How do real estate agents make money?
In the real estate market, real estate agents play a vital role. They earn commissions by providing information, brokering transactions, handling procedures and other services. So, exactly how do real estate agents make money? This article will combine the hot topics and hot content on the Internet in the past 10 days to analyze the profit model of real estate agencies from multiple angles.
1. The main source of income for real estate agencies

The income of real estate agencies mainly comes from the following aspects:
| source of income | Description | Proportion (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction commission | After the buyer and seller conclude a transaction, a commission is charged in proportion to the house price (usually 1%-3%) | 70%-80% |
| rental commission | When the landlord and tenant sign a contract, they charge 1 month's rent as an agency fee. | 10%-20% |
| value-added services | Additional services such as loan agency, transfer agency, decoration recommendation, etc. | 5%-10% |
| Exclusive agency fee | Sign an exclusive agency agreement with the landlord and charge a certain fee | About 5% |
2. Analysis of the profit model of real estate agencies
1.High commission model: In first-tier cities, housing prices are higher and intermediary commission income is considerable. For example, for a 5 million house, based on a 2% commission, the agent can earn 100,000 yuan.
2.Large-scale operation: Large-scale chain intermediaries (such as Lianjia and Iaiwojia) increase market share through store expansion and brand effects, thereby increasing overall revenue.
3.Online platform traffic: In recent years, Internet real estate platforms (such as Beike.com) have attracted customers through online traffic, and then guided them to offline transactions, achieving dual-line profits.
4.Financial business extension: Some intermediaries cooperate with banks to provide services such as mortgages and bridge loans, and earn handling fees or interest differences from them.
3. Operating costs of real estate agencies
Although the intermediary income is considerable, the operating costs are also not low, mainly including:
| cost item | Description | Proportion (estimate) |
|---|---|---|
| store rent | Offline store rental and decoration costs | 30%-40% |
| Labor cost | Broker salary, commission and training fees | 40%-50% |
| Platform maintenance | Website and APP development and maintenance costs | 10%-15% |
| Advertising promotion | Online advertising and offline promotion costs | 5%-10% |
4. Recent hot topics in the real estate agency industry
1.Second-hand housing transaction volume declines: The second-hand housing market in many places has been cold recently, which has affected the income of intermediaries, and some small intermediaries are facing the risk of bankruptcy.
2.Commission rate dispute: Some consumers question the high intermediary commissions and call for industry transparency. Some cities have begun pilot commission reforms.
3.Digital upgrade: AI house viewing, VR viewing and other technologies are gradually becoming popular, and the intermediary industry is accelerating its transformation to online and intelligent.
4.Impact of policy regulation: Purchase restriction and loan restriction policies have been tightened, and some intermediaries have turned to the leasing market or overseas property promotions to maintain income.
5. Summary
The profit model of real estate agencies mainly relies on transaction commissions, and at the same time expands income sources through large-scale operations, value-added services and financial services. However, high operating costs and market volatility also pose challenges. In the future, with the digitization of the industry and policy adjustments, the way intermediaries make money may further evolve. For consumers, understanding the profit model of intermediaries can help them strive for more reasonable service prices in transactions.
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