The Young Real Estate Movement Nobody Saw Coming

I’ve been watching something fascinating unfold in real estate over the past year. The faces around me at industry events are getting younger. Much younger.

The data backs up what I’m seeing. Gen Z presence in real estate has quadrupled in 2024 according to NAR registration data. The median age of real estate agents dropped from 60 to 55 last year – the lowest since 2021.

This isn’t some minor blip. It’s a fundamental shift in who’s selling homes in America.

Why These Kids Are Actually Crushing It

What’s remarkable isn’t just that more young people are becoming agents – it’s how early they’re starting. Many are getting licensed at 18, the absolute minimum age. Others are pausing or skipping college entirely to jump into real estate.

Ten years ago, this would have been career suicide. Real estate was the domain of second-career professionals with established networks. The average new agent was in their 40s or 50s.

So what changed?

For one, social media leveled the playing field. A 20-year-old with savvy TikTok skills can now build a following and generate leads faster than a 50-year-old with a Rolodex of contacts. I’ve seen Gen Z agents create viral property tours that bring in buyer leads while established agents struggle to get their listings noticed.

Second, rising home prices have made real estate more attractive. With median home prices up 27% since 2020, commissions are bigger even on fewer transactions. When an 18-year-old can potentially make six figures without a college degree, that’s a compelling alternative to student loans.

The Old Guard Isn’t Ready

Traditional brokerages are struggling to adapt. Their training programs were designed for career-changers with business experience, not digital natives straight out of high school.

The generational disconnect is real. I recently spoke with a 19-year-old agent who closed 12 deals in her first year. When I asked how, she said: “I just posted consistently on three platforms and engaged with my audience like actual humans.”

This sounds obvious to her generation but revolutionary to brokers who still think newspaper ads and bus benches are essential marketing.

What’s more, these young agents aren’t playing by the old rules. They’re building personal brands independently of their brokerages. They’re creating content, not just collecting business cards. They’re focused on audience building, not just database management.

What This Means For The Future

The rise of Gen Z in real estate will transform how business gets done in three major ways:

First, education in real estate will need a complete overhaul. Young agents don’t need to learn how to use Instagram – they need guidance on converting social engagement into actual transactions. They need help with the human skills of negotiation and relationship management that come less naturally in a digital-first world.

Second, team structures will evolve. We’re already seeing Gen Z agents partnering with experienced agents in ways that leverage both digital savvy and industry wisdom. The lone wolf agent model is dying, replaced by strategic partnerships across generational lines.

Third, client expectations are changing. As younger agents dominate, clients will expect more digital services, more transparency, and more constant communication. The 9-to-5 agent with a fax machine is officially extinct.

The Opportunity Is Massive

Despite rule changes affecting commissions, real estate agents still generated $48 billion in revenue in Q3 last year. The pie is huge, and these young agents are helping to grow it, not just taking slices from established professionals.

For brokerages and team leaders willing to adapt, this youth movement represents an unprecedented opportunity. Those who can effectively recruit, train, and retain Gen Z talent will have an insurmountable advantage in coming years.

I’ve completely revamped my own coaching approach in response to this trend. What worked for new agents five years ago is almost entirely irrelevant to what an 18-year-old needs today.

The fundamentals of real estate haven’t changed. People still need help buying and selling homes. Relationships still matter. Expertise still has value.

But how we deliver that value? That’s being reinvented by a generation of agents who see possibility where others see problems.

The future belongs to those who can bridge the gap – helping young agents develop the skills they need while learning from their natural digital fluency.

The real estate old guard can fight this change or embrace it.

I suggest embracing it.

Because this young real estate movement? It’s just getting started.