Estate agents have seen their earnings fall behind inflation over the past decade, despite sharp increases in pay over the last two years.
New analysis by eXp UK suggests that average annual earnings growth across the estate agency sector has consistently struggled to match the rising cost of living.
Using Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, the self-employed agency network found that earnings increased by an average of 2.8% annually over the past decade.
However, inflation averaged 3.6% over the same period, eroding the purchasing power of agents’ earnings.
The gap widened over the past five years. Average earnings growth reached 3.5% annually, compared with inflation of 5.1%.
According to the research, earnings growth outpaced inflation in just four of the past 10 years.
Estate agency earnings rise to £44,259
The latest figures show average gross annual earnings in the estate agency sector increased by 5.9% to £44,259 in 2026.
That followed a 15.8% increase in 2025.
However, the recent improvements have not erased the longer-term gap between earnings growth and inflation.
The figures include basic salaries, bonuses, commission and other incentive payments.
They also cover the wider estate agency sector rather than individual negotiators or specific job roles.
eXp points to self-employed agency model
Adam Day, head of eXp UK and Europe, said the findings highlight the financial pressures facing agents.
He commented: “Recent improvements in earnings will have proved too little, too late for many agents who have spent years seeing their income struggle to keep pace with the rising cost of living.
“Of course, commission plays an important role in an agent’s earning potential and the best performing agents will have seen a stronger rate of earnings.”
Day argued that the proportion of commission agents retain can vary significantly between traditional employment and self-employed business models.
He added: “With this in mind, it’s hardly surprising that the self-employed model continues to appeal to ambitious agents looking to carve out their own businesses.
“It provides the opportunity to take greater control of their careers, retain a larger proportion of the commission they generate and, ultimately, maximise the financial rewards of their own hard work.”
However, the research does not compare the net earnings of employed and self-employed agents. Nor does it account for the additional business costs and financial risks associated with self-employment.
The analysis uses ONS earnings data for real estate agencies between 2015 and 2026, alongside Consumer Prices Index inflation figures.
The 2026 inflation figure reflects the average recorded so far this year.
