Key statistics
- The National Association of REALTORS® had 1,438,569 members as of June 2026. (NAR)
- BLS counted 530,600 jobs for real estate brokers and sales agents in 2025: 427,000 sales agents and 103,500 brokers. (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- Only 193,370 real estate sales agents and 46,100 brokers were wage and salary employees in May 2025; the rest are self-employed. (BLS OEWS)
- NAR membership peaked at 1,580,971 at the end of 2022 and fell 26,367 in 2023, its first annual decline since 2012. (NAR via Alabama REALTORS®; Real Estate News)
- California had 421,011 licensed real estate brokers and salespersons in August 2026, down from 434,119 two years earlier. (California DRE)
- Texas had 228,501 licensed brokers and sales agents in November 2025; 142,344 of its 178,900 sales agents held active licenses. (Texas Real Estate Commission)
- Florida had 245,696 active sales associates, 24,033 active broker sales associates and 43,263 active brokers in May 2026. (Florida DBPR)
- The typical REALTOR® is 57 years old, and 66% of REALTORS® are women. (NAR 2026 Member Profile)
- 15% of REALTORS® have 2 years or less of experience; 23% have 26 years or more. (NAR 2026 Member Profile)
- About 15% of NAR members in any given year are new. (NAR)
- No primary source has been found for the claim that "87% of real estate agents fail". (Paperless Pipeline Research review)
- In Florida, 48% of first-time takers passed the sales associate exam in May 2026. (Florida DBPR)
How many real estate agents are there in the US?
There are about 1.44 million REALTORS® in the US, and roughly 530,600 people work as real estate brokers and sales agents according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The count of people who hold a real estate license is larger again, and no federal agency publishes a single national total.
The National Association of REALTORS® reported 1,438,569 members in its June 25, 2026 release of the Member Profile. That is the most recent figure NAR has published. NAR stopped posting its monthly national membership report at the end of 2024, so updates now come from NAR statements at board meetings and conferences.
BLS reported 530,600 jobs for real estate brokers and sales agents in 2025: 427,000 sales agents and 103,500 brokers. This is the base year for BLS's 2025 to 2035 employment projections, and it includes self-employed workers.
| Count | Number | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NAR members (REALTORS® and REALTOR® Associates) | 1,438,569 | June 2026 | NAR |
| Real estate broker and sales agent jobs, incl. self-employed | 530,600 | 2025 | BLS Employment Projections |
| Of which: sales agents | 427,000 | 2025 | BLS |
| Of which: brokers | 103,500 | 2025 | BLS |
| Wage and salary sales agents (excludes self-employed) | 193,370 | May 2025 | BLS OEWS |
| Wage and salary brokers (excludes self-employed) | 46,100 | May 2025 | BLS OEWS |
| Real estate license records in the ARELLO national database | 4,343,074 | Accessed October 2026 | ARELLO |
Source: NAR press release, June 25, 2026; BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents (last modified August 27, 2026); BLS OEWS Profiles, May 2025; ARELLO Licensee Verification Database information page (accessed October 8, 2026). ARELLO counts license records, which include inactive and expired licenses, multiple licenses held by one person and NAR-submitted records across 43 participating jurisdictions. It is not a count of active agents.
Why licensees, REALTORS® and BLS agents are three different numbers
The three counts measure different things. A licensee holds a state real estate license. A REALTOR® is a licensee who pays to join NAR. A BLS "job" is a person whose main work is selling real estate in a given period.
Each count leaves people out of the others:
- Licensees include people who keep a license active but rarely or never close a deal, people who hold licenses in more than one state, and inactive licensees. State regulators publish these counts, and the counts are large. Florida alone had 312,992 active individual licensees in May 2026 across its three individual license types.
- REALTORS® include licensees in every state who have joined a local association, which many MLSs require. They also include appraisers, property managers and others. In the 2026 Member Profile, 62% of REALTORS® held a sales agent license, 24% a broker license and 16% a broker associate license. Licensees who do not join a REALTOR® association are not counted.
