Quick Real Estate Statistics

Looking for quick statistics for your sales meeting or a customer brochure? Need a quick fact to make your point? Member Support has compiled some of the most requested statistics for quick and easy access. Find the information that you need, as well as its source, at a glance.

Overview of the Real Estate Market

• 5.51 million existing homes were sold in 2017, according to data from the National Association of REALTORS®. 612,000 newly constructed(link is external) homes were sold in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau
• The Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO)(link is external) estimates that there are about 2 million active real estate licensees in the United States.
• According to the 2012 Economic Census(link is external), there are 86,004 real estate brokerage firms operating in the United States.
• Preliminary results from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS)(link is external) show that there were 5.6 million commercial buildings in the United States in 2012, comprising 87.4 billion square feet of floorspace.
• There are approximately 115 million occupied housing units in the United States, according to the 2013 American Housing Survey(link is external). The typical owner-occupied home was built in 1976; the typical renter-occupied home was built in 1973. The typical home size is 1,500 square feet. The typical home owner is 55 years old, and has lived in the current home for 14 years.
• In 2016, 63.7 % of families owned their primary residence, according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances(link is external).

NAR Membership Statistics

Members to date: 1,334,668 as of July 2018

Number of local associations: 1,165 as of January 2018

Source: Monthly Membership Report and NAR Membership Statistics, 1908-present

REALTOR® Demographics

• 65% percent of REALTORS® are licensed as sales agents, 21% hold broker licenses, and 15% hold broker associate licenses.
• The typical REALTOR® is a 54 year old white female who attended college and is a homeowner.
• 63% of all REALTORS® are female, and the median age of all REALTORS® is 54.
• Real estate experience of all REALTORS® (median): 10 years
• Median tenure at present firm (all REALTORS®): 4 years
• Most REALTORS® worked 40 hours per week in 2017.
• The median gross income of REALTORS® was $39,800 in 2017, a decrease from $42,500 in 2016.
• Formal education of REALTORS®:
  • Some college: 30%
  • Bachelor’s degree: 30%
  • Graduate degree and above: 13%
  • Associate degree: 13%
  • Some graduate school: 6%
  • High school graduate: 8%
• REALTOR® affiliation with firms:
  • Independent contractor: 86%
  • Employee: 5%
  • Other: 9%

Source: 2018 National Association of REALTORS® Member Profile

Statistics on REALTORS® and Technology

• 27% of agents and 21% of brokers spent between $501 – $2,000 on technology in the last 12 months.
• The top three tools that respondents plan on purchasing or replacing in the next year are: iPad (16%); Smartphone (15%); and digital camera (12%).
• The most frequently used operating system is Windows 7 (38%).
• The most popular smartphones are iPhone (52%), Android OS (45%), Blackberry (3%).
• 91% of REALTORS® use social media to some extent.
• The top places where REALTORS® place their listings are realtor.com®, Zillow and Trulia.

Source: 2013-2014 REALTOR® Technology Survey

Home Buyer Statistics

• First-Time vs. Repeat Buyers:
  • First-time buyers: 34%
  • Median age of first-time buyers: 32
  • Median age of repeat buyers: 54
  • Median household income of first-time buyers: $75,000
  • Median household income of repeat buyers: $97,000
• The typical home purchased was 1,870 square feet in size, was built in 1991, and had three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
• Among those who financed their home purchase, buyers typically financed 90% of the home price.
• 87% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker—a share that has steadily increased from 69 percent in 2001.
• Buyers who would use their agent again or recommend their agent to others: 89%
• Where buyers found the home they purchased:
  • Internet: 51%
  • Real estate agent: 30%
  • Yard sign/open house sign: 7%
  • Friend, relative or neighbor: 6%
  • Home builder or their agent: 5%
  • Directly from sellers/Knew the sellers: 2%
  • Print newspaper advertisement: Less than 1%

Source: 2017 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

• 78% of home buyers surveyed in NAR’s 2013 Community Preference Survey responded that neighborhood quality is more important than the size of the home.  57% would forego a home with a larger yard in favor of a shorter commute.
• NAR’s 2013 Profile of Buyers’ Home Feature Preferences found that the feature that had the highest dollar value buyers were willing to pay more for was a waterfront property.  53% of home buyers undertook a home improvement project within 3 months of buying, typically spending $4,550 in improvement projects.