June 26, 2025

How to Make $100,000 Your First Year in Real Estate

By RSP USA Editorial Team · 6 minute read

AdobeStock_692883046_izzuan_RESIZED © izzuan / Adobe Stock

Hoping for a six-figure income in your first (or second or third) year as a real estate agent? It's not a pipe dream.

Attempting to earn $100,000 is a worthwhile goal — but only if you’re willing to do the work.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for real estate sales agents was $56,320 in May 2024, the lowest 10% earning less than $31,940, and the highest 10% earning more than $125,140.

Most people get into real estate, because they see possibility and the opportunity to join those agents in the top 10%.

So, how can you do it? At the very least, you need to treat real estate like the business it is. You also need relentless grit, dedication and a strategic plan.

To some people, a goal to make $100,000 your first year in real estate is unrealistic. Your ambition, though, will give you an edge. It’s a driving force for motivation and provides purpose and clarity — so important for persevering in a tough industry.

No matter what, with the right roadmap and consistent action, you can crush your first year and lay the groundwork for a successful career long-term.

Let’s walk through the exact steps to get you there.

1. Start with the Right Mindset

For this goal to be at all realistic, you must treat real estate as a business, not a part-time job, side hustle or hobby. The agents who earn $100K in their first year approach each and every day with focus and intention.

Real estate will challenge you with rejection, slow months, deals falling through, and even prospects and clients ghosting you, but success often depends on your ability to bounce back and keep going.

Mindset is what will get you through those days. You need to become your own greatest motivator.

"If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time." — Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker

As Zig Ziglar once said, "If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time."

Mindset is crucial to success. Intention drives results. Ultimately, you'll be served better by having a goal to aim for in your first year, rather than just aimlessly muddling through it.

2. Build a Strong Foundation

Before your commission checks comes in, you need a solid foundation. That begins with choosing the right brokerage.

In your search, look for a brokerage with a good reputation for providing mentorship, training, and lead generation support.

And don’t just stop at the brokerage for growth opportunities. Invest in yourself by pursuing a coaching program, taking an online course, or shadowing a top-producing agent. The more you can learn early in your career, the faster you’ll grow.

And remember that you need to be perceived as a reliable resource for potential clients. So, become an expert in your local market. Be sure you know the neighborhoods, price trends, and what buyers and sellers are dealing with today.

3. Ace Your Branding and Marketing Early

Awareness is key when you’re starting out. Without it, you can’t gain traction in your area and get business. People don’t know you or that you’re a real estate agent, so you need to put yourself out there.

Your first few deals are likely to come from your own existing network of friends, family, and acquaintances — your sphere of influence (SOI).

So, leverage that. Tell everyone you know that you’re in real estate. They’ll most likely know people who need an agent.

And when I say everyone, I mean everyone. Even service providers you work with on a routine basis, like your hairdresser, dogwalker, babysitter, doctor, dentist, and accountant, can all be in your SOI.

Don’t just make an announcement once. Keep up regular communication with your sphere via social media, email, etc. You can post updates and tips, share stories, send monthly check-in messages to stay visible without being pushy.

At the same time, build your brand and get your name and face out there in your community.

Brand-Building Actions for Real Estate Agents

Get professional headshots done
Set up a simple but polished website
Set up social media accounts, including a Google Business Profile
Define your specialty and your audience
Attend local events and business meetups

Remember, if you want to build strong connections in your community, authenticity is crucial. It builds trust, loyalty, and a more personal connection. So, be sure the image you’re putting out there is the real you, the one that potential clients are going to end up meeting in person.

Next, you’ll want to establish a comprehensive marketing strategy for the whole year.

That starts with setting a clear income goal and considering the steps you’ll need to take to achieve it. In this case, you want to make $100K in your first year in real estate.

So, try to put $100K in perspective. Let’s do some simple, hypothetical math. If your average commission is $6,000, then you’ll need to close around 17 transactions in a year (roughly 1-2 per month) to reach your income goal. It’s still a challenge, but it probably seems more manageable now, right?

Still, one transaction a month may seem difficult, but consider the seasons. You may find yourself closing more deals in the spring and summer – peak selling season – than in the slower fall and winter months.

You’ll need to craft a marketing plan that keeps those seasonal advantages and disadvantages in mind. Here’s how:

How Real Estate Agents Should Plan Their Seasonal Marketing Efforts

Adjust Your Approach: Use your knowledge of your market and seasonal trends to set monthly goals and adjust your outreach accordingly.
Lean into Peak Seasons: Ramp up marketing efforts, host more open houses, and double down on lead generation March–August when buyer demand is highest.
Stay Visible in Slower Months: Use fall and winter for farming and nurturing your database with holiday mailers, market updates, and community involvement.
Balance your Budget: Allocate more marketing dollars during the busy season but keep a steady campaign going year-round to maintain your brand presence.

With the right plan in place, seasonal dips will simply shift your focus, instead of slowing down your momentum.

4. Work Smart (and Stay Sane) with Systems

Successful agents make time every day for lead generation, like making calls, hosting open houses, running ads, and participating in community events.

Why is this so important? Because, if there’s one secret to a six-figure first year, it’s this: talk to more people every day.

And the key isn’t just reaching out — it’s following up.

Lead generation from consistent, value-driven outreach is crucial to scaling your business, but it's a lot of work.

If you want to scale, you'll need the right systems in place. Relying on willpower and memory alone to get things done is not a long-term strategy and it will hold you back.

Systems allow you to keep your momentum going, even when unexpected challenges arise.

Start by using a customer relationship management service (CRM) to stay organized and keep track of your leads.

Then, identify repetitive tasks, and find automation apps or tools that can streamline your processes to free up your time for what truly matters: building relationships and closing deals.

You can also time-block your day into categories, like lead gen, client meetings, admin, and continuing education. Keep yourself accountable the metrics (how many appointments set, calls made, listings won) and adjust your approach if something isn’t working.

Plus, did you know that you can even automate your client presentations! Create a winning presentation template that you can adjust for every client.

Having a standard presentation you can pull out whenever you need to prepare for an appointment will save you a lot of time. It will allow you to concentrate on customizing the presentation to your potential client and their market, rather than building it from scratch every time.

5. Don’t Sleep on Your Success

When you win that client and earn that first commission check, don’t get complacent. It’s time to celebrate, sure, but don’t fall into the trap of spending that money on the wrong things.

The smartest new agents reinvest in marketing, branding, assistance, and training — the things that fuel long-term success.

How Real Estate Agents Can Reinvest Their Commission In Their Business

Hire a transaction coordinator or virtual assistant
Upgrade headshots or listing photos
Deploy direct mail marketing campaigns
Run targeted digital ads
Obtain specialized certifications

Yes, survival is a priority in year one, but keep an eye on long-term sustainability, too.

Spend time on high-impact activities while scaling your business — and, with every closing, your confidence (and income) will grow.

It’s All About Hard Work — Not Good Luck

Making $100K in your first year in real estate is 100% achievable, as long as you recognize it’s about hard work, not good luck. Put yourself in the best position for success by consistently marketing yourself, employing systems to help you, and showing up as a true professional starting day one.

This is how you can make your own luck.

Ready to take control of your success? Start executing these steps, and watch your business take off.

And if you're looking for a real estate marketing company dedicated to getting you sustained growth in your career, RSP USA is here for you.

We’re writing more blog posts than ever to help agents like you achieve lasting success with both digital and print marketing. Check them out here — and be sure to bookmark the page to see what’s coming next!