- BLS jobs count people whose primary job is real estate sales or brokerage. Part-time and occasional agents whose main job is something else are missed. BLS's OEWS wage survey goes further and only counts agents paid through an employer, which is why it shows 193,370 sales agents against 427,000 total jobs.
NAR's own data shows why the gap between members and BLS jobs is so large. In the 2026 Member Profile, only 48% of REALTORS® said real estate was their household's primary source of income, and 27% earned income from another occupation. Sixteen percent worked fewer than 20 hours a week.
| Question | State licensee counts | NAR membership | BLS Employment Projections | BLS OEWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counts inactive licensees? | Often, reported separately | Only if they pay dues | No | No |
| Counts part-time agents? | Yes | Yes | Only if real estate is their main job | Only if employer-paid |
| Counts self-employed agents? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Counts licensees who are not REALTORS®? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Counts appraisers and property managers? | Depends on state | Yes | No (separate occupations) | No |
| National total published? | No | Yes, irregularly since 2025 | Yes | Yes |
Source: Paperless Pipeline Research analysis of definitions published by BLS OOH, BLS OEWS, NAR and the state regulator reports cited below.
For anyone citing a number: use NAR's 1,438,569 for "how many realtors are there", BLS's 530,600 for "how many people work as real estate agents and brokers", and a state regulator's count for "how many licensed agents are in [state]".
NAR membership by year
NAR membership peaked at 1,580,971 at the end of 2022, according to NAR's monthly membership report as reprinted by the Alabama Association of REALTORS®. It fell to 1,554,604 at the end of 2023, the first annual decline since 2012, and has since slipped below 1.5 million.
The long history shows how closely membership tracks the housing cycle. NAR had 1,646 members in 1908. It passed 100,000 in the early 1970s, jumped to 435,485 in 1975 and reached 822,935 in 1989. After a 1990s dip to around 716,000, it climbed with the housing boom to 1,271,057 by November 2005. NAR says membership then fell from a peak of about 1.4 million to roughly 1 million during the 2008 to 2010 downturn, before rebuilding to its 2022 high.
Recent counts have come from NAR statements. The treasurer reported 1,526,631 members on October 31, 2024. State counts put the total at 1.498 million at the start of January 2025. NAR reported 1,453,690 members on May 31, 2025 and just over 1.491 million on September 30, 2025, then 1,438,569 in June 2026. NAR's 2026 budget assumes a baseline of 1.2 million members.
| Year / date | Total members | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1908 | 1,646 | Founding year |
| 1920 | 10,077 | |
| 1930 | 18,918 | |
| 1940 | 14,162 | |
| 1950 | 43,503 | |
| 1960 | 68,818 | |
| 1970 | 94,625 | |
| 1975 | 435,485 | Series jump in source data |
| 1980 | 761,391 | |
| 1985 | 711,226 | |
| 1989 | 822,935 | Pre-2000 high |
| 1990 | 810,607 | |
| 1995 | 719,673 | |
| 1997 | 716,078 | 1990s low |
| 2000 | 766,560 | |
| 2001 | 803,803 | |
| 2002 | 876,195 | |
| 2003 | 976,960 | |
| 2004 | 1,102,250 | As of December 31, 2004 |
| November 2005 | 1,271,057 | |
| 2008 to 2010 | about 1.4 million falling to about 1 million | NAR statement; exact year-end counts not published |
| 2015 (year-end) | 1,167,595 | |
| 2016 (year-end) | 1,233,704 | |
| 2019 (year-end) | 1,403,128 | Implied: 2020 count minus the reported 55,533 gain |
| 2020 (year-end) | 1,458,661 | |
| 2021 (year-end) | 1,559,537 | |
| 2022 (year-end) | 1,580,971 | Record year-end high |
| 2023 (year-end) | 1,554,604 | First annual decline since 2012 |
| October 31, 2024 | 1,526,631 | |
| Start of January 2025 | 1.498 million | Based on state counts |
| May 31, 2025 | 1,453,690 | |
| September 30, 2025 | just over 1.491 million | NAR spokesperson |
| June 2026 | 1,438,569 | Latest published |
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division archive, "NAR Membership 1908-2005" (from NAR's Field Guide to Membership Statistics; updated January 9, 2024); NAR Monthly Membership Report, December 31, 2016; Alabama Association of REALTORS® reprints of NAR's report for December 2020, December 2021 and December 2022; Real Estate News, January 3, 2024; NAR, "Strength in Numbers," November 11, 2024; Real Estate News, January 3, 2025; NAR, "NAR Membership Remains Above Forecast," June 5, 2025; Real Estate News, January 23, 2026; NAR press release, June 25, 2026. NAR counts in the monthly report include REALTOR® and REALTOR® Associate members only.
