How a Toronto Real Estate Agent Actually Earns a Living

Since I started on Team Asgarian, I have received hundreds of kind and encouraging notes from people. Many shared their views or asked for advice. But a few felt that our work as real estate agents is easy, that we kick our feet up and rake in the money. I thought it was worth talking about that once.

I am Moe Asgarian, Principal Real Estate Broker in Toronto and ranked #47 worldwide at RE/MAX. Before I get into five of the hard parts of being an agent, a quick reminder: every job has its own difficulties. It is nearly impossible to succeed at anything without working for it, whether you are a real estate agent, an engineer, or in IT or finance. In 99 out of 100 jobs, we mostly see the people who made it, the ones who put in the time. We rarely see the ones who fail. Keep that in mind. Now, the first challenge.

1. Fierce Competition in a Saturated Market

Toronto has more than 7,200 registered real estate agents. That is even more than the number of homes sold across the GTA each year. With that much competition, the average agent does fewer than 1.5 deals a year. Here is a telling detail: about 80% of people who enter this business step away in their first year, and only around 13% are still working after five years. The honest truth is that getting into this job is not hard. Lasting fifteen years in it is very hard.

2. Heavy Upfront Costs

Being an agent means you effectively own your own business, and you pay for everything out of pocket. Licensing and exam fees, membership dues, a desk at the office, advertising, professional photography, even the cost of staging a home. This can run into tens of thousands of dollars a year, and it has nothing to do with whether you close a deal or not. The numbers back this up: in Ontario, 66% of agents did not close a single deal in the first quarter of 2025, and 32.5% went the whole year without a sale. You spend a lot and earn nothing.

3. A Volatile, Unpredictable Market

This is not to say only agents face this, but I am speaking from my own experience. Income here is tied directly to the housing market, and Toronto is famous for sudden swings. Interest rates, government decisions and economic conditions can flip things overnight. In June 2025, home sales across the GTA fell about 2.4% compared to the year before, while listings rose 7.7% and prices came down more than 5%. An agent has to keep adapting, calm the client, and hope a deal does not fall apart mid-way. Thankfully, in 2025 we still did great work for our buyers and sellers and adapted quickly, keeping our deal count in line with past years.

4. Legal Risks and Fraud Prevention

An agent's job is not just showing homes. Sometimes you have to be a detective. Not long ago, a Toronto couple came back from a trip to find their home had been sold under forged documents, in someone else's name, without them ever selling it. This is where an agent has to check identity and paperwork carefully and stop that kind of disaster. One mistake can cause you financial and legal trouble. It shows up especially in the rental market, where we have to find a reliable tenant for our clients, which is no easy task.

5. Keeping Clients Calm

A Toronto agent also has to steady clients emotionally. Home prices are high, and a home is not a luxury item. Many people buy and sell a home as if their family's future depends on it. In that high-pressure, high-stress path, you have to help your client make the best possible decision for themselves and their family given that day's conditions. This has become even more true in recent years, as everyone's worries have grown. There is more I could add, but for a team working professionally on the Toronto and GTA market, all of this is an opportunity. The harder the work, the fewer the competitors, and the more our team can show what it can do. If you are thinking about buying or selling, fill out the form at the bottom of this page or book a free consultation. Stay well and take care.