The National Association of Realtors’ latest member profile shows a more experienced agent population working through a slower housing market with deeper client pipelines. The typical Realtor now has 13 years of experience, up from 12 in 2024, according to NAR’s 2026 Member Profile.
The report also found that 75% of members are very certain they will remain active in real estate for at least two more years, up from 74% a year earlier. For newer agents, the data shows how sharply production, income, and client pipelines differ by tenure while affordability continues to limit buyer activity.
Experienced agents have stronger pipelines
The typical individual agent reported nine transaction sides in 2025, with median sales volume of $2.7 million for brokerage specialists. Agents with six or more years of experience tended to report 10 sides and about $3 million in sales volume.
Income followed the same pattern. Median gross real estate income rose to $59,200 in 2025, up from $58,100 in 2024. Realtors with 16 or more years of experience reported median gross income of $88,500, up from $78,900 a year earlier.
Tenure is not the only factor. Established agents are also more likely to have business assets newer agents are still building, including past clients, referral relationships, local reputation, and transaction history.
Repeat clients drive the experience gap
The biggest tenure gap is in business sourcing. Across the full member population, repeat clients accounted for 28% of business, up from 20% a year earlier.
For agents with more than 16 years of experience, repeat business represented about half of their customer pipeline. With affordability still holding back buyers, repeat clients and referrals give experienced agents a steadier base.
Teams are another signal for brokers to watch. NAR separated individual and team production data for the first time in this report. Team-based brokerage specialists, typically working in four-person teams, reported a median 32 transaction sides and $17.5 million in median sales.
NAR also found that 21% of Realtors were part of a team in 2025. For brokerages, that points to a training question: whether newer agents are getting enough support to build repeatable business, not just chase the next lead.
Newer agents can build referral habits earlier
A referral base, repeat-client pipeline, and reputation in a local market do not arrive in year one. But newer agents can start building those systems earlier.
Post-close follow-up should be treated as a production system. Every closed transaction should become part of a long-term database strategy, with scheduled check-ins, homeownership updates, and clear referral prompts.
Newer agents should also track where business comes from. Buyer leads, open houses, social media, referrals, past clients, and sphere contacts should be tracked separately. The goal is to spot overreliance on one channel before a slow market exposes it.
The affordability data also suggests newer agents should avoid relying only on buyer demand. Agents who can support homeowners with pricing, listing strategy, and move-up planning may be better positioned when buyers remain constrained.
Brokers need systems, not just leads
The profile shows a profession that is not thinning out quickly. With most members planning to stay active, newer agents are entering a field where experienced competitors already have repeat and referral pipelines.
For brokers and team leaders, training should not stop at lead generation. Newer agents need systems for follow-up, referral building, database management, and balanced buyer-seller pipelines. In a tighter market, those systems may matter more than a higher split on a thinner book of business.