NAR membership by year, 1970 to 2026
Chart data
| Category | NAR membership by year, 1970 to 2026 |
|---|---|
| 1970 | 94,625 |
| 1975 | 435,485 |
| 1980 | 761,391 |
| 1985 | 711,226 |
| 1989 | 822,935 |
| 1990 | 810,607 |
| 1995 | 719,673 |
| 1997 | 716,078 |
| 2000 | 766,560 |
| 2001 | 803,803 |
| 2002 | 876,195 |
| 2003 | 976,960 |
| 2004 | 1,102,250 |
| 2005 (Nov) | 1,271,057 |
| 2015 | 1,167,595 |
| 2016 | 1,233,704 |
| 2019 | 1,403,128 |
| 2020 | 1,458,661 |
| 2021 | 1,559,537 |
| 2022 | 1,580,971 |
| 2023 | 1,554,604 |
| 2024 (Oct 31) | 1,526,631 |
| 2025 (Sep 30) | 1,491,000 |
| 2026 (Jun) | 1,438,569 |
How many licensed real estate agents are there by state?
California, Texas and Florida together had more than 960,000 licensed real estate brokers and agents in their latest regulator reports. Each state counts licensees in its own way, so the table shows each state's categories as published.
California's Department of Real Estate reported 421,011 licensees in August 2026: 120,261 brokers and 300,750 salespersons. The total has fallen 3% in two years, from 434,119 in August 2024.
The Texas Real Estate Commission reported 228,501 brokers and sales agents in November 2025: 49,601 brokers and 178,900 sales agents, of whom 142,344 held active licenses.
Florida's Division of Real Estate reported 245,696 active sales associates, 24,033 active broker sales associates and 43,263 active brokers in May 2026, a total of 312,992 active individual licensees. Another 88,715 sales associates held current but inactive licenses.
| State | Report date | Brokers | Sales agents / salespersons / sales associates | Total individuals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | August 2026 | 120,261 | 300,750 | 421,011 | DRE "licensee population" |
| Texas | November 2025 | 49,601 | 178,900 (142,344 active) | 228,501 | TREC brokers and sales agents |
| Florida | May 2026 | 43,263 active brokers; 24,033 active broker sales associates | 245,696 active | 312,992 active | Excludes 88,715 current inactive sales associates |
Source: California Department of Real Estate, Licensee/Examinee Statistics, FY 2026/2027 (August 2026 data); Texas Real Estate Commission, monthly statistical report, November 2025; Florida DBPR, Division of Real Estate licensee report to the Florida Real Estate Commission, June 2026 meeting (FY 2025-2026 data through May 2026). The Florida document carries an outdated "July 2016 - June 2017" header on its table; the page is labeled FY 2025-2026 and the figures were presented at the June 2026 commission meeting.
Licensed real estate professionals in CA, TX and FL
Chart data
| Category | Brokers (incl. FL broker sales associates) | Sales agents |
|---|---|---|
| California | 120,261 | 300,750 |
| Texas | 49,601 | 178,900 |
| Florida | 67,296 | 245,696 |
Compare those totals to BLS's wage and salary counts and the gap is stark. BLS counted 26,790 employer-paid sales agents in Florida, 22,250 in Texas and 17,500 in California in May 2025. The rest of each state's licensees are self-employed independent contractors, part-timers, or inactive.
| Rank | State | Sales agents (wage and salary) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 26,790 |
| 2 | Texas | 22,250 |
| 3 | California | 17,500 |
| 4 | Georgia | 9,940 |
| 5 | New York | 8,660 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 7,960 |
| 7 | Colorado | 6,120 |
| 8 | Illinois | 6,030 |
| 9 | Virginia | 5,750 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 5,680 |
| United States | 193,370 |
Source: BLS OEWS Query System, May 2025 state estimates, SOC 41-9022 (data extracted October 8, 2026). Excludes self-employed workers. BLS did not release employment estimates for Connecticut, New Jersey, North Dakota or Rhode Island. For pay by state, see our real estate agent salary statistics.
