Estate agents see earnings fall behind inflation rate
Agents' income has suffered in the last 10 years as average earnings rise less then inflation, says Adam Day of EXP.
Estate agents’ earnings have fallen behind inflation in recent years, new figures reveal, as many feel the effects of rising costs.
Research found that annual earnings growth across the estate agency sector has averaged 2.8% in the past 10 years, falling behind typical annual inflation of 3.6%.
In the past five years, the gap is even more pronounced, with earnings growing 3.5% compared with inflation at 5.1%, according to analysis by EXP UK.
Too little, too late
Adam Day, Head of EXP UK and Europe (pictured), says: “Recent improvements in earnings will have proved too little, too late for many agents who have spent years seeing their income struggle to keep pace with the rising cost of living.
“Of course, commission plays an important role in an agent’s earning potential, and the best performing agents will have seen a stronger rate of earnings.”
Outpaced
The figures, including bonuses, commission and other incentive payments, show that earnings growth has outpaced inflation in just four of the last 10 years.
While the most recent figures show that earnings across the estate agency sector increased by 5.9% to £44,259 in 2026, following a 15.8% increase last year, these improvements come after years of earnings growth failing to keep pace with inflation.
EXP UK analysed Office for National Statistics (ONS) data on estimated average gross earnings of estate agencies between 2015 and 2026.
Estate agents see salaries jump 8%, new data shows
