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n a six-year analysis of residential real estate brokerages, AccountTECH has uncovered significant disparities in retained company dollar income generated by agents across different productivity levels. The study analyzed data from 57,641 agents and 2,368,941 closings between 2019 and 2024, shedding light on the impact of top-decile agents and often-overlooked revenue contributions of team-based agents.

    The research categorized agents into deciles based on their total sales volume each year, extracting average retained company dollar for every Decile tier. Key findings highlight:

    Top-performing agents in the highest decile generated exponentially more retained Company dollar income compared to lower-performing counterparts. In 2024, the average company dollar per agent in the 1st decile was $68,739, while those in the 5th decile averaged $8,585 and those in the 9th decile averaged $1,943.

    The study also revealed that agents in the middle of the ranking (4th to 7th deciles) contributed company dollar within a narrow range ($4,000 to $12,000 in 2024). For 2025 budgeting, brokerages can create a decile matrix using their internal data to calculate likely company dollar revenue for each agent.

    The study also highlighted the often-overlooked income source of team-based agents in the 10th decile. These agents work on teams with leaders who claim full credit for sales volume while giving team members most of the commission proceeds. If credited appropriately, team member earnings would rank this cohort in the 8th decile.

    Labor costs associated with servicing and managing transactions also significantly impact net profitability. For instance, top-decile agents generated company dollar of $68,739 with an associated labor cost of $27,228, reducing their annual Net Profit to $41,512.

    The study found that company dollar income peaked in 2021 but has since declined across all deciles. The decline highlights the challenges brokerages face in maintaining profitability amid changing market dynamics.

    Extreme variances in income were also exposed, with top-decile agents delivering significantly higher retained company dollar income compared to lower-performing agents. Most company dollar does not come from top producers; instead, it comes from agents closing between 0-10 sides per year.

    The study provides actionable insights for brokerage leaders:

    * Focus on recruiting high-producing agents and creating retention strategies tailored to their needs.

    * Reevaluate team structures to recognize the financial contributions of team-based agents in the 10th decile.

    * Factor labor costs into agent valuation and compensation models.