Agency earnings lagging other commission-based professions

Estate agent earnings remain behind other salary and incentive based professions despite helping with sales of such an expensive asset when it comes to property.

Self-employed agency brand eXp UK analysed current earnings data from Salary Expert for 15 professions that are largely reliant on the additional income of sales commission to see how the nation’s estate agents compare. 

The data shows that, at an average of £42,971 per year, the average base salary of an estate agent is one of the lowest of all professions, with just travel agents (£35,611), car salespeople (£32,731), business services sales agents (£32,265) and advertising sales agents (£31,596) earning a lower base salary. 

Of course, with the sale of such an expensive asset such as a property, the potential commission on offer to estate agents is sizeable. The figures from Salary Expert shows that the average estate agent takes home a commission to the tune of £6,420 per year. 

However, a number of other professions still earn a far greater degree of commission, with pharmaceutical reps sitting top of the table, taking home an average of £15,608 a year in commission alone. 

When considering both the base salary and commission earned throughout the year, the average estate agent takes home £49,391 annually. This places them 9th overall in the list, with software sales reps sitting top of the table with combined annual earnings of £80,270. 

Other professions that sit above estate agents in this respect include boat sales reps, insurance brokers and financial advisers. 

What’s more, the average commission earned by an estate agent equates to just 13% of their total annual earnings, while a number of other sales focussed professions benefit to a far greater degree from the opportunities available to boost their income, eXp UK saiud.

Adam Day head of eXp UK, said: “It seems quite frankly absurd that despite orchestrating the sale of the most expensive asset someone is likely to own, estate agents earn less commission than those selling boats and computers. 

That’s not to say that there isn’t an abundance of opportunity within the property sector for those who want to perform at the top of their game, but all too often, the average agent will see a great deal of the financial spoils of their hard work get swallowed up by their employer.

“Is it any wonder then, that so many top agents have turned to the self-employed model in recent years? Not only does it provide them with the freedom to build their own business, but the increased earnings potential means they don’t have to consider a life selling laptops simply to get a pay bump.”