2025 Year-End Insights

The United States Commercial and Residential Real Estate industry workforce is currently divided, with high growth and revenue concentration in specialized sectors contrasting sharply with the independent contractor segment, which is facing volatility. While overall employment in the Real Estate sector shows modest growth, the core occupational roles of Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents are projected to grow only as fast as the average for all occupations from 2024 to 2034, projecting about 46,300 annual openings, primarily to replace departing workers (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents"). This outlook is tempered by the fact that the majority of these agents are self-employed, meaning their survival is entirely dependent on market transactions and their personal sales network. In the commercial sphere, the sector faces a simultaneous challenge of retaining maintenance and facility management talent amid labor shortages while dealing with structural changes in office demand.

Economically, the industry is navigating a tightrope walk between a robust multifamily and retail market and a struggling office sector, all under the shadow of high borrowing costs. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) highlights a crucial issue: the Delinquency Rate on Commercial Real Estate Loans remains a significant concern, reflecting stress on office properties and creating refinancing pressure for commercial operators as nearly a trillion dollars in mortgages are slated to mature by the end of 2025 (FRED, "Commercial, Real Estate - Economic Data Series"). Conversely, the multifamily and logistics sectors are performing well, showing strong rental demand and attracting major investment. Furthermore, the rising interest rates tracked by the Federal Reserve are directly impacting affordability and transaction volume in the residential market, acting as a brake on what would otherwise be a strong demand environment .

Worker sentiment shared across social media platforms over the last 45 days is heavily influenced by financial instability, high competition, and the necessity of 24/7 availability. Residential agents frequently discuss the high cost of marketing themselves and the financial strain of an irregular, commission-only income stream, leading many new agents to leave the field within their first two years. Discussions also center on the rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), with many professionals recognizing its benefit in lead generation and client relationship management (CRM) but simultaneously feeling pressure to adopt new technology to remain competitive (Seyfarth Shaw LLP, "2025 Real Estate Market Sentiment Survey"). A persistent trend is the frustration with the long hours and weekend work required, which erodes work-life balance and acts as a major driver for agents to seek more predictable employment.

To successfully explore new opportunities, employees are finding success by translating their highly developed sales, negotiation, and client relationship skills into adjacent, salaried fields. The most successful strategy is the pivot into Property Management, Real Estate Appraising and Assessing, or Loan Origination, which offer more stable incomes and often leverage the agent’s existing knowledge base of property valuation and local market dynamics (Jetstream, "7 Alternative Careers Where Former Real Estate Agents Thrive"). Agents with strong organizational skills are also successfully moving into Corporate Marketing Management or Public Relations Specialist roles, emphasizing their ability to run self-directed marketing campaigns, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and communicate complex information clearly. For many, this transition requires obtaining an ancillary certification or license, such as a Property Management license, to formalize the move from commission-based sales to salaried, administrative expertise.

Q4 2025 Insights

The employment situation in the Real Estate industry presents a complex picture of a relatively stable workforce facing significant current market challenges and a resulting shift in worker sentiment and survival strategies.

Latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and related sources indicate the Real Estate sector had a workforce population of around 2.6 million people in 2023, showing employment growth in the preceding year. The median annual wage for Real Estate Brokers in May 2024 was about $72,280, while Real Estate Sales Agents earned a median annual wage of approximately $56,320. It is important to note that a significant portion of both brokers and sales agents, around 54% in 2024, are self-employed, meaning their income is heavily commission-dependent, lacks traditional benefits, and can be volatile. Overall, the workforce is projected to grow about 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, which is considered about as fast as the average for all occupations. While this indicates long-term stability in the number of roles, it does not fully reflect the current, immediate struggles of commission-based workers due to market contraction. The latest general labor market data from the BLS, such as the August 2025 employment situation, pointed to little change in non-farm payroll employment across major industries, including financial activities, suggesting a leveling off or slowing of job growth, which aligns with cautious economic forecasts.

Recent sentiments from real estate workers on socials over the last 45 days highlight a widespread sense of difficulty and market stagnation, largely driven by high interest rates that have created a "stuck" housing market. Workers, particularly sales agents and realtors, describe a classic standoff where buyers are unwilling to pay high prices with high rates, and sellers are reluctant to give up on peak 2021/2022 valuations, leading to homes sitting longer and fewer transactions overall.

Many agents report they are not doing well, noting that the market has become the most challenging in years. This contraction is forcing real estate professionals to re-evaluate their careers. A key survival trend is a pivot to securing a steady salary and benefits. There is recurring discussion of agents, including those who previously left six-figure corporate jobs for real estate, now exploring new jobs or industries that offer predictable pay, paid time off (PTO), and benefits, acknowledging the immense financial and emotional toll of the commission-only structure. For those committed to staying, the trend is a return to "old-school" and strenuous methods like cold-calling to generate leads, as easy money from past boom cycles is completely gone. There is also a strong sentiment that the industry, particularly the brokerage model, is in a state of transition and potential decline, with technology like AI posing a threat to less skilled agents. Successful agents are surviving by diversifying their real estate activities (e.g. commercial leasing, property management) or working on highly organized, high-volume teams that can afford sophisticated marketing and offer better support, while many less-experienced agents are expected to exit the profession entirely.

August 2025

Real Estate agents are focused on hustle culture and its impact on work-life balance. On social media, agents are expressing a high degree of burnout and a feeling of being powered on to serve clients, with little-to-no time off. The job's commission-based nature creates significant income uncertainty, which drives agents to overwork and prioritize clients over their personal well-being. Many feel pressure to be a lifestyle brand rather than just a salesperson, and agents feel the market and job has been a roller coaster ride that requires significant personal sacrifice.

RE agents are focusing on brand-building through leveraging TikTok, IG, and Facebook to create the branding and reach that would allow them an inimitable approach that their clients will embrace and not want to replace. While the scale and range of their client base will be niche and limited, strengthening that base and expanding very slowly and steadily is the name of the game. Social presence is a must-have for all stand-alone agents as well as smaller firms. Agents belonging to larger firms already have a strong media presence and social foundation, but do struggle with individual success due to internal competition and the corporate trade-off between organizational security and incentivized rewards.

The real estate job market is experiencing a significant slowdown. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a slow growth of 2% for real estate brokers and sales agents over the next decade, the current market is challenging. Data from July revealed a massive downward revision of job numbers from previous months, signaling weakening momentum in the broader economy. This has led to mortgage rates dropping to four-month lows, a potential boon for buyers, but for real estate agents, it means the market is tougher to navigate. Many new listings are losing steam and inventory growth is slowing.