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Job outlook for real estate sales associates in the United States
Real estate sales associate job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected real estate sales associate job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 30,100 new jobs for real estate sales associates are projected over the next decade.
Real estate sales associate salaries have increased 11% for real estate sales associates in the last 5 years.
There are over 161,655 real estate sales associates currently employed in the United States.
There are 148,646 active real estate sales associate job openings in the US.
The average real estate sales associate salary is $92,941.
Are real estate sales associate jobs in demand?
Real estate sales associate job and salary trends over time
Real estate sales associate jobs over time
Real estate sales associate job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 161,655 | 0.05% |
| 2020 | 154,101 | 0.05% |
| 2019 | 148,153 | 0.04% |
| 2018 | 142,587 | 0.04% |
| 2017 | 135,846 | 0.04% |
Average real estate sales associate salary over time
Real estate sales associate salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $92,941 | $44.68 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | $92,733 | $44.58 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | $92,278 | $44.36 | +5.9% |
| 2022 | $87,161 | $41.90 | +4.3% |
| 2021 | $83,560 | $40.17 | +1.7% |
Real estate sales associate jobs by state
Most common states for real estate sales associates
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 457 | 34% |
| 2 | Delaware | 961,939 | 285 | 30% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,753 | 26% |
| 4 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 779 | 22% |
| 5 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 704 | 22% |
| 6 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 274 | 21% |
| 7 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 144 | 21% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 984 | 18% |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 2,234 | 17% |
| 10 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,445 | 17% |
| 11 | Tennessee | 6,715,984 | 1,173 | 17% |
| 12 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 825 | 17% |
| 13 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 180 | 17% |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,099 | 16% |
| 15 | Vermont | 623,657 | 100 | 16% |
| 16 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 3,141 | 15% |
| 17 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,330 | 15% |
| 18 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 913 | 15% |
| 19 | South Carolina | 5,024,369 | 766 | 15% |
| 20 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 688 | 15% |
Most common cities for real estate sales associates
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bloomington | 10 | 12% | $64,478 |
| 2 | Atlanta | 8 | 2% | $89,905 |
| 3 | Boston | 9 | 1% | $114,852 |
| 4 | San Francisco | 9 | 1% | $111,314 |
| 5 | Denver | 5 | 1% | $88,485 |
| 6 | Washington | 4 | 1% | $88,238 |
| 7 | Miami | 3 | 1% | $66,478 |
| 8 | Tampa | 3 | 1% | $70,299 |
| 9 | Des Moines | 2 | 1% | $84,530 |
| 10 | Chicago | 12 | 0% | $64,434 |
| 11 | Los Angeles | 6 | 0% | $98,580 |
| 12 | New York | 6 | 0% | $114,905 |
| 13 | San Diego | 6 | 0% | $95,856 |
| 14 | Baltimore | 3 | 0% | $79,877 |
| 15 | Charlotte | 3 | 0% | $65,207 |
| 16 | Phoenix | 3 | 0% | $78,582 |
| 17 | San Antonio | 3 | 0% | $76,890 |
| 18 | Albuquerque | 2 | 0% | $82,470 |
Real Estate Sales Associate job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of real estate sales associate experts
California State University, Northridge
UNC Charlotte
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Findlay
University of Mount Union
Franklin and Marshall College
California State University Channel Islands
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Georgia State University
Florida State University
University of Alaska Anchorage
National Association of Realtors
The Appraisal Foundation
Ray Calnan Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Real Estate, Director of Learning AssuranceCalifornia State University, Northridge
Department of Business Law
What skills stand out on Real Estate Sales Associate resumes?
Ray Calnan Ph.D.: Having a broad knowledge of the market and understanding the changes and requirements of real estate law. Soft skills are very important. Knowing how to communicate, negotiate, and interact with people is important in residential and commercial real estate. Commercial brokers will also require the ability to use high-level quantitative skills.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Real Estate Sales Associates?
Ray Calnan Ph.D.: Residential is mostly focused on communication (not just email and text, but conversation virtually, in-person, and phone). Understanding social media, marketing, virtual tours, etc. Commercial uses these skills in addition to financial analysis, valuation, and market research.
What skills will help Real Estate Sales Associates earn the most?
Ray Calnan Ph.D.: Communication and critical thinking will help the most. These skills are what get the opportunity and help you discover how to be successful.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Real Estate Sales Associates?
