Agents find something to cheer about: Stable commissions
The latest survey from Real finds record levels of optimism and a majority of agents saying commissions have stayed about the same — or improved.
It feels like real estate agents are facing more than their share of challenges — interest rates, home sales and affordability are going in the wrong direction, and legal challenges are lingering.
And yet, in its most recent agent survey, The Real Brokerage has found record levels of optimism.
Maybe that's because there's good news about commissions.
"Our data continues to show stability in commission rates, underscoring the critical role agents play in navigating buyers and sellers through today's dynamic market," said Real President Sharran Srivatsaa.
Here are the top findings from Real's December survey:
Commissions holding steady: Most buyer agents (55%) and listing agents (64%) in the United States said they haven't seen meaningful changes to commission rates vs. 2023. In Canada, the trend was even more pronounced, with 82% of buy-side agents and 78% of sell-side agents reporting little or no change.
Of the U.S. agents who said things had changed on the buy side, most reported minimal declines in commission: 16% reported decreases of 0.25% or less, while 8% saw bigger drops. At the same time, 9% said commissions increased. On the sell side, only 13% saw declines.
Most agents in the U.S. expect commissions to remain relatively stable in 2025, with 20% expecting slight decreases on the buy side and only 5% expecting significant drops. On the sell side, only 13% expect commissions to drop at all.
Signs of balance in the housing market: What percentage of agents said they were experiencing a seller's market? The same share who said they were in a buyer's market — 30%. The buy-side number dropped slightly vs. November and the sell-side increased a bit.
Meanwhile, 40% of agents described their market as balanced.
What's holding buyers back? An increasing number of agents called out limited inventory as the most pressing issue (23% vs. 19% in November), but affordability remained the top challenge according to 59% of those surveyed.
A new level of optimism: Most agents (81%) said they felt more optimistic in December compared to November, with nearly a third saying they were significantly more optimistic. Just 4% felt pessimistic. Real's "Agent Optimism Index," which tracks local market sentiment, rose to 76.4 from 73.1 the month before — the highest reading of the year, Real reported.
That continues a trend seen in November, when the index jumped nearly five points and the vast majority of agents surveyed said they expected to see more transactions in 2025.
At a turning point? "Our agents' outlook for 2025 signals a turning point for the industry," said Tamir Poleg, Chairman and CEO of Real.
"Even in an elevated rate environment, agents are preparing for recovery as the housing market emerges from two years of historically low transaction activity."