Real estate agent demographics: age, gender and background
The typical REALTOR® in 2026 was a 57-year-old white woman who had attended college and owned her home, according to NAR's 2026 Member Profile. Women made up 66% of REALTORS®, up from 63% a year earlier. Thirty percent of members were 65 or older, and just 3% were under 30.
New members are older than people expect. The median age of REALTORS® with 2 years or less of experience was 45. Only 6% of REALTORS® said real estate was their first career. The most common previous careers were sales and retail (15%) and management, business or finance (15%).
| Age | Share of REALTORS® |
|---|---|
| Under 30 | 3% |
| 30 to 34 | 4% |
| 35 to 39 | 6% |
| 40 to 44 | 8% |
| 45 to 49 | 9% |
| 50 to 54 | 12% |
| 55 to 59 | 15% |
| 60 to 64 | 14% |
| 65 and over | 30% |
| Median age | 57 |
Source: NAR 2026 Member Profile, national column of the 2026 Florida REALTORS® Member Profile (July 2026).
Age of REALTORS®, 2026
Chart data
| Category | Age of REALTORS®, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Under 30 | 3 |
| 30 to 34 | 4 |
| 35 to 39 | 6 |
| 40 to 44 | 8 |
| 45 to 49 | 9 |
| 50 to 54 | 12 |
| 55 to 59 | 15 |
| 60 to 64 | 14 |
| 65 and over | 30 |
| Characteristic | Share |
|---|---|
| Female | 66% |
| Male | 32% |
| Prefer not to say | 2% |
| White | 79% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 10% |
| Black/African American | 6% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 5% |
| American Indian/Eskimo/Aleut | 1% |
| Other | 3% |
| Real estate is first career | 6% |
| Prior career in sales/retail | 15% |
| Prior career in management/business/financial | 15% |
| Real estate is household's primary income source | 48% |
| Real estate is sole occupation | 73% |
| Own primary residence | 86% |
| Own a secondary property | 41% |
Source: NAR 2026 Member Profile, national column of the 2026 Florida REALTORS® Member Profile; NAR, "The Feature Sheet: 2026 Member Profile" (August 19, 2026). Respondents could choose more than one race or ethnicity.
The membership is also diversifying slowly. White members fell to 79% from 80% a year earlier, and Hispanic/Latino members rose to 10% from 9%.
How much experience do real estate agents have?
The typical REALTOR® had 13 years of experience in 2026, up from 12 the year before. That figure has risen as the market slowed. Seasoned agents stayed, and fewer new ones joined.
Fifteen percent of members had 2 years or less of experience: 11% had a year or less and 4% had two years. At the other end, 23% had been in the business 26 years or more, including 8% with 40 years or more.
| Years in real estate | Share of REALTORS® |
|---|---|
| 1 year or less | 11% |
| 2 years | 4% |
| 3 years | 4% |
| 4 years | 3% |
| 5 years | 5% |
| 6 to 10 years | 15% |
| 11 to 15 years | 11% |
| 16 to 25 years | 23% |
| 26 to 39 years | 15% |
| 40 or more years | 8% |
| Median | 13 years |
Source: NAR 2026 Member Profile, national column of the 2026 Florida REALTORS® Member Profile (July 2026).
