Real Estate Agent Statistics 2026: 50+ Facts and Figures

How many real estate agents are there?

NAR had 1,438,569 members in June 2026, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 530,600 jobs for brokers and sales agents.

The two numbers measure different things. NAR counts dues-paying Realtors, including part-timers.

The BLS counts jobs, and 54% of sales agents are self-employed.

• NAR had 1,438,569 members in June 2026, down 24,783 from 1,463,352 a year earlier.
• NAR's chief economist says membership has exceeded 1.4 million only a handful of times in history.
• NAR membership was 1,526,631 on October 31, 2024, when NAR forecast an 8% drop for 2025.
• Brokers and sales agents held 530,600 jobs in 2025: 427,000 sales agents and 103,500 brokers (BLS).
• The BLS projects 2% job growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 40,400 openings a year.
• 54% of sales agents and 55% of brokers are self-employed (BLS).

Real estate agent income

Realtors earned a median $59,200 gross in 2025, and $37,000 after taxes and business expenses.

Income depends heavily on experience. Realtors with 16 or more years earned a median $88,500, while those with two years or less earned $8,000.

• Median net income after taxes and expenses: $37,000 (NAR).
• 19% of Realtors grossed under $10,000 in 2025, and 20% grossed $150,000 or more (NAR).
• 62% of Realtors with two years or less made under $10,000 (NAR).
• The BLS puts median pay at $57,400: $52,830 for sales agents and $73,220 for brokers (May 2025).

How many deals do real estate agents close?

The typical Realtor closed 9 transaction sides in 2025, with a median $2.7 million in sales volume.

• 6% of Realtors in brokerage closed zero residential sides in 2025; for Realtors with two years or less, 31% closed none (NAR).
• Realtors with two years or less had a median of 2 sides; those with six or more years had 10 (NAR).
• Realtors on teams typically had 32 team sides and $17.5 million in team volume (NAR; the detailed table shows 31 sides).
• The viral claim that most agents close zero deals counts every license holder; NAR's own figure for Realtors is 6%.

Who real estate agents are

The typical Realtor is a 57-year-old woman who attended college, owns her home and has 13 years in the business.

• 66% of Realtors are women, up from 63% the year before (NAR).
• 11% of members have one year of experience or less, and 23% have 26 years or more (NAR).
• Newer Realtors, with two years or less, have a median age of 45 (NAR).
• 73% say real estate is their only job; 27% have another source of income (NAR).
• Only 6% say real estate was their first career (NAR).
• 86% of Realtors are independent contractors, and 53% work at an independent, non-franchise firm (NAR).

How much real estate agents work

The typical Realtor worked a 35-hour week in 2025, the same as the year before.

Licensed sales agents worked a median 30 hours in a typical week, and managers who also sell worked 45. 16% of Realtors work under 20 hours in a week, and 11% work 60 or more.

Business expenses and the tools agents pay for

Realtors' median business expenses were $9,530 in 2025, up from $8,010, and vehicle costs were the largest line at $1,580.

• Realtors spent a median $740 on technology products and services in 2025 (NAR Member Profile).
• 22% of Realtors spend more than $500 a month on technology, and 36% spend $50 to $250 (NAR 2026 Technology Report).
• The most-used tools are the MLS (96%), e-signature (79%) and showing schedulers (68%); 46% use a CRM (NAR 2026 Technology Report).
• Realtors reach current clients most by text message (94%), then phone (90%) and email (87%) (NAR Member Profile).
• 73% of Realtors have a business website, but the typical Realtor got zero inquiries from it (NAR Member Profile).

How real estate agents use AI

23% of Realtors use AI every day and 25% every week, and only 12% do not use it and have no plans to, down from 32% in 2025.

Most agents use AI for writing. Among Realtors who use it, the top uses are listing descriptions, social posts and emails and follow-ups.

• 81% of Realtors adopt technology mainly to save time, up from 66% in 2025 (NAR).
• 55% of Realtors say AI has had a positive effect on their business (NAR).
• The biggest barriers to new technology are the learning curve (63%) and cost (59%) (NAR).
• 58% of Realtors had used ChatGPT, 20% Google Gemini and 15% Microsoft Copilot in NAR's 2025 survey.
• 70% of agents report at least some productivity gain from AI, up from 62% in August 2025 (Inman Intel Index, May 2026).
• 71% of agents use their own AI tools more often than the ones their brokerage provides (Inman Intel Index).

Where real estate agents get their clients

The typical Realtor got 28% of business from repeat clients and 22% from past-client referrals in 2025.

Realtors with 16 or more years got 49% of their business from repeat clients. 69% of Realtors got no business at all from paid third-party leads.

• 88% of buyers bought through an agent, and 91% of sellers used one; sales by owner fell to a record low of 5% (NAR 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers).
• 43% of buyers found their agent through a friend, neighbor or relative, and 15% used an agent they had worked with before (NAR).
• 76% of repeat buyers and 67% of first-time buyers interviewed only one agent; 80% of sellers contacted only one (NAR).
• 72% of buyers value an agent who sends property information and communicates by text (NAR).
• 91% of buyers would use their agent again or recommend them (NAR).

Teams, assistants and help

21% of Realtors worked on a team in 2025, and 17% have at least one personal assistant.

The median team had 4 members. Among licensed sales agents, 88% have no assistant at all.

In Sifta's study of 7,439 agent comments, outsourcing to a transaction coordinator or assistant was the third most common topic, with 211 mentions.

The housing market agents work in

Existing-home sales ran at a 3.98 million annual rate in August 2026, with a median price of $429,100.

• August 2026: sales down 1.2% from a year earlier, median price up 1.6%, 4.9 months of supply, homes sold in a median 31 days (NAR).
• 27% of Realtors say affordability is the top thing stopping clients from buying, ahead of low inventory at 12% (NAR Member Profile).
• The average buyer's agent commission was 2.42% in the third quarter of 2025, up from 2.36% a year earlier (Redfin).

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