# Real Estate Brokers

US SOC code 41-9021. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/41-9021

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **46,100** US real estate brokers, with median pay of **$73,220** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **52,310**, in May 2022. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.justice.gov/archives/atr/nar-membership-1908-2005) of **1,646** from 1908, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for real estate brokers: iBuying algorithms, 2018 to 2021.

Figures: Official statistic (latest count and pay, highest count); Researched context (earliest figure).

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to change +0.8% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=41-9021&ioType=o) (Official statistic).

### AI exposure studies

- **42.2%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv) (Official statistic)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Real Estate Brokers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1850
- Latest US employment: 46,100 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [2]
- Latest US median pay: $73,220 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [3]
- Outlook: +0.8% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [13]

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1908 | 1,646 (estimate) | n/a | Est., US DOJ / National Association of… [1] |
| 1950 | 43,503 (estimate) | n/a | Est., US DOJ / NAR membership history… [1] |
| 1970 | 94,625 (estimate) | n/a | Est., US DOJ / NAR membership history… [1] |
| 1990 | 810,607 (estimate) | n/a | Est., US DOJ / NAR membership history… [1] |
| 2000 | 766,560 (estimate) | n/a | Est., US DOJ / NAR membership history… [1] |
| 2003 | 40,590 | $49,740 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [2] |
| 2004 | 40,050 | $58,720 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [2] |
| 2005 | 41,760 | $57,190 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [2] |
| 2006 | 46,950 | $60,790 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [2] |
| 2007 | 49,270 | $58,860 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [2] |
| 2008 | 51,390 | $57,500 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [2] |
| 2009 | 48,380 | $55,740 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [2] |
| 2010 | 41,210 | $54,910 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [2] |
| 2011 | 38,200 | $59,340 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [2] |
| 2012 | 37,270 | $58,350 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [2] |
| 2013 | 38,970 | $59,580 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [2] |
| 2014 | 38,720 | $57,360 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [2] |
| 2015 | 38,810 | $56,860 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [2] |
| 2016 | 40,850 | $56,790 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [2] |
| 2017 | 40,530 | $56,730 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [2] |
| 2018 | 40,320 | $58,210 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [2] |
| 2019 | 42,730 | $59,720 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [2] |
| 2020 | 44,610 | $60,370 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [2] |
| 2021 | 48,460 | $62,010 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [2] |
| 2022 | 52,310 | $62,190 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [2] |
| 2023 | 51,350 | $63,060 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [2] |
| 2024 | 49,590 | $72,280 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [2] |
| 2025 | 46,100 | $73,220 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [2] |

## Sources (68)

### Employment series

1. [US DOJ / National Association of Realtors membership history 1908-2005 (founding-year membership)](https://www.justice.gov/archives/atr/nar-membership-1908-2005), US Department of Justice / National Association of Realtors
2. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

3. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

4. [NAR Magazine -- "Multiple Listing Services: 140 Years in the Making" (history of MLS from 1885)](https://www.nar.realtor/news/real-estate-news/sales-marketing/multiple-listing-services-140-years-in-the-making), National Association of REALTORS
5. [Stellar MLS -- "All about the MLS: The fascinating history of real estate listings" (MLS technological evolution)](https://www.stellarmls.com/all-about-the-mls-the-fascinating-history-of-real-estate-listings), Stellar MLS
6. [Curious History -- "The History of Real Estate Brokers" (model homes 1952, staging)](https://www.curioushistory.com/the-history-of-real-estate-brokers/), Curious History
7. [NPR Marketplace -- "What's the Multiple Listing Service, Why Does it Matter?" (Saul Klein quote, MLS public access)](https://www.marketplace.org/story/2024/09/18/mls-multiple-listing-service-home-sales), Marketplace / NPR
8. [NPR -- "Web site offers one stop for real estate data" (Zillow 2006 launch, 1 million visitors first three days)](https://www.npr.org/2006/02/08/5196781/web-site-offers-one-stop-for-real-estate-data), NPR
9. [Stanford GSB -- "Flip Flop: Why Zillow's Algorithmic Home Buying Venture Imploded" (Zillow Offers collapse, $569M write-downs, November 2021)](https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/flip-flop-why-zillows-algorithmic-home-buying-venture-imploded), Stanford Graduate School of Business
10. [Wikipedia -- "Burnett v. National Association of Realtors" (NAR commission settlement, March 2024, $418 million, August 2024 practice changes)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnett_v._National_Association_of_Realtors), Wikipedia
11. [Zillow Group -- "Zillow unveils ZillowPro, an AI powerhouse to revolutionize real estate agent workflows" (2025)](https://markets.financialcontent.com/clarkebroadcasting.mymotherlode/article/tokenring-2025-10-16-zillow-unveils-zillowpro-an-ai-powerhouse-to-revolutionize-real-estate-agent-workflows), Zillow Group
12. [Kiplinger -- "Why a Landmark Real Estate Commission Settlement Hasn't Lowered Costs for Homebuyers" (buyer-agent commission 2.34% vs 2.35%, early data)](https://www.kiplinger.com/real-estate/landmark-real-estate-commission-settlement-why-costs-havent-dropped), Kiplinger

### Forecasts and exposure studies

13. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 41-9021 Real estate brokers (2025: 103.5 thousand; 2035: 104.3 thousand; +0.8%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=41-9021&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
14. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 41-9021.00, human-rated β 0.422)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

15. [Stellar MLS -- "All about the MLS: The fascinating history of real estate listings" (San Diego MLS 1885)](https://www.stellarmls.com/all-about-the-mls-the-fascinating-history-of-real-estate-listings), Stellar MLS
16. [NAR -- "History of NAR" (founding May 12, 1908, 120 members, 19 boards, code of ethics 1913, REALTOR trademark 1916)](https://www.nar.realtor/about-nar/history), National Association of REALTORS
17. [California DRE -- "About the Department" (1917 licensing attempt, 1919 Real Estate Act, first licenses 1919-1922)](https://www.dre.ca.gov/about/AboutDepartment.html), California Department of Real Estate
18. [Apartment Therapy -- "The Untold History Behind Why Most Real Estate Agents Are Women" (post-WWII female entry, VA mortgages, homeownership boom)](https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/women-in-real-estate-history-268098), Apartment Therapy
19. [US DOJ / NAR membership history 1908-2005 (November 2005 peak membership = 1,271,057)](https://www.justice.gov/archives/atr/nar-membership-1908-2005), US Department of Justice / National Association of Realtors
20. [Stanford GSB -- "Flip Flop: Why Zillow's Algorithmic Home Buying Venture Imploded" ($569M write-downs, November 2021 shutdown)](https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/flip-flop-why-zillows-algorithmic-home-buying-venture-imploded), Stanford Graduate School of Business
21. [Wikipedia -- "Burnett v. National Association of Realtors" (NAR $418 million settlement, August 17, 2024 practice changes)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burnett_v._National_Association_of_Realtors), Wikipedia

### Predecessors & successors

22. [The Difference RE -- "The History of Real Estate Profession" (curbstoner era, unlicensed dealers placing placards pre-1919)](https://thedifferencere.com/the-history-of-real-estate-profession/), The Difference RE

### Present-day analysis

- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-21
- [O\*NET 30.3 — US Department of Labor](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), accessed 2026-05-21

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.