Even with continued challenges in the housing market, 75% of Realtors® are “very certain” that they will remain active in real estate for at least two more years, according to the National Association of Realtors®’ (NAR) 2026 Member Profile of its 1,438,569 current members.
NAR’s report identified a resilient batch of members, who saw a slight increase in their media income (from $58,100 in 2024 to $59,200 in 2025). Realtors® with 16+ years of experience also saw a median income increase, from $78,900 in 2024 to $88,500 in 2025.
“The real estate market has been operating under suppressed conditions for more than three years, and yet the typical Realtor® continues to gain experience and stay committed to the profession,” said Jessica Lautz, NAR’s deputy chief economist. “What we are seeing is a more seasoned industry—professionals who are leaning on referrals, repeat clients and deep market knowledge to navigate one of the most challenging buyer environments in decades.”
Breaking down transaction data, NAR reported that the typical agent had nine transaction sides in 2025 with a media sales volume of $2.7 million for brokerage specialists. For the 21% of Realtors® who work as part of a team (which average four members), team-based brokerage specialists reported a median of 32 transaction sides and $17.5 million in sales volume.
However, in line with inflation and other challenges, the median business expenses for Realtors® increased to $9,530 (from $8,010 in 2024). Typical vehicle costs, noted as the largest expense category, were at $1,580.
Speaking of market challenges, NAR’s report shared that Realtors® most commonly experienced housing affordability (27%), lack of inventory (12%) and difficulty finding the right property (11%) as the main hurdles holding their clients back from buying a home.
Moving on to demographics, real estate remains a woman-dominated industry, with NAR finding that women make up 66% of all Realtors®. NAR also specifically noted that the typical Realtor® was a 57-year-old white female who attended college and owned her home. Other demographics include that Realtor® typically have 13 years of experience, a majority (86%) own their own home, and 41% also own a second property.
Firm affiliation-wise, NAR added that 53% of Realtors® are affiliated with an independent company, and 86% are independent contractors at their firm. The media tenure with a firm is six years.