REALTORS® by years of experience, 2026
Chart data
| Category | REALTORS® by years of experience, 2026 |
|---|---|
| 1 year or less | 11 |
| 2 years | 4 |
| 3 years | 4 |
| 4 years | 3 |
| 5 years | 5 |
| 6 to 10 years | 15 |
| 11 to 15 years | 11 |
| 16 to 25 years | 23 |
| 26 to 39 years | 15 |
| 40 or more years | 8 |
| License type | Share | Main function at firm | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales agent | 62% | Sales agent | 68% |
| Broker | 24% | Associate broker | 11% |
| Broker associate | 16% | Broker-owner (with selling) | 12% |
| Appraiser | 2% | Broker-owner (without selling) | 1% |
| Other | 1% | Manager | 4% |
| Appraiser | 1% | ||
| Other | 1% |
Source: NAR 2026 Member Profile, national column of the 2026 Florida REALTORS® Member Profile. License type shares total more than 100% as published.
Most members work in residential sales. Seventy-six percent named residential brokerage as their primary specialty, 5% property management, 3% relocation and 2% commercial brokerage.
How many real estate agents fail? The 87% claim
There is no traceable primary source for the claim that 87% of real estate agents fail. We searched NAR's published research, BLS data and the pages that repeat the figure, and none links to a study, a dataset or a methodology.
The figure circulates mostly on coaching and recruiting blogs. A 2020 analysis by the real estate recruiting publication Recruiting Insight concluded the 87% figure "appears to be wrong" and suggested it spread through people re-quoting earlier articles. That same piece cited NAR's member profile and a conversation with an NAR analyst to put the share of new licensees who leave within five years at 40% to 50%. That is a secondhand estimate, so treat it as a rough range. One widely shared coaching article with the 87% figure in its URL now describes it as an industry shorthand whose exact value depends on how failure is defined.
NAR's Member Profile cannot answer the question directly, because it surveys current members only. People who have left are not in the sample. BLS does not track individual agents over time either.
What the official data can tell you is how many people are new, how many leave, and how hard the first two years are. The next section pulls that evidence together.
What the data shows about agent churn
About 15% of NAR members in any given year are new, NAR said in June 2025. With total membership roughly flat to falling since 2022, a comparable number of existing members must be leaving each year. NAR adds that membership shifts tend to lag the housing market by one to two years.
The monthly pattern shows when people quit. NAR lost 17,489 members in December 2023 and 26,367 over the full year 2023. It lost another 38,700 in January 2024, and 25,336 in December 2024. Renewal season at the turn of the year is when agents who have not closed enough business decide not to pay dues again.
State license renewals tell a similar story. In Texas, 76.35% of sales agents due to renew between September and November 2025 renewed, against 89.66% of individual brokers. Put the other way, roughly one in four Texas sales agents up for renewal in that window did not renew in it. The rate was 76.97% for the same months two years earlier.
Getting licensed is a hurdle in itself. In Florida, 48% of first-time takers passed the state sales associate exam in May 2026, and 31% of repeat takers passed. Across all takers, 40% passed. California administered 2,886 salesperson exams in August 2026 and issued 1,251 original salesperson licenses that month.
Income is the main reason people leave. 62% of REALTORS® with 2 years or less experience grossed under $10,000 in 2025, and the group's median gross income was $8,000. Among all members, 75% said they were very certain they would remain active for two more years, 17% were somewhat certain and 8% were not certain.
| Indicator | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share of NAR members who are new in a given year | about 15% | Typical year | NAR (June 2025) |
| NAR net membership change, full year 2023 | -26,367 | 2023 | Real Estate News, from NAR data |
| NAR net membership change, December 2023 | -17,489 | Dec 2023 | Real Estate News, from NAR data |
| NAR net membership change, January 2024 | -38,700 | Jan 2024 | Real Estate News |
| NAR net membership change, December 2024 | -25,336 | Dec 2024 | Real Estate News, from state counts |
| Texas sales agent renewal rate | 76.35% | Sep to Nov 2025 | TREC |
| Texas sales agent renewal rate | 76.97% | Sep to Nov 2023 | TREC |
| Texas individual broker renewal rate | 89.66% | Sep to Nov 2025 | TREC |
| Florida sales associate exam pass rate, first-time takers | 48% | May 2026 | Florida DBPR |
| Florida sales associate exam pass rate, all takers | 40% | May 2026 | Florida DBPR |
| Texas initial license applications, all types | 32,134 (down from 47,258 in FY2021) | FY2025 | TREC |
| REALTORS® with 2 years or less who grossed under $10,000 | 62% | 2025 | NAR 2026 Member Profile |
| REALTORS® "not certain" to remain active two more years | 8% | 2026 | NAR 2026 Member Profile |
Source: NAR, "NAR Membership Remains Above Forecast," June 5, 2025; Real Estate News, January 3, 2024; Real Estate News, January 3, 2025; Texas Real Estate Commission, November 2025 statistical report; Florida DBPR, June 2026 FREC division report; California DRE statistics; NAR 2026 Member Profile via the 2026 Florida REALTORS® Member Profile; NAR income interactive.
