Real Estate Brokers
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.
Also called: Broker · Broker Associate · Designated Broker · Managing Broker · Real Estate Associate · Real Estate Broker
Median pay (national)
$72,280
$36,920–$166,730 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
49,590
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.3%
~9,700 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for real estate brokers shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $166,730 versus $36,920 at the bottom 10% — 4.5x. The median of $72,280 leaves roughly 131% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3.3% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 9,700 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 42 states with released data, Iowa pays the most for this role (median $116,920, +62% vs the national median), while Kansas sits lowest at $40,930 — a 186% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Monitoring
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Sell, for a fee, real estate owned by others.
- Obtain agreements from property owners to place properties for sale with real estate firms.
- 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.
- Manage or operate real estate offices, handling associated business details.
- Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.
- Maintain knowledge of real estate law, local economies, fair housing laws, types of available mortgages, financing options, and government programs.
- Check work completed by loan officers, attorneys, or other professionals to ensure that it is performed properly.
- Rent properties or manage rental properties.
- Maintain awareness of current income tax regulations, local zoning, building and tax laws, and growth possibilities of a property's area.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Adobe Photoshop
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP
- Salesforce software
- Yardi software
- AMTdirect
- AppFolio Property Manager
- Deep Forest Systems OnCite
- Domin-8 Enterprise Solutions Tenant Pro
- Enterprise Software Systems CRE Sync
- First American CoreLogic RealQuest Pro
- Google Earth Pro
- Lease Cost Solutions LseMod
Knowledge areas
- Sales and Marketing
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Administration and Management
- Economics and Accounting
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics