Choosing a Realtor is one of the most important decisions you will make when buying or selling a home. Most people look at reviews, personality, years in the business, marketing, or whether an agent seems knowledgeable. All of those things matter.
But there is another question I believe every homeowner should ask: “How many homes does this Realtor actually sell each year?”
Real estate is a business where experience matters, but experience should not only be measured by how long someone has held a license. There is a major difference between an agent who has been licensed for 10 years and sells 4 to 10 homes per year and an agent who is actively involved in more than 100 transactions every year.
The more transactions an agent handles, the more situations they experience, the more problems they solve, and the better prepared they become to protect their clients.
The Typical Realtor Sells Far Fewer Homes Than You May Think
According to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2026 Member Profile, the typical individual REALTOR® completed just nine transaction sides in 2025, with brokerage specialists generating a median sales volume of approximately $2.7 million.
That means the typical agent is involved in less than one closed transaction per month. NAR’s research also found that agents with six or more years of experience had a median of approximately 10 transaction sides and about $3 million in annual sales volume.
Compare that with my business. I have sold more than 100 homes per year for six consecutive years. On transaction count alone, that is more than 10 times the annual production of the typical individual REALTOR® reported by NAR.
Why should that matter to you? Because every transaction creates experience that can be applied to the next client.
More Transactions Mean More Real-World Experience
There are things you simply cannot learn in a real estate class.
You learn them by negotiating offers. You learn them when an appraisal comes in low. You learn them when an inspection discovers an unexpected problem. You learn them when a buyer gets cold feet, a lender creates a last-minute issue, an appraisal is delayed, a title problem appears, or a deal is hours away from falling apart.
An agent handling a handful of transactions each year may encounter some of these situations occasionally. An agent closing 100+ homes per year encounters them constantly.
Over time, you begin recognizing problems before they become problems. That experience allows me to tell a client, “I’ve dealt with this before. Here’s what we need to do.” And when hundreds of thousands of dollars are on the line, that matters.
A High-Volume Realtor Has More Current Market Data
Real estate markets can change quickly. The strategy that worked six months ago may not be the strategy that works today. Interest rates change. Buyer demand changes. Inventory changes. Negotiation strategies change. An active Realtor is seeing the market happen in real time.
When you’re consistently writing offers, reviewing offers, attending inspections, negotiating appraisals, communicating with lenders, and closing transactions, you develop a much clearer understanding of what buyers and sellers are actually doing right now.
I don’t have to base my advice solely on what I’m reading about the market. I’m participating in it every day. That gives my clients an advantage when determining how aggressively to price a home, how much negotiating room exists, which terms matter to buyers, and what it may take to win a home in a competitive situation.
Negotiation Gets Better With Repetition
Negotiation is one of the biggest reasons your choice of Realtor matters. When selling a home, the highest offer is not always the best offer. Financing, appraisal guarantees, inspection terms, occupancy, concessions, closing timelines, contingencies, and the buyer’s overall strength can dramatically change the quality of an offer. The same applies when representing a buyer.
Getting an offer accepted is only one part of the negotiation. There may still be inspections, repairs, appraisal issues, concessions, possession terms, and other obstacles before closing. The more negotiations an agent handles, the better they become at understanding leverage.
After hundreds of transactions, you start recognizing patterns. You know when to push. You know when to hold your ground. And, equally important, you know when winning a small negotiating point could jeopardize a much larger goal.
More Closings Create a Bigger Professional Network
Real estate is rarely a one-person job. A transaction can involve lenders, title companies, inspectors, appraisers, contractors, photographers, attorneys, municipalities, insurance agents, and many other professionals. An agent who sells a high number of homes naturally develops a much larger network. When something needs to happen quickly, having relationships with reliable professionals can make an enormous difference.
Need a contractor to evaluate something discovered during an inspection? Need a lender to explain a financing issue? Need a title question answered quickly?
After hundreds of transactions, you learn who answers the phone, who solves problems, and who you can trust when your client needs help.
Consumers Still Rely Heavily on Real Estate Agents
Even with Zillow, online home searches, automated valuations, social media, and countless real estate websites, consumers continue to rely overwhelmingly on professional representation.
NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that 88% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker, while 91% of sellers used a real estate agent. Sellers specifically identified marketing their property, pricing it competitively, and selling within a desired timeframe among their top priorities when selecting an agent.
If you are going to hire a professional to handle one of your largest financial assets, I believe you should know how much experience that professional is getting in today’s market.
Experience Should Be Measured in Transactions, Not Just Years
There are many great Realtors, and transaction volume certainly isn’t the only factor you should consider when choosing one. But it should be a major one.
Ask prospective agents: ‘How many homes did you personally sell last year?’ Not their brokerage. Not their office. Not their team. Them.
There is an enormous difference between being around real estate transactions and personally navigating them.
For six consecutive years, I have sold 100+ homes per year. That level of production has given me experience across hundreds of negotiations, inspections, appraisals, challenging transactions, different market conditions, and unique client situations. Every one of those transactions makes me better prepared for the next one.
Who You Hire Matters
Buying or selling a home is too important to leave to someone who practices real estate occasionally. You want someone who knows the market, understands how to negotiate, recognizes problems early, has the resources to solve them, and has successfully navigated those situations repeatedly. When you’re interviewing Realtors, don’t just ask how long they’ve been in real estate. Ask how much real estate they actually do. The answer could make a significant difference in your experience and ultimately, your results.
Thinking about buying or selling a home in Michigan?
Contact me to discuss your goals and build a strategy for your next move. 248-762-9186