Texas license renewal rates by license type, September to November 2025
Chart data
| Category | Texas license renewal rates by license type, September to November 2025 |
|---|---|
| Sales agent | 76.35 |
| Individual broker | 89.66 |
| Business entity broker | 80.94 |
The honest answer to "how many real estate agents fail" is that no national failure rate exists. The best evidence points to heavy turnover in the first two years, driven by low early income, with about a quarter of sales agents in the largest licensing state not renewing on schedule.
Real estate agent job outlook
BLS projects employment of real estate brokers and sales agents to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, to 538,800 jobs, slower than the 3% average for all occupations. Sales agents are projected to grow 2% (427,000 to 434,500) and brokers 1% (103,500 to 104,300).
Despite slow growth, BLS expects about 40,400 openings a year over the decade. Nearly all of them come from replacing people who move to other occupations or leave the labor force. That replacement need is the BLS view of the same churn the licensing data shows.
| Occupation | SOC code | Employment 2025 | Projected 2035 | Change (%) | Change (jobs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real estate brokers and sales agents | 41-9020 | 530,600 | 538,800 | 2% | 8,300 |
| Real estate brokers | 41-9021 | 103,500 | 104,300 | 1% | 800 |
| Real estate sales agents | 41-9022 | 427,000 | 434,500 | 2% | 7,400 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents, Job Outlook (last modified August 27, 2026). Subcategories do not necessarily add to totals due to rounding.
Transaction volume is the brake on headcount. NAR notes that existing-home sales have been just above 4 million a year for three and a half years, the lowest level since 1995. Fewer sales spread across a similar number of agents means fewer deals per agent, which is the pressure behind the membership decline since 2022.
How real estate agents are organized: firms, contractors and teams
86% of REALTORS® are independent contractors at their firms, and 53% are affiliated with an independent company. Forty-one percent work with a franchised company. Five percent are employees.
Teams are now a measurable part of the business. In 2026, NAR asked about team production separately for the first time. Twenty-one percent of REALTORS® worked on a team, with a median of four members. The median tenure with a member's current firm was 6 years.
NAR's structure itself is large. Members belong to one or more of some 1,300 local associations or boards and 54 state and territory associations.
| Measure | Share |
|---|---|
| Affiliated with an independent company | 53% |
| Affiliated with a franchised company | 41% |
| Other affiliation | 6% |
| Independent contractor | 86% |
| Employee | 5% |
| Other status | 9% |
| Work on a team | 21% |
| Median team size | 4 members |
Source: NAR 2026 Member Profile via the 2026 Florida REALTORS® Member Profile; NAR press release, June 25, 2026; NAR Fact Sheet.
For broker-owners, a contractor-heavy roster with high first-year turnover means onboarding has to be fast and repeatable. Agents need to know which documents each deal requires and when, from day one. That is where real estate transaction management software earns its place: one checklist per transaction type, deadline reminders, and a compliance review queue that does not depend on who joined last month. Our guides to starting a real estate brokerage and recruiting real estate agents go deeper on building that system.
How we compiled these statistics
We used only sources we opened and read in October 2026, and we preferred official and primary sources.
