How Much Do Real Estate Agents Make in Canada in 2026?
Updated
Real estate is one of the most misunderstood professions in Canada when it comes to income. See how agents compare on our income percentile calculator. The public sees 2.5% commission on a $1 million sale and assumes agents are making $25,000 per transaction. The reality is far more complex: after brokerage splits (30-50% for new agents), marketing costs, vehicle expenses, board fees, and taxes, a typical full-time agent takes home far less than the headline commission number. Roughly half of all licensed agents in Canada earn under $30,000 per year, while the top 10% earn $200,000-$500,000+. Success depends almost entirely on building a referral-based client base, which takes 2-5 years of grinding.
Verified Against Statistics Canada Data
The figures below come directly from Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census (employment income reported for 2020), the most detailed occupation-level income data StatCan publishes. Because the Census figures are from 2020, they are shown alongside an inflation-adjusted equivalent so the numbers reflect today’s purchasing power. This is an employment income figure across ALL real estate agents and salespersons (new and established combined), which is why the median sits well below what a successful, established agent earns.
Real Estate Agents and Salespersons Income by Province (StatCan Verified)
Province
Median (2020 Census)
Median (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)
Average (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)
Canada
$54,800
$68,000
$99,000
Newfoundland and Labrador
$48,000
$59,500
$81,400
PEI
$27,600
$34,200
$54,600
Nova Scotia
$51,200
$63,500
$81,100
New Brunswick
$50,000
$62,000
$75,700
Quebec
$56,400
$70,000
$95,500
Ontario
$57,200
$71,000
$109,900
Manitoba
$60,800
$75,400
$101,500
Saskatchewan
$58,800
$72,900
$90,100
Alberta
$43,600
$54,100
$71,000
British Columbia
$53,200
$66,000
$87,700
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population, Table 98-10-0586-01. Figures are for those who worked full year, full time in 2020, and are inflation-adjusted to today’s dollars using the Consumer Price Index. *Some province/occupation combinations show “too few workers to report” because StatCan suppresses Census income cells with too few respondents to protect individual privacy — the data isn’t missing, it’s withheld for confidentiality.
Average Real Estate Agent Income
Experience Level
Transactions/Year
Gross Commission Income
After Split & Expenses
First year
2–5
$10,000–$30,000
$5,000–$15,000
Year 2–3
5–10
$30,000–$65,000
$15,000–$40,000
Mid-career (4–7 years)
10–20
$65,000–$150,000
$40,000–$95,000
Established (8+ years)
15–30
$100,000–$250,000
$65,000–$165,000
Top producer (top 10%)
30–60+
$250,000–$600,000+
$160,000–$400,000+
Mega-agent/team lead
80–200+ (team)
$500,000–$2,000,000+
$250,000–$800,000+
Income by Province/Market
Market
Avg Home Price
Avg Commission (per side)
Agent GCI (15 sales)
Notes
Toronto (GTA)
$1,050,000
$26,250 (2.5%)
$393,750
Highly competitive, high volume
Vancouver
$1,150,000
$27,000 (tiered)
$405,000
BC uses tiered commission structure
Calgary
$525,000
$13,125 (2.5%)
$196,875
Growing market
Edmonton
$380,000
$9,500 (2.5%)
$142,500
Affordable market
Ottawa
$650,000
$16,250 (2.5%)
$243,750
Government town, stable
Montreal
$530,000
$12,000 (2.25%)
$180,000
Lower commissions typical
Winnipeg
$340,000
$8,500 (2.5%)
$127,500
Lower prices, fewer agents
Halifax
$465,000
$11,625 (2.5%)
$174,375
Growing market
Saskatoon/Regina
$350,000
$8,750 (2.5%)
$131,250
Smaller market
GCI assumes agent keeps full commission before brokerage split. Actual take-home is 50–80% of GCI depending on brokerage model.
Commission Structure Breakdown
Understanding how commissions actually flow is essential for anyone considering a real estate career. On a $600,000 sale with a 5% total commission, the listing brokerage and buying brokerage each receive 2.5% ($15,000). The agent then splits their share with their brokerage — a new agent on a 70/30 split keeps $10,500, while a top producer on a 90/10 split keeps $13,500. After deducting transaction fees, marketing costs, and insurance, the net per-deal income for a mid-career agent is typically $7,000-$10,000. This is why volume matters so much: agents need 15-25+ transactions per year to earn a solid income.
