Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers Revenue Benchmarks
The average offices of real estate agents and brokers business in the United States generates $880K in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 143,248 offices of real estate agents and brokers businesses in the U.S., employing 383,471 workers with an average profit margin of 20.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $85K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers Business Actually Do?
Real estate brokerages and independent agents facilitating home sales, purchases, and rentals. Agents work under a broker's license and split commissions with the brokerage.
Who buys: Home sellers, home buyers, renters, real estate investors.
Average Revenue
$880K
per year
Profit Margin
20.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$329K
per year
Total Businesses
143,248
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$176K
small business avg
Labor Cost
25.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$85K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
43.2
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers Charge?
Real estate agents earn commission on transactions, typically split with their brokerage.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Total commission (paid by seller) | 5–6% of sale price |
Buyer's agent share | 2.5–3% of sale price |
Seller's agent share | 2.5–3% of sale price |
Agent split with brokerage | 50–90% to agent depending on tier |
Rental commission | 1 month's rent typical |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete offices of real estate agents and brokers business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a offices of real estate agents and brokers business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the offices of real estate agents and brokers industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Property expenses | $8 | $73K | Maintenance, repairs, property taxes, HOA fees, utilities on managed properties. |
Wages & benefits | $25 | $220K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $3 | $24K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $8 | $73K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $36 | $315K | Insurance, legal, financing costs, agent commissions to sub-agents. |
Net profit | $20 | $176K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
13.94%
openings/year
Closure Rate
15.18%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
-2.12%
annual
Businesses Closed
14,913
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers Business?
Startup Cost
$10K – $50K
Break-Even
2 months
5-Year Survival Rate
60.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a offices of real estate agents and brokers business do?
- Real estate brokerages and independent agents facilitating home sales, purchases, and rentals. Agents work under a broker's license and split commissions with the brokerage. Home sellers, home buyers, renters, real estate investors.
- How much do offices of real estate agents and brokers charge?
- Real estate agents earn commission on transactions, typically split with their brokerage. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average offices of real estate agents and brokers make per year?
- The average offices of real estate agents and brokers business generates $880K in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $176K per year at a 20.0% profit margin.
- How many offices of real estate agents and brokers businesses are there in the US?
- There are 143,248 offices of real estate agents and brokers businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 383,471 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a offices of real estate agents and brokers business?
- Startup costs for a offices of real estate agents and brokers business typically range from $10K to $50K, with a 5-year survival rate of 60.0%.
- What is the average salary in the offices of real estate agents and brokers industry?
- The average employee in the offices of real estate agents and brokers industry earns $85K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The offices of real estate agents and brokers industry is contracting — losing jobs at a net rate of 2.1% per year. More establishments are closing (15.2%) than opening (13.9%), suggesting market challenges.
Approximately 44% of offices of real estate agents and brokers businesses survive their first 5 years. This is below the national average (~50%) — new entrants face elevated risk of failure. Ensure adequate capitalization. In 2023, 14,913 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the offices of real estate agents and brokers industry earns $85,046/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 162,685 establishments employing 355,726 people, the typical business has about 2 employees. Most businesses in this industry are small operations — often owner-operated with minimal staff.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The offices of real estate agents and brokers industry has grown 120% since 2000 (from 49,497 to 108,748 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers revenue with other industries: