REALTOR® Demographics
- 68% percent of REALTORS® are licensed as sales agents, 20% hold broker licenses, and 14% hold broker associate licenses.
- The typical REALTOR® is a 54-year-old white female who attended college and is a homeowner.
- 67% of all REALTORS® are female, and the median age of all REALTORS® is 52.
- Real-estate experience of all REALTORS® (median): 8 years
- Median tenure at present firm (all REALTORS®): 4 years
- The median gross income of REALTORS® was $41,800 in 2018, an increase from $39,800 in 2017.
- Median number of transaction sides in 2018:
- Residential sides for all REALTORS®: 11
- Residential sides for residential specialists only: 12
- Residential sides for commercial specialists only: 4
- Commercial sides for commercial specialists only: 4
- Formal education of REALTORS®:
- Some college: 30%
- Bachelor's degree: 31%
- Graduate degree and above: 13%
- Associate degree: 13%
- Some graduate school: 6%
- High-school graduate: 8%
- REALTOR® affiliation with firms:
- Independent contractor: 87%
- Employee: 5%
- Other: 8%
Source: 2019 National Association of REALTORS® Member Profile
Statistics on REALTORS® and Technology
- REALTORS® most often prefer to communicate with their clients through email, at 93% followed closely by texting at 92% and behind that is 37% through instant messaging.
- REALTORS® who were 49 years and younger were the most likely to have a real estate blog, at 11%.
- 76% of female REALTORS® and 73% of male REALTORS® use social media for professional use.
- Members found that the three most valuable technology tools used in their business, excluding email and cell phones were local MLS websites/apps (64%), lockbox/smart key devices (39%), and social media platforms (28%).
- The top 3 tech tools that have given the highest quality of leads: social media at 47%, MLS site at 32%, brokerage's website and listing aggregator site, both at 29%.
- 48 percent of all real estate firms cited keeping up with technology as one of the biggest challenges facing their firm in the next two years.
Source: 2018 Real Estate in a Digital Age
Home Buyer Statistics
- First-Time vs. Repeat Buyers:
- First-time buyers: 33%
- Median age of first-time buyers: 33
- Median age of repeat buyers: 55
- Median household income of first-time buyers: $74,900
- Median household income of repeat buyers: $101,600
- The typical home purchased was 1,850 square feet in size, was built in 1990, and had three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
- Among those who financed their home purchase, buyers typically financed 88% of the home price.
- 89% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker—a share that has steadily increased from 69 percent in 2001.
- Buyers who would use their agent again or recommend their agent to others: 90%
- Where buyers found the home they purchased:
- Internet: 52%
- Real estate agent: 29%
- Yard sign/open house sign: 6%
- Friend, relative, or neighbor: 6%
- Home builder or their agent: 4%
- Directly from sellers/Knew the sellers: 3%
- Print newspaper advertisement: less than 1%
Source: 2019 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
Home Seller Statistics
- The typical home seller in 2017 was 55 years of age, had a median household income of $102,900, and lived in their home for 10 years.
- 89% of sellers were assisted by a real estate agent when selling their home.
- Recent sellers typically sold their homes for 99% of the listing price, and 40% reported reducing the asking price at least once.
- The typical home sold was on the market for 3 weeks.
- 39% of sellers who used a real estate agent found their agents through a referral by friends or family, and 27% used the agent they previously worked with to buy or sell a home.
- Sellers who definitely would use same agent again: 48%
Source: 2019 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Statistics
- FSBOs accounted for 11% of home sales in 2018. The typical FSBO home sold for $200,000 compared to $280,000 for agent-assisted home sales.
- FSBO methods used to market home:
- None: Did not actively market home: 36%
- Yard sign: 31%
- Open house: 24%
- Friends, relatives, or neighbors: 21%
- Multiple Listing Service (MLS) website: 20%
- Online classified advertisements: 13%
- Social networking websites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.): 11%
- For-sale-by-owner websites: 5%
- Direct mail (flyers, postcards, etc.): 4%
- Video: 1%
- Print newspaper advertisement: less than 1%
- Most difficult tasks for FSBO sellers:
- Getting the right price: 19%
- Preparing/fixing up home for sale: 13%
- Selling within the planned length of time: 7%
- Having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale: 5%
- Understanding and performing paperwork: 3%
Source: 2019 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
Other Recommended Sources for Data on Real Estate:
The Economists’ Outlook blog provides insight into NAR Research’s reports and analyzes how various economic indicators affect the real estate market.
NAR’s State-by-State Economic Impact of Real Estate Activity examines real estate markets in each state and analyzes their contribution to the economy.
The Research & Statistics section of nar.realtor includes links to recent surveys and reports available from NAR.
U.S. Housing Market Conditions(link is external) is published quarterly by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, providing numerous housing market statistics from the federal government and other organizations.
The State of the Nation’s Housing(link is external), from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, is an annual review of housing markets in the U.S., including data on demographic trends and economic conditions.
