Real Estate Agent
Real estate agents help people buy, sell and lease property, guiding them through inspections, offers and contracts until a deal settles.
- Median salary
- $78,200
4.3%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 103,900
1.6%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +14.2%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Moderate
- 5 out of 10
- Average hours
- 44/wk
+4h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
- Real estate agents work for a licensed agency, representing a seller, landlord or buyer through a sale or lease, from the first appraisal to settlement.
- Property management is a separate job: a property manager looks after a tenancy once someone is in it, while an agent negotiates the sale or lease itself.
- You need registration with your state or territory fair trading body before you can work in an agency, and what that involves differs by jurisdiction.
How much do real estate agents earn?
The median full-time salary for a real estate agent is $78,200 per annum, before tax, up $16,500 since 2018.
Most agents are paid on commission, so a month's income moves with the number and value of settlements, and a quiet stretch can mean drawing on savings you built in a busy one. Agencies split commission in different ways, some paying a retainer against future earnings and others a straight percentage, so ask how the split works, when it is paid and whether your share rises once you pass a target. It also pays to check who covers photography, styling and advertising, because in some offices those costs come out of your portion of the fee.
What does a real estate agent do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Prospecting for listings through past-client calls, letterbox drops and door-knocking an assigned patch
- Writing property descriptions and briefing photographers and floorplan services before a launch
- Running weekend opens and auction days back to back through the selling season
- Negotiating offers between buyers and vendors and chasing signatures on contracts and disclosure paperwork
- Keeping a pipeline of deals moving, since commission only lands when a sale settles
What skills do real estate agents need?
Employers look for selling and negotiation, account and relationship management, financial analysis and modelling, backed by Real Estate Institute database systems fluency and strong client relationships and advisory.
Specialist skills
- Selling and negotiation
- Account and relationship management
- Financial analysis and modelling
Software and tools
- Real Estate Institute database systems
- Zillow/Domain/realestate.com.au
- CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot)
- Digital contract software
- Mobile property management apps
General skills
- Client relationships and advisory
- Written communication
- Problem solving
- Stakeholder management
Is the job growing?
About 103,900 people work as real estate agents in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 14.2% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become a real estate agent?
Here's the path most real estate agents take, step by step.
- 1Get the entry qualification for your state
Registration requirements vary across Australia. In most states and territories you complete a certificate of registration or a pre-licence course through a registered training organisation, which takes weeks and can be done while you keep another job.
- 2Register and work under a licensed agent
You apply to the fair trading or consumer affairs body in your state, then join an agency under a licensed agent. This is where you learn how a campaign runs, from the appraisal and the marketing spend through to exchange and settlement.
- 3Build a base of clients in one patch
Commission rewards repeat and referral business, so the agents who stay in the industry treat the first couple of years as an apprenticeship: ringing past clients, meeting local business owners and following up buyers who missed out on a place.
- 4Complete a full licence
A certificate IV or diploma in property services, plus a period of supervised experience, is the usual route to a licence in your own name. Holding it is what lets you sign listings and run a campaign without someone above you.
- 5Choose the work you want
Residential sales, commercial property and auctioneering each carry their own training and rhythm, and a few years in one helps you decide where to settle.
Study routes we have checked
Qualifications that are a recognised way into this role, and what else you need.
- Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice
A recognised route into this role
You typically need to work as a registered assistant agent first, then apply for a licence with your state or territory regulator, and requirements differ by state. The award alone does not confer any licence or registration; check the provider is approved.
Ready to apply as a real estate agent?
Whether you're working toward becoming a real estate agent or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a real estate agent move to?
Moving into Sales Manager typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $61,000 a year more on average.
- Sales ManagerRecorded move$139,200+$61,000
- Facilities ManagerRecorded move$109,200+$31,000
- Real Estate Agency PrincipalSuggested move$124,800+$46,600
- Property ManagerSuggested move$78,200same pay
Thick lines are moves people were recorded making in Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility (income tax records, 2011-12 to 2020-21). Thin lines are moves we suggest from skill overlap and entry requirements.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
Sales Manager Real estate agents bring client relationships and closing skills to sales management, often needing a short course in leading teams.Known move | +$61,000 | 48% | short course |
Real Estate Agency Principal Experienced agents can step up to run an agency, taking on licensing and business management study to lead a sales team. | +$46,600 | 15% | reskill |
Facilities Manager Agents can move into facilities management, applying property and building knowledge while gaining further study in operations and contracts.Known move | +$31,000 | 3% | reskill |
Property Manager Agents already know tenancy and property rules, so moving into property management uses the same certificate and client skills. | +$0 | 24% | minimal |
Auctioneer Agents with auction experience can specialise as auctioneers after a short course, using their market knowledge and crowd control. | −$13,700 | 60% | short course |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a real estate agent?
The typical real estate agent is 43 years old; 52% are women, 79% work full-time, and full-timers average 44 hours a week.
