How to hire a real estate agent

How to hire a real estate agent, step by step

Here's a step-by-step real estate agent hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a real estate agent job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new real estate agent
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a real estate agent do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The real estate agent hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A real estate agent's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, real estate agents from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of real estate agents.

   Type of Real Estate Agent	Description	Hourly rate
   Real Estate Agent	Real estate brokers and sales agents help clients buy, sell, and rent properties. Although brokers and agents do similar work, brokers are licensed to manage their own real estate businesses... Show more	$31-60
   Licensed Realtor	A real estate agent is responsible for helping a client sell, rent, or buy a property such as land, houses, and buildings according to what they want. They are the ones who give accurate guidance and advice to clients on how they can sell or promote their property in the market... Show more	$12-25
   Sales And Leasing Consultant	Sales and leasing consultants are specialists in rental properties who interact with potential clients. They present houses, apartments, and other assets to clients persuasively... Show more	$17-38

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Real Estate License
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • Real Estate Market
   • Open Houses
   • Develop Marketing Materials
   • Lead Generation
   • Strong Customer Service
   • Residential Real Estate
   • Sales Process
   • Digital Marketing
   • MLS
   • Commercial Property
   • Real Estate Sales

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all accounting, cash management, budgeting and financing for individual LLC's and for corporate entity.
   • Manage extremely complex REO and short sale transactions, coordinating sellers, buyers, and lenders in order to complete them.
   • Create ad campaigns via Google ad-words and Facebook.
   • Determine whether title transfers are assessable for taxation.
   • Learn all phases of real estate ethics, practice and procedures.
   • Review and analyze corporate leases, securities offerings, and secure transactions.

   More real estate agent duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the real estate agent job description is a good way to get more applicants. A real estate agent salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a real estate agent in Minnesota may be lower than in West Virginia, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level real estate agent. Additionally, a real estate agent with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average real estate agent salary

   $91,788yearly

   $44.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level real estate agent salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

   Average real estate agent salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$111,838	$54
   2	Massachusetts	$111,260	$53
   3	Washington	$106,342	$51
   4	California	$104,499	$50
   5	Connecticut	$102,606	$49
   6	Maine	$96,310	$46
   7	Utah	$95,218	$46
   8	Pennsylvania	$95,079	$46
   9	New Hampshire	$94,550	$45
   10	Georgia	$94,259	$45
   11	Colorado	$94,133	$45
   12	Alabama	$94,031	$45
   13	Missouri	$93,919	$45
   14	Oklahoma	$87,150	$42
   15	Indiana	$85,083	$41
   16	Ohio	$84,646	$41
   17	Oregon	$84,600	$41
   18	Tennessee	$84,361	$41
   19	Texas	$83,172	$40
   20	Arizona	$80,334	$39

   Average real estate agent salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Santa Clara Valley Water District	$110,515	$53.13
   2	Ethan Conrad Properties	$105,419	$50.68	1
   3	BCP	$101,136	$48.62
   4	The Redwoods Group	$100,041	$48.10
   5	Valley Transportation	$99,186	$47.69
   6	Ameren	$98,247	$47.23	1
   7	United Real Estate	$97,593	$46.92	2
   8	Your Castle Real Estate	$97,505	$46.88
   9	Keller Williams Southern Arizona	$97,388	$46.82
   10	Weidel Realtors	$97,332	$46.79
   11	Keller Williams Classic Realty Nw	$97,247	$46.75
   12	Keller Williams Capital Properties	$97,203	$46.73	9
   13	Cressy & Everett Real Estate	$97,196	$46.73	31
   14	Lyon Real Estate	$97,088	$46.68
   15	ASA Holdings	$97,055	$46.66
   16	Engel & Völkers Austin	$96,984	$46.63	11
   17	Randall Realtors	$96,938	$46.60
   18	Symbio	$96,916	$46.59
   19	Re/max Results	$96,901	$46.59	11
   20	Berkshire Hathaway	$96,888	$46.58	1

4. Writing a real estate agent job description

   A job description for a real estate agent role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a real estate agent job description:

   Real estate agent job description example

   Job DescriptionWe are looking for dedicated Real Estate Sales Agents who are motivated and passionate about making the home buying experience as simple and streamlined as it can be. We need people to join our dynamic and fast-growing team.
   
   If you are a new agent or are serious about becoming an agent, that is great! We have more qualified leads than we can handle. We are looking for someone like you!
   What’s in it for you:
   
   • Have a flexible schedule
   • Work in an energetic, team atmosphere where everyone treats one another as a family
   • The best administrative support
   • New Agent Sales Training/Mentor Program
   
   If you are ready for a great career in a growing industry, apply now. Compensation: $100,000 Responsibilities: Gather local community information to be able to answer any questions from your client about potential homes Provide world class customer service to clients to ensure their satisfaction and trust and increase sales volume Consult with buyer and seller clients to hone in their home wants and needs and close the deal Oversee the entire process from listing to closing to ensure a quick and seamless transaction experience Follow-up with leads to increase sales Qualifications: Show good organizational and time management skills Tech savvy Great communication and social skills Self motivated and able to perform tasks independently A proven record of sales experience and success is preferred About Company
   Core Values 1) Family - integrity and respect for those closest to us 2) Integrity - always keep our word to the highest level of excellence 3) Knowledge - continuously seeking knowledge to improve 4) Respect - efficient and productive with our time and efforts for ourselves, our family, our clients, and coworkers 5) Competency - act with consistency, thoroughness, urgency, frequency 6) Excellence in agility - focusing on top-tier solutions and have a positive mindset 7) Endurance - never give up 8) Honest Communication - practicing open, real interaction often 9) Passion - a deep passion for our company, clients, and community

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right real estate agent for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with real estate agents they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit real estate agents who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your real estate agent job on Zippia to find and recruit real estate agent candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit real estate agents, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new real estate agent

   Once you've found the real estate agent candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new real estate agent. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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