Build a price comparison
Pull recent sale records, line up similar properties, then explain why certain differences make one a good benchmark.
Career profile
Real Estate Broker
Real estate brokers handle property sales and rentals, and some run offices and supervise agents.
One day can mean explaining a price to a seller, haggling over a closing date, then checking an agent's listing before it posts.
A day in the life
Win a listing agreement
Discuss selling with a property owner and ask for a signed agreement letting you list and market it.
Trade counteroffers toward a deal
You help the buyer and seller bargain over price and settlement details, keeping your client's priorities in view.
Keep a closing on schedule
Scan the purchase agreement and contact the lender, attorney, or whoever handles any required step still undone.
Catch an unsupported listing claim
If you oversee agents, review their work and get unsupported feature claims fixed before listings go public.
Quick facts
Experience + state license
United States
$73,220 median
United States · May 2025
0.8% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Experience + state licenseUsually, you take real estate courses and work as a licensed sales agent before qualifying as a broker. State rules differ.
Pay
$73,220 medianAbout $35.20 an hour for employee brokers; self-employed brokers are excluded.
Outlook
0.8% projected growthAbout 7,800 broker openings a year are projected, including replacements for people leaving the occupation.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy asking questions until you understand what someone wants.
- You notice mismatched details in records.
- You like setting your own priorities and helping others improve their work.
Things to weigh
- Clients may need you in the evening or on weekends.
- Managing agents means checking other people’s work alongside your own deals.
Where AI may help
Tools that generate text—generative artificial intelligence (AI)—can draft listing descriptions. Other tools can track deadlines and flag possible document errors.
What people still lead
You check property claims, work through disagreements, and decide what needs a closer look before clients rely on it.
What we can’t predict yet
How much transaction review software can take over remains uncertain: a useful summary can still miss a detail that changes the deal.
Pay in context
Earnings
Commissions make the timing and size of your earnings matter as much as the annual total.
The national pay range
Employee brokers had a $73,220 median annual wage, or $35.20 hourly. The 10th and 90th percentiles were $37,110 and $143,300. These describe the whole broker occupation, not starting and senior salaries; self-employed brokers are excluded.
Pay in real estate businesses
The median for employee brokers in real estate and rental and leasing was $72,700.
What reaches your pocket
Commissions often get divided among agents, brokers, and firms. Property value and completed sales affect income; your share of a commission is not the property’s sale price.
Openings with little overall growth
Broker employment is projected to grow 0.8%, with about 7,800 openings annually. Openings include replacement needs, so they are not all newly created positions or current vacancies.
Getting started
Build experience as a licensed sales agent
- What the route involves
- Complete your state’s sales-agent education and licensing steps, then handle transactions with a broker.
- What it can lead to
- Qualifying experience can make you eligible for broker licensing after additional training and an exam.
- What to check
- States set age, education, experience, and application requirements. Passing a course alone does not give you a broker license.
Use a qualifying degree where accepted
- What the route involves
- In California, earn an accredited four-year degree with a major or minor in real estate and submit your transcript for review.
- What it can lead to
- The degree may replace California’s two-year salesperson experience requirement.
- What to check
- You still need the eight required courses, other eligibility requirements, a passing broker exam, and approval of your license application. This is a California option.
Broker entry is usually a step beyond sales-agent work. A broker license allows you to run a real estate business; sales agents work with a broker. Check your state’s rules before paying for courses.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
After licensing, build a dependable routine for contract deadlines and transaction records.
Deepen your judgment
Learn your market closely enough to explain pricing differences and negotiate difficult terms.
Lead an office
Move toward managing an office or opening your own brokerage.
Where you can work
Your own small brokerage
You combine client appointments and property visits with advertising and billing.
- Office
- Field work
- Travel
An office in a larger company
A management role can shift more of your time toward hiring, training, and helping sales agents.
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Compare three public listings for similar homes. Write a short price-comparison note, then mark every claim you would want an agent to verify before publishing. Notice whether you enjoy both explaining differences and checking someone else’s work.
Stay safe: Use public information only; you do not need to visit properties or contact sellers.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: Real Estate Brokers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine. 41-9021.00 — Real Estate Brokers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Projections and Worker Characteristics, 2025–35. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Frequently Asked Questions. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- California Department of Real Estate. Requirements to Apply for a Real Estate Broker License. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- California Department of Real Estate. Experience Requirements for the Broker Examination. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- California Department of Real Estate. Artificial Intelligence in California Real Estate — Opportunities, Risks, and Compliance Considerations for Licensees. Accessed 2026-10-03.