Strong • Senior-Level

Real Estate Broker.

Operate real estate office, or work for commercial real estate firm, overseeing real estate transactions. Other duties usually include selling real estate or renting properties and arranging loans.

Salary$72,280per year
Openings9,700per year
Growth+3%10 year

Example job titles

BrokerBroker AssistantBroker AssociateDesignated BrokerManaging BrokerReal Estate AssociateReal Estate BrokerReal Estate Sales Associate, RealtorSupervising BrokerReal Estate Sales ManagerBroker Associate/Team LeaderIndependent Real Estate BrokerCommercial Real Estate Broker

Why This Rating.

[01]

This role is strong

Real estate brokers are licensed professionals who bear legal responsibility for transactions, disclosures, and fiduciary duties to their clients - requirements that won't go away regardless of AI capabilities. The role is fundamentally built on trust, as people making the biggest financial decision of their lives want a human advocate who understands their needs and can negotiate on their behalf. While AI will streamline market analysis and paperwork, the broker's value in navigating complex deals and managing relationships between buyers, sellers, and other agents remains strong.

Risks & Opportunities.

[02]
[01] Risks
1.5M

NAR members, down from 1.56M peak in 2022[1]

Online platforms like Zillow, Redfin, and Opendoor have steadily absorbed functions that brokers once controlled exclusively, from property search to automated valuations to iBuying. NAR data shows total Realtor membership declined from a peak of roughly 1.56 million in 2022 to about 1.5 million by late 2024, reflecting compressed commissions and tighter transaction volumes after the 2023 commission lawsuit settlement [National Association of Realtors, Nov 2024]. BLS projects real estate broker employment to grow just 2% over the decade, roughly a third of the average for all occupations [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sep 2024]. The combination of platform displacement and a legal shift toward negotiable commissions is squeezing the middle of the market hardest.

[02] Opportunities
88%

of recent buyers still used an agent or broker[1]

NAR's 2024 buyer survey found that 88% of recent buyers purchased through an agent or broker, a figure that has barely moved in a decade despite the rise of online search tools [National Association of Realtors, Nov 2024]. Complex transactions, multi-property portfolios, and commercial deals still demand someone who can negotiate, interpret local regulations, and manage counterparty relationships. Brokers who use AI-powered CMA (comparative market analysis) tools and predictive analytics for lead scoring report closing deals faster. AI-generated listing descriptions and virtual staging tools are becoming standard practice, but interpreting local market conditions and advising on pricing strategy still requires experienced human judgment [MIT Technology Review, Mar 2025]. The brokerage model is shifting from gatekeeping information to providing judgment, local expertise, and transaction management that platforms cannot replicate.

Observed AI Impact.

[03]

No task-level AI data available

Not all tasks are affected equally. Knowing which ones AI handles well, and which still need a human, is how to focus skill-building.

AI hasn't figured these out

Low or no AI usage recorded for these tasks.

Supervise transaction agents
Supervise agents who handle real estate transactions.
No data
Manage brokerage operations
Manage or operate real estate offices, handling associated business details.
No data
Sell properties for owners
Sell, for a fee, real estate owned by others.
No data
Generate property listings
Generate lists of properties for sale, their locations, descriptions, and available financing options, using computers.
No data
Negotiate sales/closings
Act as an intermediary in negotiations between buyers and sellers over property prices and settlement details and during the closing of sales.
No data
Run market comparisons
Compare a property with similar properties that have recently sold to determine its competitive market price.
No data
Monitor contract fulfillment
Monitor fulfillment of purchase contract terms to ensure that they are handled in a timely manner.
No data
Secure listing agreements
Obtain agreements from property owners to place properties for sale with real estate firms.
No data
Manage rental properties
Rent properties or manage rental properties.
No data
Track laws/market knowledge
Maintain knowledge of real estate law, local economies, fair housing laws, types of available mortgages, financing options, and government programs.
No data

How to Adapt.

[04]
[01] Already in this role?

Start using AI-powered CMA and lead-scoring tools now. Platforms like HouseCanary can generate comps in seconds, but interpreting those comps for a specific deal still requires local knowledge and negotiation context [MIT Technology Review, Mar 2025]. Over the next six months, build depth in the parts of brokerage AI handles worst: complex commercial transactions, 1031 exchanges, multi-party negotiations, and local zoning interpretation. These tasks involve too many variables and too much interpersonal judgment for current AI to handle reliably.

“Technology is raising the bar for what consumers expect. Brokers who adopt AI tools for CMA generation, lead scoring, and listing optimization handle more transactions with the same headcount — but the differentiation is moving to the judgment layer: deal structuring, agent coaching, and managing complex multi-party negotiations.”

National Association of Realtors

“AI-enhanced listing descriptions generate meaningfully more saves on average, suggesting that the visual and content presentation layer of brokerage is already being commoditized. The durable broker advantage is in market interpretation and the trust-intensive work of guiding clients through high-stakes decisions under uncertainty.”

MIT Technology Review

[02] Thinking of entering?

The post-settlement commission landscape means new brokers need to demonstrate clear value from day one. Focus on a geographic niche or property type (luxury, multifamily, land) where deep local knowledge is a genuine differentiator rather than competing on volume in a commoditized residential market [National Association of Realtors, Nov 2024]. Getting a broker's license is table stakes. What separates successful entrants now is fluency with transaction technology, CRM systems, and data-driven pricing, combined with a network built through actual deal experience, not just coursework.

“The post-settlement commission landscape means new brokers need to demonstrate clear value from the first client conversation. Geographic specialization — knowing every sale, zoning decision, and school boundary change in a defined area — is a more defensible position than generalist coverage, especially as AI tools give buyers access to the same listings data brokers once controlled.”

National Association of Realtors

“Real estate still generates roughly 37,000 openings a year — mostly from turnover, not growth. The brokers building durable businesses are the ones developing specialization: specific neighborhoods, property types, or buyer demographics. Generalist production-volume models are much more vulnerable to platform competition.”

Inman News, 'The Broker Business Model in the AI Era'

The Career Map.

[05]

The full BLS career track, plus relevant emerging AI-native paths. Click any role to see how to transition to it.

Entry

Retail Salesperson

41-2031.00

Exposed

Insurance Sales Agent

41-3021.00

Solid

Advertising Sales Agent

41-3011.00

Risky
Mid-Level

Manufacturing Sales Representative

41-4012.00

Shifting

Real Estate Sales Agent

41-9022.00

Shifting

Paralegal

→ Lateral

Exposed
Senior

Real Estate Broker

★ This Role

Sales Engineer

41-9031.00

Strong

Real Estate Appraiser

→ Lateral

Strong

Property Appraiser

→ Lateral

Strong

AI-Powered Property Valuation Specialist

✦ Emerging

Real Estate Data Analyst (AI/ML Focus)

✦ Emerging

Lead or Specialist

Sales Manager

11-2022.00

Strong

Sources

0.Real Estate Broker Occupational Data- O*NET Online

  1. 1.2024 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers- National Association of Realtors, Nov 2024
  2. 2.Future of Jobs Report 2025- WEF, Jan 2025