Real Estate Sales Agents Career, Salary and Skills
Real Estate Sales Agents have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $52,830 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 193,370. Wage data is published for 330 locations.
Occupation description
Rent, buy, or sell property for clients. Perform duties such as study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts. Includes agents who represent buyer.
O*NET code
41-9022.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
Not recorded
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$52,830
Hourly median
$25.40
Employment
193,370
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Negotiation | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Persuasion | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Coordination | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Service Orientation | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.38 | 4.00 |
| Active Learning | 3.25 | 3.25 |
Typical tasks
- Investigate clients' financial and credit status to determine eligibility for financing.
- Present purchase offers to sellers for consideration.
- Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers, generally representing one or the other.
- Confer with escrow companies, lenders, home inspectors, and pest control operators to ensure that terms and conditions of purchase agreements are met before closing dates.
- Advise clients on market conditions, prices, mortgages, legal requirements, and related matters.
- Prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases.
- Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.
- Appraise properties to determine loan values.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Agent Business Builder
- Argosy Legal Systems Power Closer
- Canva
- CMA Stuffers
- Commercial and industrial development project cost analysis software
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- DataBasix Technologies Lead Commander
- DeLorme Topo USA
- Digital contract software
- Document creation software
- DocuSign eSignature
- Easypano Tourweaver
- eGrabber ListGrabber
Real Estate Sales Agents salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in FLMedian $49,310 · Employment 26,790
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in TXMedian $45,740 · Employment 22,250
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in CAMedian $57,560 · Employment 17,500
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in GAMedian $46,730 · Employment 9,940
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in Miami, FLMedian $47,080 · Employment 9,160
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in NYMedian $102,990 · Employment 8,660
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in New York, NYMedian $103,550 · Employment 8,320
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in NCMedian $51,240 · Employment 7,960
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $47,020 · Employment 7,340
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in Atlanta, GAMedian $46,730 · Employment 6,960
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $44,580 · Employment 6,950
- Real Estate Sales Agents Salary in COMedian $63,670 · Employment 6,120
Related careers
- Credit CounselorsNational median $52,230
- Brokerage ClerksNational median $65,750
- New Accounts ClerksNational median $47,670
- Loan Interviewers and ClerksNational median $50,020
- Sales ManagersNational median $148,270
- TelemarketersNational median $35,450
- Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm ProductsNational median not published
- Advertising Sales AgentsNational median $64,820
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.