If you think everyone you meet is a real estate agent, you're not far wrong. According to new figures from ARELLO, the licensing officials, there are more than 2,636,783 licensees in the United States.
With a U.S. population of about 297,889,053, that's about one licensee for every 113 men, women and children.
The most significant increases in licensee counts from 2005 are:
State
2005
2004
% change
Utah
33,979
20,177
+68.40
South Dakota
4,969
3,395
+46.36
Rhode Island
7,561
5,339
+41.62
Massachusetts
78,204
59,043
+32.45
Nevada
33,492
25,626
+30.70
Connecticut
28,281
22,365
+26.45
Colorado
52,646
42,212
+24.72
Most Significant Declines:
Oregon
21,846
23,909
-8.63
District of Columbia
11,071
11,426
-3.11
Washington (state)
50,528
51,531
-1.95
TOTAL
2,636,783
2,532,627
+4.11
"Things are finally starting to cool down," said ARELLO Chief Executive Officer Craig Cheatham. "Either interest in real estate as a career or sideline is waning, or we've finally given a license to everyone already. I expect 2006 numbers will continue to go up, but then 2007 to return gently to 2004 practitioner levels."
He explains, "New England -- as well as markets like Park City [Utah], Las Vegas [Nevada], the Rocky Mountains and the Arizona desert -- continued to see significant growth while the Northwest and the District of Columbia saw slight declines. Overall, the 4.11 percent increase in 2005 over 2004 was in line with expectations. It also should be noted that California added more than 60,000 practitioners in 2005 alone. Percentage wise that's only 15 percent growth for California, but it is interesting to look at it as more than 2 percent of all current real estate practitioners are California licensees with less than one year's experience."
Published: January 12, 2006
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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment.
Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's.
Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68.
In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.
Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans.
Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR
"The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors
Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment.