Daniel Wright: New graduates will face the issue of in-person mentorship. It will be a challenge for graduates to understand the company culture, observe the key company players, get a sense for the company brand, and have one-on-one help as they start out. The flip side is they may have access to a broader array of people which could prove beneficial. New graduates will have spent a year in the virtual environment, so depending on the company this may be business as usual or the new graduates may find themselves "unpracticed' in social interaction within a professional environment.
There may be a bit of a rude awakening if students were used to hybrid type courses that afforded maximum flexibility and then need to shift to a fixed schedule with their employer.
What's a day at work look like for a Real Estate Sales Associate?
Daniel Wright: Everything is fluid so it is hard to tell at this point. Many employers are staying virtual at least through year's end while others are in-person. They will continue to utilize Zoom calls and will need to be proactive to ensure engagement with peers. The environment will require more self-discipline with limited over-the-back managers.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Real Estate Sales Associate job market given the pandemic?
Daniel Wright: -Focus on diversity: I am getting a lot of employers calling me for historically underrepresented students (minorities and women) whom they can hire.
-Educated Workforce: There are an ever-increasing number of students coming out of Master's in Real Estate programs, so the demand for higher educated students is increasing.
-Data Analytics: The need for and availability of technology and talent is allowing companies to increase their data analytics.
-Competitive Workforce: The pandemic has provided time for people to pursue a real estate license or real estate degree, so there is likely to be a higher supply of available candidates increasing competition, allowing for potentially lower pay.
-Capital Placement: There is a lot of capital available for placement so there may be an increase of jobs available in private equity and other capital placement type jobs.
What will help Real Estate Sales Associates increase their earning potential?
Daniel Wright: Understanding how to leverage technology to have conversations and get work done; being responsible and professional beyond what is expected; working hard; opportunities will not just show up, they will require more intensity and effort.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Real Estate Sales Associates?
Daniel Wright: -MBA with concentration in real estate or Master's in Real Estate
-Undergraduate degree in finance with real estate major
-CCIM designation
-CRE Designation
-State real estate license with broker designation
-Online course certifications such as Adventures in Commercial Real Estate
-Real estate modeling courses
-Data analytics courses
How have salaries changed over time for Real Estate Sales Associates?
Daniel Wright: -Real estate companies and transactions have become quite complex overall, so salaries continue to increase reflecting the needed education to make real estate deals successful.
-However, there continues to be a ton of small real estate companies which often pay lower salaries.
Dr. Barbara Joyce
ACCESS Academic Advisor for undergraduate students in Sociology, Departmental advisorUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa
Department of Sociology
What's a good job out of college for Real Estate Sales Associates?
Dr. Barbara Joyce: A good job out of college is one that the graduates want, a job that is meaningful, that uplifts and inspires them, a job in which they use, and continue to develop, their talents and skills, and, of course, a job that provides them with the material resources and benefits they need to enjoy life. Credit where credit is due, Stephen R. Covey writes of the importance of those elements in his book Principle-Centered Leadership. I like his work a lot.
What's a good job out of college for Real Estate Sales Associates?
Amy Rogan: There are any number of ways to break into journalism. There is no one true path. If a journalist is interested in television I recommend they look for assistant producer positions or assignment editor positions. Many people who think they want to be on-air talent figure out they really enjoy producing much better.
Digital content producer is another good way to work a journalist way into on-air television work. It's also a way to work into newspapers as they are now more digitally dependent.
Larger organizations have more specialty digital positions in research or digital analytics. But starting out in a small market allows you to learn a lot and work your way into bigger markets and responsibilities.
Michael Grossman Ph.D.
Professor, Political Studies and International StudiesUniversity of Mount Union
Department of Political Science and International Studies
What will help Real Estate Sales Associates increase their earning potential?
Michael Grossman Ph.D.: It's all about practical knowledge. Employers are less interested in your major or the classes you take. They want to see that you can do the work they need you to do. So internships are important. Also employers want to see you can be trained and can think critically, write well, and speak well. So in this regard more liberal arts focused curriculum is important.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Real Estate Sales Associates?
Michael Grossman Ph.D.: It is less about licenses or courses and more about experiences. In this regard, internships are crucial.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Real Estate Sales Associates?
Cynthia Krom: Professional certifications matter. If your profession has a certification, you need to have that certification to be competitive in this new world. So, a public accountant needs to have a CPA, and a corporate accountant needs to have their CMA. A fraud examiner needs their CFE. Find out what is available in your profession and take whatever courses or exams are needed to be at the top of your game, because everyone else will.
