Growing dissatisfaction among real estate agents, concerns over declining commissions, and shifting views on the National Association of Realtors (NAR) are among findings in Redfin’s 2025 Industry Survey.
The survey was conducted by Ipsos between December 2024 and January 2025, polling 500 agents from various brokerages across the country.
Respondents cited economic challenges, discrimination in the industry, and climate-related issues as key concerns affecting their profession.
Declining satisfaction, economic worries
Agent morale has dropped 5% since last year, with just 21.2% of respondents saying they would recommend real estate as a career, while nearly half (49.8%) said they would not. Many cited unpredictable income and difficulty finding clients as major drawbacks, though they valued the profession’s entrepreneurial independence.
Affordability remains the biggest challenge agents foresee in the next five years, with 64.2% identifying it as a major issue. Low housing inventory (42.8%) and shrinking commissions (42%) also ranked high on the list of concerns. Despite these challenges, most agents expressed optimism about increasing home sales in 2025.
Climate challenges, discrimination
Nearly 40% of agents reported that climate change is influencing where people choose to live, and close to half encountered more issues with home insurance during transactions in 2024. However, fewer than 10% of agents said they had received training on discussing climate risks with clients.
Reports of discrimination increased in 2024. More than one-third of women in the industry (34.5%) said they had experienced sexism, while 38% of non-white agents reported racial discrimination.
Growing discontent toward NAR
Negative sentiment toward the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has surged, with 51% of agents holding an unfavorable view, up from just 19% in 2023. Additionally, 38% of respondents said recent changes stemming from a NAR settlement negatively affected their business, while only 5.2% saw a positive impact.
Commission expectations
While 47.8% of agents reported that buyer’s agent commissions have remained steady since the NAR settlement took effect in August 2024, 51.2% expect commissions to decline over the next year. Only 4.6% anticipate an increase.
Jason Aleem, Redfin’s chief of real estate services, said the company is focused on supporting its agents through ongoing industry shifts.
“Our agents are ready to tackle this year’s challenges head on, knowing we have provided them with industry-leading tools, training, and support,” Aleem said. “And our customers know they can trust us to put them first, finding competitive advantages to save them money, while helping them navigate the challenges of buying or selling their home. That’s why as the industry changes, our core mission stays the same.”
The full survey can be viewed here.
