2016 s Best & Worst Cities to Be a Real Estate Agent

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1 2016 s Best & Worst Cities to Be a Real Estate Agent by Richie Bernardo March 30, 2016 Location, location, location might be the most hackneyed expression in the real-estate handbook, but the principle applies just as much to realtors as it does to their clients. After all, success in the industry hinges on both an agent s work ethic and area of operation. Indeed, a career in real estate offers abundant perks. You can be your own boss, determine your own schedule, earn a potentially high income, and be ready to help your clients buy, rent or sell properties in just a few weeks or months, depending on your state s licensing requirements. With time and experience, you could even build your own real-estate brokerage and hire your own agents. But the job isn t always a bowl of cherries, especially at the onset, as most established agents are inclined to admit. It requires real commitment, work outside normal business hours, a likeable personality and financial stability in case of a tough season. That s why some locations are better environments than others for this particular profession. WalletHub s analysts compared the 150 most populated cities to determine which among them is most conducive to a healthy career as a real-estate agent. For this report, we examined a total of 13 key metrics, ranging from sales per agent to annual median wage for real-estate agents to housing-market health index. Scroll down for the results, advice and insight from seasoned real-estate experts, and a detailed description of our methodology. Overall 1 Denver, CO Irvine, CA

2 Overall 3 Seattle, WA Austin, TX Aurora, CO Portland, OR Indianapolis, IN San Francisco, CA Colorado Springs, CO Boston, MA Grand Rapids, MI Boise, ID Honolulu, HI Raleigh, NC Madison, WI Lubbock, TX Sioux Falls, SD Henderson, NV Washington, DC San Jose, CA Reno, NV Fremont, CA Anchorage, AK Huntington Beach, CA Nashville, TN Springfield, MO Scottsdale, AZ Salt Lake, UT Durham, NC Lincoln, NE Las Vegas, NV Vancouver, WA Rancho Cucamonga, CA Knoxville, TN Oakland, CA Glendale, CA North Las Vegas, NV Overland Park, KS Houston, TX Tempe, AZ Ontario, CA Oxnard, CA Santa Rosa, CA Bakersfield, CA Irving, TX Spokane, WA Jersey, NJ

3 Overall 48 Anaheim, CA New York, NY Gilbert, AZ San Diego, CA Santa Clarita, CA Riverside, CA Los Angeles, CA Yonkers, NY Plano, TX Omaha, NE Sacramento, CA Corpus Christi, TX Fontana, CA Orlando, FL Garden Grove, CA San Antonio, TX Chandler, AZ Chattanooga, TN Laredo, TX Atlanta, GA Long Beach, CA Columbus, OH Oklahoma, OK Amarillo, TX Oceanside, CA Peoria, AZ Chula Vista, CA Dallas, TX Memphis, TN Santa Ana, CA Minneapolis, MN Moreno Valley, CA San Bernardino, CA Winston-Salem, NC Huntsville, AL Stockton, CA Modesto, CA Tulsa, OK Tacoma, WA Port St. Lucie, FL Phoenix, AZ Des Moines, IA Kansas, MO Cape Coral, FL Lexington-Fayette, KY Fort Wayne, IN

4 Overall 94 Fort Worth, TX Albuquerque, NM Tampa, FL Charlotte, NC Mesa, AZ Garland, TX Virginia Beach, VA Grand Prairie, TX Wichita, KS St. Paul, MN Arlington, TX Norfolk, VA Chesapeake, VA Rochester, NY Pittsburgh, PA Cincinnati, OH Tallahassee, FL St. Louis, MO Little Rock, AR Glendale, AZ Birmingham, AL Richmond, VA Louisville, KY St. Petersburg, FL Baton Rouge, LA Buffalo, NY Newark, NJ Providence, RI Akron, OH Fresno, CA Worcester, MA Tucson, AZ Montgomery, AL Augusta, GA Baltimore, MD Pembroke Pines, FL Chicago, IL New Orleans, LA Toledo, OH Greensboro, NC Miami, FL El Paso, TX Fort Lauderdale, FL Cleveland, OH Jacksonville, FL Shreveport, LA

5 Overall 140 Newport News, VA Milwaukee, WI Hialeah, FL Mobile, AL Philadelphia, PA Aurora, IL Brownsville, TX Jackson, MS Fayetteville, NC Columbus, GA Detroit, MI

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7 Ask the Experts The real-estate market is often unpredictable. For advice and insight on the current and future conditions shaping the trade, we turned to a panel of experts in fields such as housing, labor and political economy. Click on the experts profiles to read their bios and thoughts on the following key questions: 1. Should real- estate agents feel threatened by new apps and other online tools offering services to potential homebuyers? 2. How can real- estate agents protect themselves from the boom- bust cycle of the housing market? 3. What tips do you have for a young real- estate agent? What does he or she need to do in order to get ahead in the current marketplace?

8 4. How likely is it that the Federal Reserve would increase interest rates again in the coming months? How would that impact real- estate agents?