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References
NAR Library & Archives has already done the research for you. References (formerly Field Guides) offer links to articles, eBooks, websites, statistics, and more to provide a comprehensive overview of perspectives. EBSCO articles (E) are available only to NAR members and require the member's nar.realtor login.
Income Data
Member Profile (National Association of REALTORS®, 2022)
The median gross income of REALTORS®—income earned from real estate activities—was $54,330 in 2021, an increase from $43,300 in 2020. REALTORS® with 16 years or more experience had a median gross income of $85,000—up from $75,000 in 2020—compared to REALTORS® with two years or less experience that had a median gross income of $8,800—an increase from $8,500 in 2020.
Real Estate Sales Agent Salary (Salary, Jan. 23, 2023)
The average Real Estate Sales Agent salary in the United States is $44,813 as of January 26, 2023, but the range typically falls between $43,778 and $57,001.
From the NAR Archives
In its first all-member survey conducted in 1949, NAR found that the typical licensed broker earned an annual income of $10,000.
Articles
How Much Does the Average Real Estate Agent Make? (McKissock, Feb. 23, 2022)
Agents putting in 40 to 50 hours a week can expect to make around $113,054, according to our survey, while agents who work 50 to 59 hours a week report earning an average of $143,469.
Real Estate Agent Commission: How Much Do Agents Make in 2023? (HomeLight, Jan. 4, 2023)
Generally, you can expect to pay between 5%-6% in agent commissions when selling a home in 2023, with some variation based on location. On a property worth the median home sale price of $454,900 as of Q3 2022, that amounts to $22,745 – $27,294 in commission costs.
How Much Do Real Estate Agents Make? Commission Explained (realtor.com®, Oct. 2, 2022)
In many cases, the commission is evenly split between the buyer’s agent and the listing agent, but sometimes the split is negotiated unevenly. For example, a seller could agree to pay a 5.5% commission divided so that the listing agent receives 3% and the buyer’s agent receives 2.5% of the listing.
How Much Do Real Estate Agents Make? (The CE Shop, Oct. 12, 2021)
If you've heard that real estate can be a lucrative career path, you've heard right. According to Indeed, the average salary is just over $83,000 for first-year full-time agents — but this rate can vary greatly.
Real Estate Agent & Real Estate Broker Salary in All 50 States (VanEd, Jun. 2, 2021)
For this analysis, we used a Bureau of Labor search tool to find the mean annual salary of real estate agents and brokers in each state.
Study: Real Estate Income Doubles After Your First Year (So Hang In There) (McKissock, May 26, 2021)
Agents in our study reported earning an average of approximately $15,000 when they had been in business for under a year. However, agents with between one and three years of experience saw their earnings increase to $38,141. It doesn’t stop there — longevity in the business continued to be a strong predictor of take-home pay throughout an agent’s career.
Websites & Other Resources
Updated each year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Real Estate Brokers & Agents section of the Occupational Outlook Handbook includes data on average earnings and wages of real estate licensees.
Salary.com's Salary Wizard features information on median expected annual income for real estate licensees, using survey data from human resources departments around the country.
The CEL National Real Estate Compensation & Benefits Survey has become the national standard for the real estate industry. The survey incorporates over 190 positions and nearly 400 participant companies in the office, industrial, retail, residential, advisory and brokerage/services sectors.
eBooks & Other Resources
eBooks.realtor.org
The following eBooks and digital audiobooks are available to NAR members:
6 Figures in 12 Months (eBook)
Baby Steps Millionaires (eBook)
Multiple Income Streams for Real Estate Agents and Brokers (eBook)
7 Money Rules for Life: How to Take Control of Your Financial Future (eBook)
Big Money Energy (Audiobook)
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Managing Your Money (Audiobook)
Millionaire Success Habits (eBook)
More Money Less Hustle (Audiobook)
Profit First for Real Estate Agents (eBook)
The Richest Man in Babylon (eBook)
The Road to Wealth: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Money (eBook)
Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny (Audiobook)
The Half Millionaire Real Estate Agent (eBook)
How to Become a Million Dollar Real Estate Agent in Your First Year (eBook)
The Millionaire Mind (eBook)
The Millionaire Real Estate Agent (eBook)
Skill: A Top-Producing Agent’s Guide to Earning Unlimited Income (eBook)
Super Agent (eBook)
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The inclusion of links on this page does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this page complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.