Realtors in Utah may have one of the worst jobs.

The Wall Street Journal ranked the best and worst jobs of 2010.  It ranked a Real Estate agent as 146 out of 200 jobs.  It is not as bad as a garbage collector, shoe maker or disk jockey.  It is not that bad but close.  Five factors were considered when they gathered their rankings.  The factors were environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands and stress.

I agree the market looks slow but us Realtors can sell bank foreclosures can't we?  The market has become increasingly competitive.  I was telling my partner when I started Real Estate 15 years ago in Utah County things were much different.  If I called a for sale by owner they usually only experience a few other Realtors contacting them.  Now if you call a for sale by owner they have seriously been contacted perhaps 20-30 times by Realtors in the past week.  This makes getting a for sale by owner listing in Utah County much harder to get.  I have heard of some agents offering to list a home for free if they were promise to buy a home with the same agent.  That program won't last long.  Perhaps the agent should offer to list the home for a few bags of leftover groceries. 




I called the Utah County Association of Realtors this morning and was told we have around 1,400 Realtors in Utah County.  This is down from 2,300 last fall.  Wow!  In the good old day the fees to be a Realtor were quite cheap.  I think they have gone up like 5 times what they once were.  It is not cheap to pay the MLS, board, national, risco dues and francise fees.  Once all the fees are paid hopefully their is money left to pay the agent.  Every year the fees seem to go up. 

Personally, I love looking at homes, evaluating homes, helping home buyers and home sellers buy or sell.  I love my job even though everyone thinks it stinks.  Sure it is more competitive and harder to make money but that is okay.  Our team managed to sell 52 homes in Utah County last year.  We are surviving.  I am use to selling around 90 homes in the glory days (2004, 2005, 2006).  Times have changed for many Realtors.  I am getting used to drinking tap water for dinner instead of that fancy sparkling water.

The Wall Street Journal claims starting Realtors make about $21,000, midlevel $40,000 and top level $102,000.  This is a national estimate of what a Realtor makes.  I get calls once in a while with people wanting to get into Real Estate and thinking they can make a ton of money.  It is more challenging than one many think.  I have only one requirement for those that want to join the business whether they are Mormon or not.  Get a one year food storage.  You may need it.  

I think I have one of the best jobs in Utah County.  I love it and will keep selling for another 15 years even if I have to drink tap water.


Welcome to my Utah County Real Estate blog!  We are located  in Mapleton, Utah.  Our team combines proven traditional real estate practices and represents the leading edge in the future of real estate marketing by merging internet technologies, service, communication, information and analysis with those traditional practices to provide our clients with an exceptional real estate experience and superior marketing.

Paul Teasdale, Principal Broker
ABR, CRS, e-PRO, QSC, Finance  BYU
15 Years Experience, 775+ Homes Sold
Team Teasdale Realty, Utah County Real Estate
Phone: 801-491-7653