They Think Realtors Are Overpaid…
The truth about Realtor commissions, unpaid hours, emotional labor, and why most agents never make it in real estate.
By Kim Donahue | Real Estate Expert Advisor, Your Realtor with a Heart to Serve.
Most people think real estate agents are overpaid.
They see the sold sign.
They hear the sales price.
They Google the commission percentage.
And immediately they think:
“Must be nice.”
What they don’t see is the 60-hour work weeks.
The unpaid hours.
The emotional exhaustion.
The money spent before a paycheck ever arrives.
The lawsuits agents risk.
The clients who disappear.
The deals that collapse the day before closing.
The tears in the car after spending weeks helping someone who suddenly uses their cousin because “they just got licensed.”
People think Realtors get paid too much.
But let me ask you something…
What other profession works for free for 30, 60, sometimes 90 days — with absolutely zero guarantee of getting paid?
When you go to a doctor, they collect your copay before you even sit down.
Attorneys require retainers upfront.
Therapists charge $150–$300 an hour.
Uber drivers get paid by the mile.
Geek Squad charges by the hour.
Contractors require deposits.
But Realtors?
We gamble our time, gas, energy, expertise, emotions, weekends, nights, holidays, and sanity… hoping a transaction closes.
Hoping.
Not guaranteed.
Hoping.
And if it doesn’t close?
We get paid exactly zero dollars.
No hourly wage.
No salary.
No reimbursement.
Nothing.
I remember showing one buyer over 20 homes.
Twenty.
Driving across counties.
Researching HOA rules.
Checking flood zones.
Running numbers.
Explaining financing.
Negotiating strategies.
Talking them off emotional ledges.
Helping them compare taxes, insurance costs, monthly payments, future resale value, commute times, and renovation possibilities.
Forty-plus hours invested.
And one day…
silence.
Ghosted.
A week later I found out they bought a home with a relative who had just gotten licensed.
People say:
“Well, that’s part of the business.”
Exactly.
That’s the point.
Most people could never emotionally survive a business where they work massive amounts of time for free while smiling through it.
And yet Realtors do it every single day.
What people also don’t realize is that the commission they think we “make” is not what ends up in our bank account.
Not even close.
Let’s break this down.
A Realtor sells a $500,000 home.
Everyone assumes:
“They just made $15,000!”
Wrong.
First, the commission is often split between brokerages.
Then the agent pays:
- Broker splits
- Self-employment taxes
- Federal taxes
- Social Security taxes
- MLS fees
- Local board dues
- National Association of Realtors membership fees
- Lockbox fees
- Errors & Omissions insurance
- Marketing costs
- Photography
- Videography
- Website subscriptions
- CRM systems
- Lead generation
- Signs
- Open house materials
- Fuel
- Continuing education
- Licensing renewals
- Transaction coordination
- Advertising
- Canva Pro
- OpenAI ChatGPT subscriptions
- Homes.com memberships
- Electronic signature software
- Showing software
- Cell phone bills
- Internet
- Office expenses
And after all of that?
Many agents walk away with a fraction of what consumers think they made.
Meanwhile, they were available 24/7.
Seriously…
we are more available than most people’s own families.
11:00 PM text?
We answer.
Saturday morning?
We answer.
Sunday dinner?
We answer.
Vacation?
Still answering.
Funeral?
Still checking contracts.
And the questions don’t stop at real estate.
“Do you know a plumber?”
“My AC broke.”
“Who does flooring?”
“Can you recommend a roofer?”
“Can you help me understand DocuSign?”
“My husband and I are fighting over whether to move.”
“My kids don’t want us to downsize.”
“My divorce attorney said this…”
“What would you do if you were me?”
At some point, Realtors became:
- Therapist
- Tech support
- Negotiator
- Marketing expert
- Crisis manager
- Marriage counselor
- Financial sounding board
- Contractor referral source
- Local tour guide
- On-call emotional support human
All while carrying legal liability on every transaction.
One wrong sentence.
One missed disclosure.
One misunderstood repair.
One issue after closing.
And suddenly?
Lawyers are involved.
Consumers don’t realize Realtors can be sued years after a transaction closes.
Years.
For a commission that may have already been split 47 different ways.
And still…
agents show up.
Still.
Because despite all of it…
the good ones genuinely care.
They care about the single mom trying to buy her first home.
They care about the elderly seller overwhelmed by decades of memories.
They care about the couple relocating across the country terrified of making the wrong decision.
They care about helping people through some of the biggest emotional and financial decisions of their lives.
That’s why most Realtors stay.
Not because it’s easy.
Because it matters.
And let’s talk about the truth nobody wants to admit:
If real estate were easy…
90% of agents wouldn’t fail.
Ninety percent.
Gone.
Out of the business.
Why?
Because this industry will expose you.
It exposes laziness.
Poor discipline.
Weak mindset.
Lack of emotional control.
Lack of consistency.
Lack of resilience.
This business will humble you faster than almost any career on earth.
The agents surviving this market right now?
The ones still standing after interest rate hikes, lawsuits, commission attacks, market shifts, economic uncertainty, online criticism, ghosting clients, and collapsing deals?
Those agents are battle tested.
And the truth is…
The strong stayed.
The strong adapted.
The strong learned how to serve at a higher level.
The strong kept showing up when everyone else quit.
So no…
most Realtors are not overpaid.
Most are underappreciated.
Underestimated.
And carrying more emotional, financial, and mental weight than people could ever imagine.
The next time you see a Realtor closing a deal…
understand you’re only seeing the finish line.
You didn’t see the sleepless nights.
The unpaid hours.
The tears.
The stress.
The gas.
The risk.
The sacrifice.
The missed birthdays.
The anxiety.
The pressure of commission-only survival.
You saw the closing photo.
Not the climb.
And to every Realtor reading this:
I see you.
The nights you questioned yourself.
The deals that broke your heart.
The clients who forgot your value.
The moments you wondered if you could keep going.
You’re not crazy for feeling exhausted.
This business asks for everything.
But the ones who survive this season?
The ones still standing with integrity, empathy, grit, and heart?
They’re about to build something extraordinary.
Because while others quit…
you learned how to endure.
And endurance creates greatness.
Buying, selling, renting, Need a friend or trying to figure it all out—I’m here for it.
👉 Book your free strategy session at https://kimsellssarasota.com
Let’s get you moving in the right direction. 🤎
“And remember, if you need real estate advice, a friend to talk to, or someone to support you on your journey—I’m here.
📲 Call or text me anytime!
Kim Donahue
941-724-2587″
©️ 2026 Kim Donahue Realtor
