If you’re looking to break into the real estate industry, the idea of selling 12 homes a year may seem shockingly low.
After all, your pre-licensing education course and broker make it seem like much of the work takes care of itself on weekends, in your free time, and at your own pace.
These factors make real estate appealing as a source of extra income or even as a potential career transition.
However, careers in real estate are incredibly competitive and require dedication and hard work that is often unseen from an outsider’s perspective.
Real estate agents must possess the knowledge and skills to present properties to clients, properly value them for competitive buyer's markets, negotiate deals that benefit both parties involved, and execute contracts accurately and timely.
Although it takes more than 12 closed deals for an agent to live comfortably in most areas, this figure provides a realistic starting point for what aspiring agents should prepare for when setting out.
But if you’re more interested in learning how many houses do most realtors sell a year and want to break that ceiling, it will take a strategy and systems in place to help you achieve those goals.
First, let’s take a look at the number of homes sold in a year by an average agent.
The Average Number Of Homes Sold By Real Estate Agents In A Year
The average number of homes sold by real estate agents in a year can vary widely depending on various factors, including location, market demand, and the individual agents' experience and marketing strategies.
However, according to recent data from the National Association of Realtors, the median number of transactions a real estate agent completed in 2020 was eight, though a range of 2-10 is the most common.
This number is typically lower for new agents, while experienced agents with a strong network and marketing plan can often sell many more homes yearly.
Regardless of the number of homes sold, the most successful real estate agents prioritize providing excellent service, building client relationships, and staying current on industry trends and techniques.
The Number Of Houses Sold By Successful Realtors In A Year
On the other hand, more successful agents have systems in place that help them overcome the average. If you’re curious, how many houses do successful realtors sell in a year?
It’s worth mentioning that for every residential transaction, two agents are involved; one representing the buyer and another representing the seller.
The same agent could act for the buyer's and seller's interests during a single transaction, but this is less common than having different representatives care for each side's interests.
So when you start analyzing overall sales performed by a particular realtor in a given year, it is essential to consider if they acted as an agent for buyers and/or sellers since each activity would result in separate transactions being taken into consideration.
While there is no exact answer, a few factors can give us a better idea.
1. Experience Level
The number of houses a successful realtor sells in a year largely depends on their experience level. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), a realtor with less than two years of experience typically sells an average of two to six homes per year.
On the other hand, those with more than 16 years of experience sell an average of 12 homes per year.
However, there are always exceptions to these averages.
Some realtors sell far more than 12 homes per year, even with just two years or less of experience, and those who sell fewer homes after more than a decade in the industry.
2. Type of Market
Another factor affecting the number of homes a realtor can sell is the market they operate in.
Agents working in large metropolitan areas or those with high demand for property often sell more homes. On the other hand, agents in rural or smaller markets may sell fewer homes each year.
That means that depending on the average cost per home in your area, inventory, and the total number of buyers, you’ll need to adjust your target goals accordingly.
If you’re in luxury real estate, you’ll make more on one deal than you might if you were working on property and farmland sales, so it depends on the type of market you work in as much as the quantity you sell.
3. Level of Networking and Marketing
In order to sell more homes, successful realtors need to have an extensive network and aptitude for advertising methods.
This includes everything from advertising properties on online platforms to prospecting and generating leads. Realtors who have a solid marketing strategy and active networking often sell more homes within a year compared to those who don’t.
While the number of homes sold is an excellent achievement, it’s essential to understand that it’s not just about the number of properties sold but the quality of service provided to clients.
Ultimately, by focusing on building relationships with clients, improving your marketing skills, and integrating technology, you can achieve impressive results while helping your clients achieve their home-buying or selling goals.
For example, one thing that is performing well right now is video engagement for prospecting. TikTok is an excellent way to put together fun, snappy videos about your listings, services, or your personality as a real estate agent.
Another thing I like to do and have seen incredible results with is the use of video text messages.
Create 10 personalized videos for different people in your sphere and send them out daily. These videos are about connecting with people, not selling your services, so a short video to say hello or highlight a significant life event for your prospect is the best.
The goal here is to be personable and be top of mind without being pushy or salesy.
How To Join The Ranks Of Successful Real Estate Agents
In order to join the ranks of successful real estate agents, you will need to meet certain essential qualities and practices.
For example, the cornerstone of any successful business like real estate is building solid relationships with clients to master the art of negotiation.
