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\n <\/div>\n \n Find a Top-Rated Realtor or Real Estate Agent Near You<\/h3>\n
It’s important to work with an agent you can trust. HomeLight analyzes over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to match you with the best candidates for free.<\/p>\n \n
Some agents sell a single house per year for their friend, while others<\/a> have built empires<\/a> to facilitate a record 7,012<\/a> sales annually with sophisticated tech systems. But those are the extremes.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what industry metrics say is a typical number of sales per year for a Realtor, and why that figure is only one of many performance indicators you should be weighing in your search for the right agent.<\/p>\n According to NAR, Realtors completed a median of 10 residential \u201ctransaction sides\u201d<\/a> in 2023. Keep in mind that transaction sides are not a strict measure of homes sold. An agent earns a transaction side when they help either a buyer or a seller close a sale.<\/p>\n That means for every transaction in real estate, there are two sides: one claimed by the agent representing the seller, and one claimed by the agent representing the buyer. If the Realtor represents both buyer and seller<\/a>, then they would earn two sides.<\/p>\n NAR doesn\u2019t isolate what percentage of \u201csides\u201d in their calculation represents a Realtor\u2019s median number of homes sold versus homes bought. If we assume it\u2019s about 50\/50, for example\u2019s sake, the average Realtor would sell an estimated six homes and help clients buy an estimated six homes per year. In reality, this breakdown varies among Realtors, some of whom may do more listings versus buy-side transactions than others.<\/p>\n Compared to the high-flying agents on reality TV shows, it might surprise you to learn that Realtors worked a median 35 hours per week<\/a> in 2023, according to the NAR, and made a median gross income of $55,800<\/a>. However, these figures also account for Realtors who don\u2019t pursue real estate as a full-time job.<\/p>\n If an agent sells fewer than four homes in a year, they\u2019re likely a hobbyist or part-timer who helps friends and family members now and again. They may treat real estate as an after-work gig, side hustle, or post-retirement activity. Or they may be a full-time agent who is just getting started.<\/p>\n There are also a lot of agents who sell more homes than the average \u2014 some even in the hundreds. If an agent is selling 50-plus or into the hundreds of homes per year range, you can expect that the agent has help in the form of assistants and transaction coordinators, or in some cases, a full-blown team structure.<\/p>\n \u201cMany times, an agent will show you that they have 150 sales in a year, but they have four other people buying and selling under them,\u201d says Ron Thieme<\/a>, a Masthope, PA agent who\u2019s been selling homes for over 37 years.<\/p>\n In a real estate team structure, it\u2019s not uncommon for the manager, who oversees all transactions, to count each one towards their total transaction sides. So, the high sales number could be a reflection of a seasoned agent who now runs a team.<\/p>\n If a seller chooses to work with a team\u2019s leader, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they\u2019ll work with that leader directly for the whole transaction. The leader will likely have a few agents on their team who help to handle much of the day-to-day work.<\/p>\n In measuring the success of an agent, the number of sales \u2014 or if you want to count buyer deals as well, then transaction sides \u2014 is only a part of the picture. Realtors get paid on commission. Listing agents and buyer\u2019s agents each collect a 3% commission on average<\/a>, and their respective brokers also take a portion of the commission.<\/p>\n But the more valuable the home, the more a real estate agent is going to make per sale. In Thieme\u2019s second-homes market of Honesdale, Pennsylvania<\/a>; known for its recreational opportunities to boat, hike, and raft; homes range anywhere from $100,000 or less to $2 million plus.<\/p>\nTallying a Realtor\u2019s yearly sales<\/h2>\n
Part-timers and hobbyists sell fewer homes<\/h3>\n
Top producers and teams do more business<\/h3>\n
Some agents sell fewer homes at a higher price point<\/h3>\n