- 43
- Median age
- 52%
- Female share
- 79%
- Full-time
- +4h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a real estate agent?
No two weeks look the same: a Monday might go to listing copy, a Thursday evening to showing a buyer through a unit after their work, and a Saturday morning to an open house. Your diary bends around your clients, which is why a 44-hour week is normal and weekend work is hard to avoid. Commission arrives when settlements do, so a quiet quarter tests your savings and your nerve. If you like meeting strangers, reading a room and running your own patch without anyone setting your day, this can be a good fit; if a set roster and a fortnightly deposit matter more to you, the irregular income will wear you down.
What people like
- You decide how the day runs. Outside scheduled opens and appointments, you choose which calls to make, which leads to chase and when to stop, with no one watching the clock.
- Your income isn't capped. Commission has no ceiling, so a run of listings and a strong market show up in what you earn that year.
- People trust you with a big decision. Buying or selling a home is one of the largest financial moves your clients will make, and you are the person keeping it on track.
- You're out and about. Days are spent in the car, at properties and in clients' kitchens, with paperwork squeezed in between appointments.
What people find hard
- Weekends belong to buyers. Saturdays and evenings are when people inspect, so your own plans fit around the open-house calendar and auction days.
- Unpaid work on listings you lose. Every appraisal takes preparation and a presentation, and vendors who choose someone else rarely explain why.
- You cop the frustration. When a place passes in or a buyer misses out, the disappointment gets aimed at you, even when the market or the vendor's price is the cause.
- Quiet markets stall your pipeline. When listings dry up or buyers hold back, deals stretch out and settlement dates slide, and there is little you can do to speed them up.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ real estate agents?
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services employs the largest share of real estate agents.
Top employing industries
- 1Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Year 12 or below | 22.6% | |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate III/IV | 21.5% | |
| Bachelor degree | 19.8% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 18.2% | |
| Postgraduate | 7.7% |
Will AI replace real estate agents?
Moderate exposure. Not replaced, but changed. AI is taking on some tasks and the rest of the job shifts around them.
AI now drafts listing copy, pre-fills contract paperwork and gives vendors an automated estimate to compare you against, so an agent who is slow with these tools looks slow. It doesn't win the listing or get a buyer to agree on a price, and that is what clients are paying for. If you're starting now, learn your agency's CRM and listing software properly, then put the time they free up into local market knowledge and negotiation practice.
How a typical week splits
- Contracts, disclosure and compliance paperwork15% of the week
Digital platforms pre-fill the disclosure documents, and automated estimates cut the preparation behind an appraisal.
- Prospecting and follow-up30% of the week
Your CRM flags who to call and when, but a vendor handing over a listing wants to meet the person who will run the campaign.
- Writing listings and marketing copy20% of the week
AI drafts the description from your photos and notes, and you correct the details that sell one particular house, such as the quiet street or the north-facing yard.
- Open homes and buyer negotiations35% of the week
Reading a room, answering questions on the spot and pushing a price higher happen face to face, with no software in the middle.
How we work this out
We break each job into its main tasks, estimate the share of a typical week each one takes, and judge how far current AI and automation tools reach into it. The score out of 10 starts from the job's overall rating (low is 1 to 3, moderate 4 to 6, high 7 to 10) and the task split places it within that range. Source: Career Tips analysis of each role's main tasks.
Common questions about becoming a real estate agent
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do real estate agents earn in Australia?
Full-time real estate agents earn a median of $78,200 per year before tax. Commission means individual earnings spread much wider than that, and your own figure follows the number and value of the sales you settle.
How do I become a real estate agent?
You start by completing the registration or pre-licence course your state requires, then work inside a licensed agency while you gain experience. A certificate IV or diploma in property services plus supervised time is the usual path to a full licence, which lets you list and sell in your own name.
Are real estate agents in demand?
Real estate agents are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 14.2% over the decade to 2035 over the decade to 2035. Hiring mostly happens office by office in the suburb you want to work in, so introduce yourself to the principals of agencies on your patch before you answer an advertised job.
Will AI replace real estate agents?
It won't take over the work that earns the fee, which is winning the listing and getting a buyer to agree on a price. AI has already sped up listing copy, valuation estimates and contract paperwork, and an agent who is slow with those tools looks slow to clients. Learn your agency's CRM early, then spend the time it saves on local knowledge and negotiation.
What can a real estate agent move into?
Auctioneering is a short step, using the same certificate plus a specialist course, and you spend your weekends on the podium instead of running a campaign. Moving into sales management pays $61,000 more once you are managing a team's listings and numbers. Opening your own agency is the biggest move, and it takes a full licence, a listing base or rent roll to start from, and enough savings to cover wages and marketing through the months before settlements land.
Do you need a university degree to work as a real estate agent?
No, a degree isn't required. The most common qualification among agents is Year 12 or below, held by 23% of the workforce, which is a picture of who does the job today and not a hiring rule. What you do need is registration in your state, which comes before your first listing.
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