If you’re about to buy or sell a home, you have a lot of options when it comes to who represents you. There are millions of licensed agents in the U.S., and they are not all the same. Here’s what the numbers say, and what to ask before you hire one.
How many agents are there?
It depends on who’s counting:
The National Association of REALTORS® has 1,438,569 members. nar
Estimates of all active licensees run from about 2 million to nearly 3 million. thezebranewsilver
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts about 530,600 people employed as agents and brokers. paperlesspipeline
So there’s no single answer. But any way you look at it, it’s a lot of agents, many of whom hold a license without selling homes full time.
How many homes actually sell?
Not nearly as many as you’d think. In 2025, existing-home sales totaled 4.06 million, tied for the lowest level since 1995. Add roughly 678,000 new single-family homes, and you get about 4.7 million sales nationwide. eyeonhousingcensus
Each sale has a buyer side and a seller side, so that’s roughly 9.4 million “sides.” Spread across about 2 million licensees, it comes to under five sides per licensee on average. That’s my own rough math, not an official figure. It’s lower than the REALTOR® median below because it likely includes licensees who do few deals or none.
What a typical REALTOR® looks like
NAR’s latest member survey says the typical REALTOR® did nine transaction sides in 2025 and has 13 years of experience. That’s a median, so many do fewer, and a smaller group does a great deal more. The survey covers NAR members only, so it doesn’t describe licensees who aren’t REALTORS®. nar
The point isn’t that having worked fewer deals means they’re a bad agent. It’s that experience and activity vary widely, and you shouldn’t assume they’re the same from one agent to the next.
What to ask before you hire an agent
How many transactions did you close in the last 12 months? Ask about my price range and area, not just the total.
How well do you know this neighborhood or community? Sometimes local knowledge can matter more than a big transaction number.
Will you be the one working with me? Some agents work in teams or hand off to assistants.
How do you get paid, and can I see it in writing? Compensation is negotiable, and you should know what you’re agreeing to before you tour homes. This will be found in the Buyers Brokerage Services Agreement
How do you communicate? Ask how often you’ll hear from them and how fast they respond.
Can you give me references or examples? Recent clients are the best evidence.
What would you do differently in this market? Right now, buyers have more leverage than they did a year ago, and a good agent can explain how to use it.
Choose the fit, not just the number
Volume doesn’t tell you everything. A busy agent may not have time for you. A newer agent may be hungry and responsive. The right choice is someone who really understands the buying / selling process and paperwork, someone you trust, knows your area, communicates well, and puts your interests first.
If you take a look at my reviews on Google and this website, you’ll see a long list of very happy clients who recommend my services. There is very little I won’t do to help you reach your real estate goals.
If you’d like to interview me, I’m happy to answer any of these questions. Call or text me at 206-931-8706.
General information only. Figures are estimates and vary by source.
© 2026 Fletch Newland Real Estate – Spire One Realty – Mount Lake Terrace, WA.