The truth is that becoming a successful real estate agent takes work. It takes dedication, hard work, and a lot of luck. But with the right tools and strategies, anyone can become a real estate mogul.
What separates good agents from great ones is that great agents have a strong grasp of the market and focus on 6-core elements of being successful in real estate, which are;
- Good customer service is vital.
- Be responsive and knowledgeable, and fight for your client.
- Be organized and efficient.
- Never give up.
- Learn and grow.
- Be passionate about real estate.
These core elements are the foundations for building a business that can grow year over year and will help you achieve your goal of becoming a successful real estate agent.
1. Provide Outstanding Customer Service
When it comes to the real estate industry, customer service is paramount.
Clients trust their agents to guide them through one of the most significant purchases of their lives, and a good agent must earn that trust through clear communication, transparency, and prompt responsiveness.
Strong customer service skills help agents establish a solid rapport with their clients and inspire loyalty.
Moreover, providing exceptional service can lead to positive word-of-mouth recommendations and rave reviews, ultimately generating more business. In essence, good customer service is essential and crucial to success in the real estate industry.
2. Be Responsive And Knowledgeable
In the highly competitive real estate industry, you must be responsive and knowledgeable to succeed.
Your responsiveness shows your clients that you are attentive and dedicated to their needs, which can lead to trust and repeat business.
Additionally, knowing the market and industry trends enables you to provide valuable insights and advice to your clients, making you a valuable resource for them.
With a combination of responsiveness and knowledge, you can build a strong reputation as a reliable and trustworthy real estate professional.
3. Be Organized And Efficient
Being organized and efficient is essential in both personal and professional contexts. By being organized, you can prioritize tasks, streamline processes, and manage your time effectively.
As an agent, you must balance many tasks, sometimes simultaneously. So, systems to help you manage your time and increase your productivity will be crucial.
I recommend hiring a professional real estate coach to help you get organized. A coach will help you establish realistic goals, manage the steps to achieve them, and be accountable on those days when you just don’t have the motivation.
A good coach may teach you to implement systems like the Pomodoro Method or Time-Blocking, which are good management and productivity hacks that will help you prioritize your tasks and get more done.
This, in turn, leads to increased productivity and less stress.
By being efficient, you can complete tasks or projects with minimal waste of resources such as time, money, or energy.
Becoming more organized is crucial to achieving goals and meeting deadlines. Whether it's decluttering your workspace, creating a to-do list, or using productivity tools, being organized and efficient can significantly benefit your life.
4. Never Give Up
Being a real estate agent is challenging, requiring a lot of hard work and dedication.
There may be times when deals fall through, clients change their minds, or the market takes a downturn.
However, it is important never to give up and keep pushing forward.
Success in real estate comes from persistence and consistently putting in the effort to find and close deals. It’s also important to focus on providing excellent customer service and building strong relationships with clients.
What separates successful agents from those that are average or even struggle is that the successful agent knows that there will be ups and downs in the market and that with determination and a positive mindset, any obstacle can be overcome in the real estate industry.
5. Be A Lifelong Learner
As a real estate agent, being a lifelong learner is crucial for staying relevant in the industry and learning new tactics and technologies to help you continue building your business.
Since the real estate market is dynamic and constantly changing, as an agent, you need to continuously improve your skills and knowledge or otherwise get left behind.
A commitment to ongoing education enables agents to stay up-to-date with new technologies, market trends, and regulations that impact the industry.
In a highly competitive industry, it takes a solid commitment to development to help you stand out in a crowded market, build trust with clients, and ultimately achieve long-term success.
6. Be Passionate About Real Estate
Being passionate about real estate is a crucial aspect for any successful agent.
It's not just about making sales and closing deals but also about understanding the needs and desires of your clients. And showcasing this passion in person and on social media is a great way to build your brand and trust as a local expert.
A passionate agent provides personalized attention to their clients, helps them find the perfect property, and negotiates deals that fit their budget.
Moreover, when you, as an agent, are passionate about your work, you are motivated to be up-to-date with the latest trends, market conditions, and opportunities, providing an even better service to your clients.
Being a successful real estate agent will require some hard work but also a lot of organization and strategy. Like a professional coach, getting an advisor with real estate experience can do wonders for you and your business.
So whether you’re looking to make $1,000,000 in GCI your first year of real estate or are looking for stability in your business, creating a strategy, having accountability to that strategy, and putting systems in place to become more efficient will skyrocket your success.