We don't really know what will be happening with professional licenses with remote work. A psychotherapist may be licensed in New York, but remotely treating a client in New Mexico. Technically, they probably need a license in New Mexico. But who will control that? Will it just be the professional responsibility of the therapist to only practice where licensed? Will their malpractice insurance only cover them if the client is where they are licensed? What about a physician operating on someone a thousand miles away using robotics?
In terms of courses not related to professional certification or licensure, technology is where it is at. First and foremost, polish your Zoom skills. Zoom is now your face-to-face workplace and you need to be a pro. YouTube has great videos about lighting for Zoom, even with reflective eyeglasses. Perhaps your IT department is able to help with connectivity issues and learning remote technologies. And, as we have all recently seen, you need to learn how to turn off filters that make you look like a kitten! For nearly every field, you have to know Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) or similar programs. You need to know how to work collaboratively on projects through things like Google Drive. If you are not fluent in the basics, you are showing up for a horse race with a little pony.
Ekin Pehlivan Ph.D.
Associate Professor of MarketingCalifornia State University Channel Islands
Martin V. Smith School of Business and Economics
What's a good job out of college for Real Estate Sales Associates?
Ekin Pehlivan Ph.D.: I think a description of a "good" job opportunity is dependent on so many factors, almost all subjective. What I recommend my students usually, is that they try different things before graduation and find something that makes them feel a purpose other than (and in addition to) making ends meet. For this reason we started a program on our campus where students are hired to help non-profits and small businesses in our area of service. In this program, students get to gain and practice skills that can help them succeed in a corporate or freelance capacity. The students get to experiment without fear of losing a job and find what they would like their entry level positions to look like. While doing this they also help organizations and individuals who have the need but not the resources to get the services from professionals.
What soft skills should all Real Estate Sales Associates possess?
Sonya DiPalma Ph.D.: Be personable and a person someone wants to talk with and work with on a continuing basis. Listening and note-taking skills will be critical. Great employees listen well and ask good follow up questions. Be versatile and adaptable. If you find some downtime between projects, ask how you may help with another project.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Real Estate Sales Associate job market given the pandemic?
Lynn McKee: The job market was very active in 2019 and early 2020 and then shut down in March as the pandemic spread. Many employers laid off employees, particularly junior level analysts and associates for lack of work and budgetary constraints. We are now seeing these employers starting to rehire the laid off employees and considering new employees.
We've seen the number of job postings increase and a few grads from last year have received offers in late 2020 and so far in 2021. However, our entry level grads must often compete with laid off analysts and associates which already have a few years of experience under their belt. This makes for a still challenging job market for entry level grads. We expect this dynamic to improve as the pandemic wanes, the economy comes back and companies decide to grow to meet future investment opportunities as the year progresses.
What skills stand out on Real Estate Sales Associate resumes?
Lynn McKee: From entry-level grads, employers are looking for hard skills, like Argus certification, proven Excel skills and CoStar proficiency. Some experience from internships is also important to get a grad over the "no CRE experience" hurdle.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Real Estate Sales Associates to find work opportunities?
Lynn McKee: We believe the most promising job markets will be the growth markets of the Southeast and Southwest (Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Dallas, Houston, Austin, etc...). These markets are positioned to receive company and population relocations out of the extensive coastal markets as companies disperse their workforce and talent pools. Real estate demand and therefore job opportunities will follow this relocation pattern. More difficult markets will be these large coastal markets (New York, San Francisco, Boston, Washington, LA, etc...) which have existing deep pools of real estate talent but potentially diminishing real estate demand and therefore job opportunities.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Real Estate Sales Associates?
Mariya Letdin Ph.D.: I think there will be an enduring impact on the commercial real estate industry and on the graduates who seek employment in it. First, allocation of capital is shifting between different asset classes and cities as a result of the pandemic. Second, the trajectory of careers may be different for some graduates who are not able to find employment in the sector or city of their choice. Thus, their careers may not be as linear as they would have been.
What type of skills will young Real Estate Sales Associates need?
Mariya Letdin Ph.D.: Skills needed to enter the workforce have not changed, but I think the emphasis on preparation has increased. The pandemic has made it more challenging to train new hires, and thus graduates with strong analytical skills and some experience (internships, project work) at the time of hire may fair better.
What experience really stands out on Real Estate Sales Associate resumes?
Mariya Letdin Ph.D.: Experience in the area where graduates are seeking employment is, of course, best. That said, any work experience that demonstrates discipline, achievement, and drive to succeed is very valuable.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Real Estate Sales Associates to find work opportunities?
