Membership in the National Association of Realtors can swing pretty wildly. Lots of people get into real estate when times are good, and leave when they’re bad.

During the housing boom, NAR picked up nearly 600,000 members, with the Realtor ranks growing from 800,000 to an all-time record of 1.37 million in October 2006.

After plunging back below the 1 million mark in 2012, Realtor membership is again on the rise. But so is the U.S. workforce as a whole. So maybe the question to ask is not how many people are Realtors, but what percentage of the total workforce is typically made up of Realtors?

NAR research economist Danielle Hale says that since 1980, Realtors have made up 0.7 percent of the total workforce, on average. That’s about where things stand now — meaning that from here on out, NAR expects the number of Realtors “to grow at roughly the same pace as the number of employed persons.”

Give or take a few hundred thou. Source: realtor.org.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×