- NAR membership. The current count (1,438,569) is from NAR's June 25, 2026 Member Profile press release. Historical counts for 1908 to 2005 come from the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division archive, which reproduced NAR's Field Guide to Membership Statistics. Year-end counts for 2015 and 2016 come from NAR's December 2016 monthly membership report. Year-end counts for 2020 to 2022 come from the Alabama Association of REALTORS®, which reprinted NAR's monthly report totals. The 2019 figure is implied by subtracting the reported 55,533 gain from the 2020 total. The 2023 year-end count is from Real Estate News, citing NAR data. Counts after 2023 come from NAR statements at board meetings and from Real Estate News reporting of state counts and an NAR spokesperson. NAR stopped publishing its national monthly report at the end of 2024.
- BLS. Job counts and projections are from the Occupational Outlook Handbook (last modified August 27, 2026). Wage and salary employment counts are from the May 2025 OEWS estimates (released May 15, 2026), extracted October 8, 2026.
- State licensees. California DRE monthly statistics (August 2026); Texas Real Estate Commission monthly statistical report (November 2025, the latest report we could open); Florida DBPR Division of Real Estate report to the June 2026 FREC meeting (data through May 2026). ARELLO's national license record count was read from its database information page on October 8, 2026.
- Demographics and experience. NAR 2026 Member Profile (survey of 5,116 members, March 2026, ±1.37% at 95% confidence), from the national column of the 2026 Florida REALTORS® Member Profile and NAR's feature sheet.
- The 87% claim. We reviewed NAR research, BLS data and the most-cited pages repeating the figure. None cites a primary source.
Definitions. "Licensee" means a person holding a state real estate license. "REALTOR®" means a member of NAR. BLS "jobs" count people whose primary job is in the occupation. OEWS employment counts only wage and salary workers.
Caveats. The three counts cannot be added or subtracted from each other. State licensee categories differ (Florida reports active and inactive separately; Texas reports total and active sales agents; California reports total licensee population). Some NAR figures after 2023 are rounded statements, shown as published.
Frequently asked questions
How many real estate agents are there in the US?
BLS counted 530,600 real estate broker and sales agent jobs in 2025, including 427,000 sales agents and 103,500 brokers. The number of licensees is higher, because many license holders work part-time, are inactive or have another main job.
How many realtors are there in the US?
The National Association of REALTORS® had 1,438,569 members as of June 2026. Only NAR members can call themselves REALTORS®.
How many real estate agents are there in California?
California had 421,011 licensed real estate brokers and salespersons in August 2026: 120,261 brokers and 300,750 salespersons, according to the California Department of Real Estate.
How many real estate agents are there in Texas?
Texas had 228,501 licensed brokers and sales agents in November 2025, according to the Texas Real Estate Commission: 49,601 brokers and 178,900 sales agents, of whom 142,344 held active licenses.
How many real estate agents are there in Florida?
Florida had 245,696 active sales associates, 24,033 active broker sales associates and 43,263 active brokers in May 2026, a total of 312,992 active individual licensees, according to the Florida DBPR.
Is NAR membership going down?
Yes. NAR membership fell from a record 1,580,971 at the end of 2022 to 1,554,604 at the end of 2023 and to 1,438,569 by June 2026.
What percentage of real estate agents fail?
No verified national failure rate exists, and no primary source has been found for the widely repeated 87% figure. The best available evidence: 62% of REALTORS® with 2 years or less experience grossed under $10,000 in 2025, and about 24% of Texas sales agents due for renewal in late 2025 did not renew in that window.
What is the average age of a real estate agent?
The median age of REALTORS® was 57 in 2026. Thirty percent were 65 or older, and the median age of members with 2 years or less experience was 45.
What percentage of real estate agents are women?
Sixty-six percent of REALTORS® were women in 2026, up from 63% the year before, according to NAR's Member Profile.
How many new real estate agents join each year?
About 15% of NAR members in any given year are new, according to NAR. BLS projects about 40,400 openings a year for real estate brokers and sales agents through 2035, mostly to replace people who leave.
