A commercial real estate broker who sells income-producing properties such as apartment, office and industrial buildings to investors. BLS does not publish separate figures for real estate brokers; it counts them within real estate broker (SOC 41-9021), whose median pay is $73,220 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 41-9021
- Sales and Related
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Investment Sales Broker in four numbers
- Median pay
- $73,220a year, or $35.20/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $37KTop 10% $143K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +0.8%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+0.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +0.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 7,800103,500 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025103.5K
- Projected 2035104.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 103.5K Projected 2035 104.3K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Commercial Real Estate Investment Sales Broker, Capital Markets Broker (Real Estate), Investment Sales Associate, Multifamily Investment Sales Broker.
Pay
How much do Real Estate Brokers make?
Every investment sales broker in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$73,220
Middle half earn $46,480 to $103,360
- 10th
- $37,110
- 25th
- $46,480
- 75th
- $103,360
- 90th
- $143,300
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $37,110 |
| 25th | $46,480 |
| Median | $73,220 |
| 75th | $103,360 |
| 90th | $143,300 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $73,220
- Median hourly wage
- $35.20/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $83,950
- People employed
- 46,100
Versus all US occupations
At $73,220, Real Estate Brokers earn 44% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $22,240 a year.
Versus sales and related occupations
The median is typical for the Sales and Related group, where the middle occupation pays $73,220.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $143,300 or more while the bottom 10% earn $37,110, a gap of 3.9×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 47% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Jersey pays the most at $111,390, and still leads at $102,376 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Real Estate Brokers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Jersey | $111,390 | $102,376 | 1,290 |
| 2Connecticut | $105,800 | $102,114 | N/A |
| 3Utah | $92,830 | $93,897 | N/A |
| 4Washington | $82,790 | $77,364 | N/A |
| 5Alabama | $82,630 | $93,028 | 460 |
| 6Michigan | $82,510 | $85,754 | 1,150 |
| 7Maryland | $81,550 | $77,697 | 430 |
| 8California | $80,450 | $72,661 | 8,430 |
| 9New Mexico | $80,340 | $87,125 | N/A |
| 10Colorado | $79,970 | $77,602 | 3,280 |
Job outlook
Is Investment Sales Broker a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +0.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Real Estate Brokers | +0.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Real Estate Brokers to change 0.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,800 openings are projected each year, 7.5% of the 103,500 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Investment Sales Broker
Brokers need a state real estate license, and most states require a broker's license to work independently or supervise others. Many employers prefer a bachelor's degree in finance, real estate or business. New hires usually start as analysts or junior associates on a senior broker's team, doing underwriting and research before building their own client base.
The CCIM Institute's Certified Commercial Investment Member designation is a respected credential in commercial investment real estate.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does an Investment Sales Broker do?
Investment sales brokers represent owners selling commercial properties that are bought as investments, such as apartment complexes, office towers, warehouses, shopping centers and hotels. They value the property, build the marketing materials and financial model, run a competitive bidding process among investors, and negotiate the sale through closing.
Because pay is mostly commission on completed sales, brokers spend much of their time prospecting: tracking ownership of properties in their market, calling owners, and building relationships with private investors, funds and institutions. Many specialize by property type or region and work in teams at national brokerage firms.
Day-to-day tasks
- Prospect property owners who may sell investment assets
- Prepare valuations and financial underwriting for properties
- Create offering memoranda and marketing campaigns
- Run competitive bidding processes among investors
- Tour properties with prospective buyers
- Negotiate purchase agreements and manage due diligence
- Coordinate with lenders, attorneys and title companies through closing
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Investment sales brokers work in brokerage offices and spend a lot of time on the phone and touring properties with buyers. Income is uneven because it depends on closed deals, and the work is sensitive to interest rates and market cycles. Travel within a region is common.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Writing3.4
- Mathematics3.0
- Monitoring3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.4 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Negotiation4.1
- Persuasion3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5
- Social Perceptiveness3.4
- Service Orientation3.4
- Coordination3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Time Management3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Negotiation | 4.1 |
| Persuasion | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.5 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.4 |
| Service Orientation | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Investment Sales Broker?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ECS) built on O*NET's Real Estate Broker profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Investment Sales Broker |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising6.5
- Conventional5.8
- Social3.6
- Realistic2.7
- Investigative1.5
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Investment Sales Broker
O*NET related occupations
- Sales and Related
- Sales and Related
- Management
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager
$69,990median a year
Most earn $41K to $140K
+3.7%High school - Business and Financial Operations
- Sales and Related
Security, Commodity, and Financial Services Sales Agent
$78,660median a year
Most earn $48K to $213K
+1.4%Bachelor's - Business and Financial Operations
More sales and related careers
Median annual pay, with real estate brokers highlighted
- Sales Engineer$124,900
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Product$104,920
- Real Estate Broker$73,220
- Investment Sales Broker$73,220
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$72,080
- Insurance Sales Agent$62,280
- Real Estate Agent$52,830
- Travel Agent$50,160
- Cashier$32,880
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sales Engineer | $124,900 |
| Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Product | $104,920 |
| Real Estate Broker | $73,220 |
| Investment Sales Broker | $73,220 |
| Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $72,080 |
| Insurance Sales Agent | $62,280 |
| Real Estate Agent | $52,830 |
| Travel Agent | $50,160 |
| Cashier | $32,880 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Investment Sales Broker appears on
Questions
Investment Sales Broker: frequently asked questions
How much do Real Estate Brokers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for real estate brokers. It counts them within real estate broker, whose median pay is $73,220 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $46,480 and $103,360, and the top 10% earn $143,300 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Investment Sales Broker?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Real Estate Brokers. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first.
Is Investment Sales Broker a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.8% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 7,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Investment Sales Broker do?
Investment sales brokers represent owners selling commercial properties that are bought as investments, such as apartment complexes, office towers, warehouses, shopping centers and hotels. A typical task: prospect property owners who may sell investment assets. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Customer relationship management CRM software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Real Estate Brokers the most?
The highest state medians for Real Estate Brokers are New Jersey ($111,390), Connecticut ($105,800), Utah ($92,830) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Investment Sales Broker?
O*NET scores Real Estate Brokers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.