Successful real estate agents often enjoy lucrative earnings, job independence, and flexible working hours — making it an attractive career option for those new to the workforce and working professionals looking for a career switch.
While real estate agents don’t necessarily spend a lot of time in an office, they still put in a fair share of work hours each week to meet the needs of their clients and source more opportunities.
If you’re looking for a real answer to how many hours real estate agents work each week, we’ve got the insights you need.
How many hours a week do real estate agents work?
Full-time agents
Full-time real estate agents spend between 30 to 50 hours per week working on average. However, during peak periods or when trying to close deals, their working hours per week can reach up to 60 to 70 hours as they put in additional hours to meet client demands. On the other hand, slower periods due to market fluctuations can also cause agents to have fewer client opportunities or transactions to work on, resulting in fewer work hours each week.
Part-time agents
A part-time agent will tend to put in significantly fewer working hours each week, typically ranging between 20 to 40 hours, mainly due to the fact that they spend less time on administrative tasks and marketing their services. Naturally, this also means that their earnings from real estate transactions are lower — part-time agents who work about 20 hours each week average a salary of $26,000 annually.
Do real estate agents work on the weekends?
With the flexibility to set their work schedules, you’d think that most real estate agents leave their weekends free for a little rest and relaxation. The reality is that working on weekends is a common practice in the real estate industry as it’s the best time for meeting up with prospective buyers for property viewings and consultations.
With the vast majority of potential buyers being available on the weekends, property sellers also tend to schedule an open house on the weekends to cater to a larger portion of buyer interest.
Since their earnings are linked to sales transactions as commission amounts, most real estate agents choose to work on weekends to make the most of the increased demand and activity from their clients.
Can real estate agents take days off?
Keeping up with client demands and the fast-paced nature of the real estate industry can be challenging, and real estate agents do take time off from their work to rest and recharge.
Real estate agents tend to take more days off during long periods of slow activity instead of during busy periods to maximise their earning opportunities, but there’s no hard and fast rule for when real estate agents are allowed to take a day off.
The main drawback of taking a day off is the potential to miss out on opportunities or delay a client’s request, but like with any job, having a balance between work and personal life is important.
What affects working hours for real estate agents?
Market trends
The property market is constantly changing, and real estate agents will have to keep an eye out for market indicators that may signal a trend of recession or inflation.
For example, during periods of high market growth, buyers and sellers will be more inclined to make transactions, which in turn drives up demand and work hours for real estate agents.
Seasonality
Historically, market data shows that buyers tend to look at buying a home during the spring or summer seasons. This higher demand often translates to increased property values, which can lead to higher potential commissions that real estate agents are glad to put in additional work hours for.
Buyer interest usually declines in autumn and winter seasons, but those actively searching during these seasons are typically more serious about making a purchase — real estate agents who manage to find such opportunities may find themselves equally busy.
Number of clients and demands
Clients are perhaps the biggest factor contributing to working hours for real estate agents — having more clients naturally translates to more work.
Not only that, but meeting client demands is a big part of being a successful real estate agent. Clients may request property viewings after working hours or public holidays, and real estate agents will need to make themselves available to meet their needs.
Depending on the number of clients serviced and their demands, one real estate agent’s weekly working hours and schedule will look very different from another’s.
Managing working hours as a real estate agent
The path to building a successful career as a real estate agent requires a lot of hard work and sometimes, odd working hours. However, that’s part of the fun! The key to handling the pressure of high working hours each week will come down to finding a balance between work and personal responsibilities, as well as having the right training to effectively manage the demands of clients.
At Entry Education, we provide aspiring real estate agents as well as experienced agents with specialised training to equip them with the skills they need to build a successful career in real estate. Our real estate courses in NSW, Victoria, and across the rest of Australia can help you attain the qualifications you need to kickstart your career in real estate.
