Careers · Explore one path
Real Estate Sales Agents
Rent, buy, or sell property for clients. Perform duties such as study property listings, interview prospective clients, accompany clients to property site, discuss conditions of sale, and draw up real estate contracts. Includes agents who represent buyer.
Other titles employers use
Real Estate Agent · Real Estate Salesperson · Realtor · Realtor Associate · Sales Agent · Agricultural Real Estate Agent · Apartment Rental Agent · Industrial Real Estate Agent
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Prepare documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds, and leases.
- Present purchase offers to sellers for consideration.
- Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers, generally representing one or the other.
- Generate lists of properties that are compatible with buyers' needs and financial resources.
- Confer with escrow companies, lenders, home inspectors, and pest control operators to ensure that terms and conditions of purchase agreements are met before closing dates.
- Promote sales of properties through advertisements, open houses, and participation in multiple listing services.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to persuading, organizing and helping work.
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Negotiation
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sales and Marketing
- English Language
- Law and Government
- Administrative
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Written Comprehension
- Speech Recognition
- Speech Clarity
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.8 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.7 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 1.9 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 52%
- A certificate or some college 33%
- A two-year degree 5%
- A four-year degree 5%
- A master's degree 5%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Word processing software
- Project management software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Web page creation and editing software
- Accounting software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 83,260
- Job openings each year
- 7,450
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 12.6%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 83,260 | 7,450 | 12.6% |
| Texas | 75,760 | 6,900 | 16.2% |
| California | 48,100 | 4,000 | — |
| Washington | 24,800 | 2,430 | 10.9% |
| Colorado | 21,200 | 1,860 | 8.6% |
| New York | 21,130 | 30 | 1.3% |
| Georgia | 20,730 | 1,800 | 7.0% |
| North Carolina | 17,760 | 1,570 | 10.5% |
| Oregon | 16,260 | 1,420 | 8.3% |
| Arizona | 15,810 | 1,360 | 5.7% |
| Virginia | 14,610 | 1,220 | 1.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 12,840 | 1,090 | 3.8% |
| South Carolina | 12,030 | 1,080 | 13.8% |
| Ohio | 11,410 | 950 | — |
| Tennessee | 10,310 | 1,000 | 30.8% |
| Illinois | 9,640 | 800 | — |
| Maryland | 8,430 | 730 | 5.8% |
| Wisconsin | 7,550 | 670 | 10.1% |
| Indiana | 7,450 | 630 | 2.5% |
| Missouri | 6,440 | 570 | 9.7% |
| Utah | 5,860 | 550 | 20.8% |
| Alabama | 5,830 | 500 | 4.5% |
| New Jersey | 5,570 | 460 | — |
| Kentucky | 5,180 | 430 | 1.0% |
| Minnesota | 4,990 | 420 | 1.6% |
| Michigan | 4,950 | 410 | — |
| Nebraska | 3,970 | 340 | 5.9% |
| Nevada | 3,840 | 350 | 18.2% |
| Massachusetts | 3,280 | 280 | 5.5% |
| Arkansas | 2,630 | 230 | 7.3% |
| Kansas | 2,330 | 200 | 3.6% |
| Louisiana | 2,280 | 190 | 2.7% |
| New Mexico | 2,240 | 200 | 8.2% |
| Idaho | 2,110 | 190 | 14.1% |
| Delaware | 2,100 | 180 | 3.4% |
| Montana | 2,070 | 180 | 10.1% |
| Iowa | 1,840 | 160 | 8.2% |
| Connecticut | 1,580 | 140 | 9.7% |
| North Dakota | 1,140 | 100 | 2.7% |
| Mississippi | 1,070 | 90 | 4.9% |
| Wyoming | 1,050 | 90 | 2.9% |
| Maine | 900 | 70 | −2.2% |
| West Virginia | 830 | 70 | 7.8% |
| New Hampshire | 750 | 70 | 8.7% |
| District of Columbia | 650 | 50 | −1.5% |
| Puerto Rico | 290 | 30 | 20.8% |
| Vermont | 80 | 10 | — |
| Virgin Islands | 10 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Degrees each year
- 169
- Admit rate
- 43%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
University of Georgia
- Degrees each year
- 162
- Admit rate
- 37%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Florida State University
- Degrees each year
- 133
- Admit rate
- 25%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
University of San Diego
- Degrees each year
- 125
- Admit rate
- 47%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Degrees each year
- 112
- Admit rate
- 57%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
University of Southern California
- Degrees each year
- 95
- Admit rate
- 10%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000
Texas Christian University
- Degrees each year
- 85
- Admit rate
- 43%
- Annual cost after aid
- $18,000
University of South Carolina-Columbia
- Degrees each year
- 75
- Admit rate
- 61%
- Annual cost after aid
- $20,000