Most of America's real estate agents self-initiated their careers (70%) according to a poll by the National Association of Realtors
Most of America’s real estate agents self-initiated their careers (70%) according to a poll by the National Association of Realtors.
The association has produced a report looking at gender, race and ethnicity within the real estate industry and found that agents from Black and African American backgrounds were most likely to have chosen their career based on an interest in real estate. This group was also most likely to say it was a second career.
Read more: How to become a real estate agent with no experience
People skills topped the list of important skills for a residential real estate agent (86%) followed by self-motivation (84%) and negotiation skills (73%). For CRE agents, negotiation is most important (69%) followed by analytical reasoning (62%).
Female real estate agents tend to earn less than men (median gross $46.7k vs. $54.6k) but they are more likely to be younger and working part-time. Women have a slightly higher median transaction volume than men though (8 vs. 7).
Asian and Pacific Islanders earn the highest gross median income (working full-time) at $56,800 compared to White and Caucasian members at $54,200, Hispanic and Latino members at $41,700, and Black and African American at $23,000.
For the biggest money, working in both residential and commercial brings a median gross annual income of $89,300.
The NAR study shows that 82% of its members are White/Caucasian.