Terry Fields: One of the wonderful things about working in real estate is that it is literally everywhere. Furthermore, real estate management involves the overseeing of existing real estate assets that require management, despite conditions in the general economy (within reason). Therefore, positions in this industry tend to be less cyclical or location-dependent. The real estate market lags behind the general economy, so real estate growth will tend to follow in areas of job growth, population growth, and the subsequent real estate development to meet the business and housing needs. Over the past several years, development phases have been seen all over the country, including Seattle, Austin, Nashville, and Boston. The industry consistently posts more career availability than candidates, and a graduate that is flexible and able to remain mobile is more likely to see their career progress more quickly and with greater options.
How do you envision technology impacting Real Estate Sales Associates in the next 5 years?
Terry Fields: Technology has been a tool for this field in development, marketing, facilities management, financial analysis, and administration. In the next five years, there will be a continued shift toward electronic signatures and document solutions, artificial intelligence and virtual/augmented reality in marketing, and smart building systems, including sustainability, security, monitoring, and unit amenities. One of the trending topics today is how the COVID-19 pandemic might reshape the landscape for how employees work moving forward and the implications that would have on the commercial and residential industries. If employees can be as productive working remotely as they can in an office, why should companies carry the overhead of commercial leases or assets? Similarly, if people are not tethered to their employer and office location, how might their housing decisions change?
Another popular topic that has been developing, well before the pandemic, is the role of retail property in the rise of e-commerce. Most people agree that retail property has a place in the omnichannel of retailers, but how it looks and functions moving forward will be impacted by the digital space. In the end, people need a place to live, and companies need space to operate, manufacture, store, distribute, and sell goods/services. What that space looks like, how it is owned and operated, and where it is located will shift as technology and the general economy shift. Five years is a short timeline for real estate, but current trends may start the progression toward larger shifts in the industry.
What type of skills will young Real Estate Sales Associates need?
Terry Fields: In my experience, the attribute that will dictate the future success of a graduate most accurately is strong emotional intelligence. This has been the case in the past, and it will continue to be critical to the success of real estate managers. Inherent in this skill is the ability to know yourself, to know your audience (clients, co-workers, supervisors, vendors, etc.), and to most effectively deliver communication that is clear, considerate of the audience, and empathetic. Employees that have this skill are better practitioners, better team members, and better leaders. They form stronger relationships, manage conflict more effectively, and grow their circle of influence. In competitive markets, if the "tide goes out," these are the individuals that build a personal reputation and loyalty that make their presence even more critical to the success of the organization.
In addition to emotional intelligence, two hard skills that will benefit young graduates are financial and technical competencies. The ability to comprehend the big picture of their role, expressed in dollars and graphs, will enable them to more effectively communicate with supervisors and correlate their daily activities with the mission and objectives of the organization. Being able to identify trends, variances, correlations, and causations in the spreadsheets will make their work as practitioners more effective and signal to their supervisors the higher level of thinking required for promotions in this industry. Technical competency will also continue to play a critical role in moving forward. Communication and financial skills are often expressed through the use of technical tools, including spreadsheets, virtual communication apps, presentation and design software, and property management and marketing solutions. Graduates with a strong grasp of technology and an ability to quickly learn new systems will be better able to demonstrate and communicate their value in a professional way.
What general advice would you give to a Real Estate Sales Associate?
Dr. Jessica Lautz: This is a unique time in the economy. The U.S. is finding new priorities that are important, cooking at home, the value of pets, and the importance of virtual tools. All of these changes come with the growth of new job sectors.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Real Estate Sales Associates in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Jessica Lautz: Within the real estate sector, there has been increased growth in virtual tours, virtual listings, and even virtual open houses. Real estate consumers are looking at new ways to explore properties without leaving their homes. These tools are important in finding new ways to do business in this heavy tech world. Changes like these are inevitable moving forward.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Real Estate Sales Associates to find work opportunities?
Dave Bunton: There is always a need for appraisers around the country, and no area is necessarily better than the other. It's more about what an aspiring appraiser would like to focus on, whether it be high rises or historic properties.
What general advice would you give to a Real Estate Sales Associate?
Dave Bunton: During the pandemic, we've seen an increase in the number of people hoping to join the appraisal profession. This makes sense because appraisal work allows you to work out of your home independently, has flexible hours, and takes advantage of the latest technology. While many industries have had to make these shifts after the pandemic started, appraisers have been working this way for years, and we're pleased that folks looking to start or shift their careers are discovering these benefits in the appraisal profession.
What type of skills will young Real Estate Sales Associates need?
Dave Bunton: Appraisers are self-starters and good communicators. They have to be tech-savvy and motivated to solve problems. They also need to be organized and analytical to deliver the end product to their client.