The amount real estate agents earn per transaction in the world’s largest cities varies by nearly four times, even though property prices remain relatively high. This is according to a study by the global real estate agent network AgentWise.
According to the study, Paris ranks first in terms of an agent’s earnings per transaction: with an average property price of approximately £669,950 and a 5.5% commission, the average real estate agent’s earnings amount to £36,847. Next are New York with £25,824, Singapore with £22,515, Berlin with £18,618, and Madrid with £15,692 per transaction.
London is at the other end of the spectrum. Despite having one of the most expensive housing markets in the world, the average agent commission there is only 1.7%, which amounts to approximately £9,963 in income per transaction, with an average home price of £586,050. Figures are slightly higher in Dubai—£9,993—while in Toronto, the average income for a realtor from a sale is estimated at £10,018.
The study shows that an agent’s income level depends not so much on the price of the property itself as on local regulations, market structure, and the intensity of competition among agencies. In the most competitive markets, such as London and Dubai, agents have to work with minimal margins even when property prices are high.
