Sales
Real estate broker
Operate real estate office, or work for commercial real estate firm, overseeing real estate transactions. Other duties usually include selling real estate or renting properties and arranging loans.
Median pay
$73,220
Growth to 2035
+1%
little or no change
Openings a year
7,800
Time to qualify*
2 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Real estate broker
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- Less than 5 years
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Real estate broker: 48% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Obtain agreements from property owners to place properties for sale with real estate firms.
- Sell, for a fee, real estate owned by others.
- Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.
- Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers over property prices and settlement details and during the closing of sales.
- Generate lists of properties for sale, their locations, descriptions, and available financing options, using computers.
- Maintain knowledge of real estate law, local economies, fair housing laws, types of available mortgages, financing options, and government programs.
- Rent properties or manage rental properties.
- Monitor fulfillment of purchase contract terms to ensure that they are handled in a timely manner.
Also called: Broker · Broker Associate · Commercial Leasing Broker · Commercial Real Estate Advisor · Commercial Real Estate Broker · Designated Broker · Managing Broker · Real Estate Associate
Outlook and AI
Real estate brokers held 103,500 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 104,300 by 2035 (+1%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
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