underlying contract. Accordingly, we report a contract that provides for fixed fees, fully inclusive of all personnel and other recoverable expenses, on a gross basis. When accounting on a gross basis, our reported revenue comprises the entire amount billed to our client and our reported expenses include all costs associated with the client. Certain contractual arrangements in our project and development services, including fit-out business activities and our facility management services, tend to have characteristics that result in accounting on a gross basis. In Note 4, Business Segments, for client assignments in property and facility management and in project and development services that are accounted for on a gross basis, we identify the gross contract costs, including vendor and subcontract costs ("gross contract costs"), and present separately their impact on both revenue and operating expenses in our RES segments. We exclude these gross contract costs from revenue and operating expenses in determining "fee revenue" and "fee-based operating expenses" in our segment presentation.

We account for a contract on a net basis when the fee structure is comprised of at least two distinct elements, namely (1) a fixed management fee and (2) a separate component that allows for scheduled reimbursable personnel costs or other expenses to be billed directly to the client. When accounting on a net basis, we include the fixed management fee in reported revenue and net the reimbursement against expenses. We base this accounting on the following factors, which define us as an agent rather than a principal:


•	The property owner or client, with ultimate approval rights relating to the employment and compensation of on-site personnel, and bearing all of the economic costs of such personnel, is determined to be the primary obligor in the arrangement;


•	Reimbursement to JLL is generally completed simultaneously with payment of payroll or soon thereafter;


•	The property owner is contractually obligated to fund all operating costs of the property from existing cash flow or direct funding from its building operating account and JLL bears little or no credit risk; and


•	JLL generally earns no margin on the reimbursement aspect of the arrangement, obtaining reimbursement only for actual costs incurred.

We account for the majority of our service contracts on a net basis. The reimbursable costs associated with these net contracts aggregated approximately $499.2 million and $465.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively, and $1.5 billion and $1.4 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The presentation of expenses pursuant to these arrangements under either a gross or net basis has no impact on operating income, net income or cash flows.

Contracts accounted for on a gross basis resulted in certain costs reflected in revenue and operating expenses (gross contract costs) of $214.0 million and $185.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively, and $580.0 million and $536.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively.