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Most real estate agents — who help buyers and sellers make property transactions — come to the role as a second career, according to Brandi Snowden, director of member and consumer survey research for the National Association of REALTORS®. In fact, the median age of all real estate agents who belong to the association is 60. And just 6 percent say real estate was their first career. “We see that there’s a very diverse background of members who are coming from other industries and starting in real estate,” Snowden says. And the career’s reputation for flexible hours and workloads makes it appealing for those who are beginning to plan for retirement, too. According to the “2023 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers” report from the REALTORS® association, what buyers want most from real estate agents is to help them find the right home (50 percent) and help negotiate the home price (12 percent) and the terms of the sale (11 percent).