The Average REALTOR®

It seems that every time I turn around, there is another new person joining the real estate business.  In our trading area, we have over 300 and the numbers climb weekly.  Many of the new salespeople are surprisingly young while others are embarking on a retirement career.  The truth is that over 90% of the new folks likely won’t be selling real estate anymore in five years.  When I graduated from Real Estate U as I like to call it over 18 years ago, I didn’t believe that statistic however, of the 32 people who obtained their licence at the same time, only two of us are still practicing in the business.

Each year, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) conducts a membership survey.  I thought some of you may find it interesting and here are a few highlights contained in this years report:

In 1997, the average REALTOR® was likely to be:
Age:  45 to 54
Years Experience:  6 to 10
Real Estate Income: $50,000 or less
52% had internet address
78% had real estate as a second career
58% focused on residential sales only

In 2007, the average REALTOR® was likely to be:
Age:  51 to 60
Years Experience:  11 to 20
Real Estate Income: $75,000 or less
99% had internet address
84% had real estate as a second career
67% focused on residential sales only

It’s interesting to note that 69% of REALTORS® volunteer in their community which is significantly higher than the national average of 27% of Canadians.