Step
Example ($600,000 Sale)
Total commission (5%)
$30,000
Listing side (2.5%)
$15,000
Buyer side (2.5%)
$15,000
Agent’s share (70/30 split)
$10,500
Less: transaction fee
−$500
Less: marketing/staging costs
−$1,000
Less: E&O insurance allocation
−$200
Net to agent (per transaction)
$8,800
Brokerage Split Models
Brokerage Model
How It Works
Best For
Examples
Traditional split (50/50 to 90/10)
Agent shares commission with brokerage
Agents wanting support
RE/MAX, Royal LePage, Century 21
Desk fee/100% commission
Agent pays monthly fee, keeps 100%
High-volume agents
eXp Realty, some independents
Cap model
Split until annual cap reached, then 100%
Growing agents
Keller Williams, eXp Realty
Team model
Team lead provides leads, agent gets 30–50%
New agents
Various teams
Discount brokerage
Lower commission rates, volume model
Agents preferring volume
Various
Brokerage
New Agent Split
Experienced Split
Monthly Fees
Cap
RE/MAX
70/30 to 95/5
85/15 to 95/5
$1,500–$3,000/mo
Varies
Royal LePage
55/45 to 80/20
70/30 to 85/15
Varies
Varies
Keller Williams
64/30/6
Improves to cap
Low
~$25,000
eXp Realty
80/20
80/20 to cap
~$200/mo
~$16,000/yr
Century 21
50/50 to 70/30
65/35 to 80/20
Varies
Varies
Annual Expenses for Real Estate Agents
One of the biggest surprises for new agents is how much it costs to be in the business. Between brokerage fees, MLS memberships, vehicle costs, marketing, insurance, and technology, a full-time agent can easily spend $25,000-$60,000 per year before earning a dollar in commission. This is why so many first-year agents struggle financially — they need to close enough deals to cover these fixed costs before they start taking home meaningful income. Agents who do not have 6-12 months of living expenses saved before starting often fail within the first two years.
Expense
Annual Cost
Notes
Brokerage fees/desk fee
$6,000–$36,000
Or commission split equivalent
Real estate board/MLS fees
$1,500–$3,000
Annual membership
E&O insurance
$400–$600
Mandatory
RECO/regulatory fees
$400–$800
Provincial regulator
Marketing & advertising
$3,000–$15,000
Website, social media, mail-outs
Vehicle expenses
$5,000–$12,000
Gas, maintenance, insurance
Technology (CRM, tools)
$1,200–$3,600
CRM, photography, virtual tours
Professional development/CE
$500–$2,000
Continuing education
Photography/staging
$500–$5,000
Per-listing cost varies
Business insurance
$500–$1,200
Additional coverage
Total annual expenses
$19,000–$79,200
—
Path to Becoming a Real Estate Agent
Step
Duration
Cost
Pre-registration courses
2–6 months
$3,000–$5,000
Provincial licensing exam
1–2 months
$500–$1,000
Brokerage registration
1–2 weeks
$0 (brokerage covers)
Post-registration courses
12–24 months (part-time)
$1,000–$3,000
RECO/board registration
Immediate
$1,500–$3,000
Startup marketing & supplies
Ongoing
$2,000–$5,000
Total startup investment
3–8 months
$8,000–$17,000
Residential vs Commercial Agent Income
Type
Avg Transaction Value
Commission Rate
Deals/Year
Annual GCI
Residential (typical)
$500,000–$800,000
2–2.5% per side
10–20
$100,000–$400,000
Residential (luxury)
$2,000,000–$10,000,000+
1.5–2.5% per side
5–15
$150,000–$750,000+
Commercial (small)
$500,000–$2,000,000
2–4% total
3–8
$30,000–$160,000
Commercial (mid-large)
$5,000,000–$50,000,000+
1–3% total
2–6
$100,000–$1,500,000+
Pre-construction/new build
$500,000–$1,500,000
0.5–2% (builder pays)
10–50+
$25,000–$375,000
Similar-Paying Professions
At a StatCan-verified median of $68,000/year (inflation-adjusted to today’s dollars), real estate agents earn about the same as several other professions covered on this site:
Based on the same Statistics Canada 2021 Census occupation income data (Table 98-10-0586-01) used throughout this page, inflation-adjusted to today’s dollars.