Sources
- National Association of REALTORS®. "Experienced REALTORS® Anchor the Industry as Housing Affordability Remains Top Hurdle, New NAR Report Finds." June 25, 2026. https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/experienced-realtors-anchor-the-industry-as-housing-affordability-remains-top-hurdle-new-nar-report
- National Association of REALTORS®. "The Feature Sheet: 2026 Member Profile." August 19, 2026. https://www.nar.realtor/news/economists-outlook/the-feature-sheet-2026-member-profile
- National Association of REALTORS® Research Group. 2026 Florida REALTORS® Member Profile (includes All REALTORS® national column). July 2026. https://www.floridarealtors.org/sites/default/files/basic-page/attachments/2026-08/2026%20Florida%20Member%20Profile%20Oversample.pdf
- National Association of REALTORS® Research. "What Does Experience Mean for REALTOR® Income?" interactive. Accessed October 8, 2026. https://nar-research.github.io/projects/interactive/nar-member-profile-annual-income-realtors-2025/
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents. Last modified August 27, 2026. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/sales/real-estate-brokers-and-sales-agents.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. OEWS Profiles and OEWS Query System, May 2025 estimates. Released May 15, 2026; extracted October 8, 2026. https://data.bls.gov/oesprofile/ and https://data.bls.gov/oes/
- U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division (archive). "NAR Membership 1908-2005." Updated January 9, 2024. https://www.justice.gov/archives/atr/nar-membership-1908-2005
- National Association of REALTORS®. Monthly Membership Report, December 31, 2016. https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/reports/2016/membership/2016-12-membership-monthly-report-01-03-2016.pdf
- Alabama Association of REALTORS®. "December 2020 Membership Report." January 11, 2021. https://www.alabamarealtors.com/posts/2021/01/11/december-2020-membership-report
- Alabama Association of REALTORS®. "December 2021 Membership Report." January 11, 2022. https://www.alabamarealtors.com/posts/2022/01/11/december-2021-membership-report
- Alabama Association of REALTORS®. "December 2022 Membership Report." January 9, 2023. https://www.alabamarealtors.com/posts/2023/01/09/december-2022-membership-report
- Alabama Association of REALTORS®. "December Monthly Membership Report" (notes NAR stopped publishing the national report). January 12, 2026. https://www.alabamarealtors.com/posts/2026/01/12/december-monthly-membership-report
- Real Estate News. "NAR lost 26,000 members in 2023." January 3, 2024. https://www.realestatenews.com/2024/01/03/nar-lost-26-000-members-in-2023
- National Association of REALTORS®. "Strength in Numbers." November 11, 2024. https://www.nar.realtor/news/real-estate-news/strength-in-numbers
- Real Estate News. "NAR membership dips below 1.5M: will losses continue?" January 3, 2025. https://www.realestatenews.com/2025/01/03/nar-membership-dips-below-1-5m-will-losses-continue
- National Association of REALTORS®. "NAR Membership Remains Above Forecast." June 5, 2025. https://www.nar.realtor/news/real-estate-news/nar-membership-remains-above-forecast
- Real Estate News. "NAR report touts transparency, but a key omission remains." January 23, 2026. https://www.realestatenews.com/2026/01/23/nar-report-touts-transparency-but-a-key-omission-remains
- National Association of REALTORS®. NAR Fact Sheet. Accessed October 8, 2026. https://www.nar.realtor/press-releases/nar-fact-sheet
- California Department of Real Estate. Licensee/Examinee Statistics for Fiscal Year 2026/2027 (July and August 2026). https://dre.ca.gov/stats/2026-2027.html
- Texas Real Estate Commission. Monthly statistical report, November 2025. https://www.trec.texas.gov/sites/default/files/pdf-forms/sr2025_11.pdf
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Real Estate. Report to the Florida Real Estate Commission, June 2026 meeting. https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/FREC%20Meeting%20Documents/2026/06/0626FREC_Report_Division.pdf
- ARELLO. Licensee Verification Database, Information page. Accessed October 8, 2026. https://www.arello.com/Information.cfm
- Recruiting Insight. "The Failure Rates of New Agents." September 28, 2020. https://recruitinginsight.net/2020/09/28/the-failure-rates-of-new-agents/
- Tom Ferry. "Why Real Estate Agents Fail & How to Beat the Odds." Updated October 7, 2026. https://www.tomferry.com/blog/87-of-all-agents-fail-in-real-estate/
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