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ActiveRain Members - Are We Experienced or What?

By
Real Estate Agent with Chuck Willman 9334967-SA00

I don't know how many of you have followed the many articles dealing with aging in the modern workforce. Maybe it's a non-issue for some of you for reasons that I will share later.

There's an excellent article from the Harvard Business Review titled "How Do We Combat Ageism? By Valuing Wisdom as Much as Youth" Its author, Chip Conley, states "Although the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967 prohibits discrimination against people 40 and older, a recent survey by AARP showed that two-thirds of workers between the ages of 45 and 74 said they have seen or experienced ageism."

Although we've celebrated the world wide web's 30th birthday recently, the average tech worker was unlikely to have had any experience using the early Internet. Either they weren't born yet or were still trying to master the toddler environment:

Median age of employees working at selected tech and online companies as of April 2016. (Source: Statistic.com)

 

AOL: 27
Facebook: 28
LinkedIn: 29
Salesforce: 29
Google: 30
Apple: 31
Amazon: 31
Ebay: 32
Adobe: 33
Microsoft: 33

 

I work in real estate. Some would say that we have been slow to adopt technology while others have celebrated how we've embraced technology, making it possible to know more about a home before you actually step foot inside.


Also, the average person who practices real estate probably remembers the birth of the Internet.They were likely old enough to vote, go to war, or raise a glass to the invention.

Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey
https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11b.htm

 

Real estate brokers and sales agents: 48.9

Property, real estate, and community association managers: 49.8

Appraisers and assessors of real estate: 51.4

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So... if you are a person visiting this place to find a real estate professional you've probably noticed something. As you look at the faces on ActiveRain you may wonder if we're a bit on the autumn side of life. It's probably because we're the typical faces of the industry.

If, however you're a newcomer who comes to this site to participate as a member of the industry, welcome! We all were all new at one point. Hang around this place. Profit from the experience of those who have done a deal or two. Also, share your observations; you'll find that we tend to be a group who is forever interested in learning from those whose experience will enhance our own.

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Bonus Statistic- Although this post has been about age, let's also discuss gender. According to the latest statistics from the National Association of Realtors, the average real estate agent is more likely to be female (63%). 

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Chuck Willman helps people buy and sell real estate in the state of Utah.
www.utahhomes.me

 

Photo by Pascal Habermann on Unsplash

Comments(41)

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Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Chuck, this is interesting, and was thinking the average age of a real estate agent was in the 50's, must have gone down.

Apr 03, 2019 03:16 PM
Chuck Willman

Joan Cox - it depends on the data source. The latest National Association of Realtors survey backs you up, as they say "The typical REALTOR® is a 54-year-old white female who attended college and is a homeowner."

Apr 03, 2019 04:42 PM
Monica Hill
RE/Max Associates - Wilmington, DE
the REALTOR to help you discover Delaware

Interesting post, Chuck! We need to be mindful of the wisdom we bring to the table and open to learning new techniques so that we remain current with our younger clientele. 

May 19, 2019 06:42 AM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Thanks to everyone who has left thoughtful comments on this post.

Aug 19, 2019 07:40 AM
Kris Collis, Associate Broker
Smart Way America Realty - East Stroudsburg, PA
Professional Results you Expect 570-801-5525

Chuck Willman UtahHomes.me   I am late to this party.  Am fascinated by your statistics. It's a generational thing.  

Do you remember the boomer who said, "don't trust anyone over 30."

Dec 05, 2019 07:44 PM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

I am so with Kris Collis, Associate Broker  yes some of those guys are still rockers and are in their mid 70's:))))))))Endre

Dec 05, 2019 10:38 PM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Kris Collis, Associate Broker   and Endre Barath, Jr. ... it appears that our experience is being put to good use in this field.

Dec 07, 2019 10:40 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

We might have a mixed bag more now, But I have learned so much being on here through the years.

Dec 27, 2019 10:57 PM
Michael J. Perry
Fathom Realty - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster, PA Relo Specialist

I think the Appraiser Average age in our State (PA) is closer to 65 !!!!

Dec 28, 2019 03:38 AM
Chuck Willman

Michael J. Perry - I've not looked it up, but the county I'm working in appears to mirror your experience.

Dec 28, 2019 07:28 PM
Carla Freund
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC
NC Real Estate Transition & Relocation 919-602-848

Chuck, this is very interesting. I think some of the young tech guys get burned out or can only go so far. I wonder where they go after they leave their tech jobs. I suspect some people get laid off from tech because their salaries get to be too high. As for Real Estate, you can work in this field for a long time but, who knows how long that will last. I think the Real Estate average age has gone down because our industry is changing. There are young kids coming out of college and killing it in Real Estate. We're turning into more of a tech world and Real Estate is changing fast. I think we have to change with it or the average age will go down sooner than later.

Dec 28, 2019 05:20 AM
Chuck Willman

Carla Freund - you summed this up in a way that I hoped I could. Every point- nail on the head.

Dec 28, 2019 07:27 PM
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

Hi Chuck,
Do you know what my worry is? The age of appraisers.  The appraisers I know are retiring because of the increased regulations and demands of their business... along with a push down on their rates.  There isn't an adequate supply of new appraisers coming into the industry and I shutter thinking of the day appraisals are done based on some algorithm. 

Dec 28, 2019 07:31 AM
Chuck Willman

Carol Williams I'm right there with you! We have the same issue here.

Dec 28, 2019 07:24 PM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

I think it's good to be in an industry that can age with you, like a fine wine.  This way you never get bored and you keep learning and that experience is a huge asset.

Dec 28, 2019 08:46 AM
Chuck Willman

Debbie Gartner - isn't this how it should be? Experience should matter and this industry is always evolving- it's easy to stay interested.

Dec 28, 2019 07:25 PM
John Henry, Florida Architect
John Henry Masterworks Design International, Inc. - Orlando, FL
Residential Architect, Luxury Custom Home Design

Very interesting statistics, but scary.  The people who are running technology in this country are too young to know where the repercussions of their decisions may take them. AI can lead to a dangerous future, for example.  Those who are drinking the cool aide in the largest quantities are forming our technological future.  I am not happy with that.

Dec 29, 2019 04:23 AM
Chuck Willman

Elon Musk sees AI as the biggest dangers of all technology currently.

Dec 29, 2019 07:10 AM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Wishing many thinnks to the folks who showed up in this post to make such good comments.

Jan 11, 2020 06:18 AM
Joy Daniels
Joy Daniels Real Estate Group, Ltd. - Harrisburg, PA

What an interesting post.  I am going to read the Harvard Review article with my husband.  I am 57 (soon 58) and he is 68, so we are definitely above the average real estate age.  We have filled out Agency with younger people that work with the social media, technology issues, or assist with their young ideas.  We definitely have a mix of ages and have learned the value of multiple ages blending together.  

 

No man was ever so completely skilled in the conduct of life, as not to receive new information from age and experience.

Jan 26, 2020 12:26 PM
Chuck Willman

I love the Jonathan Swift quote as well as the welcoming all comment. There is such strength in being an ever-learning professional 

Jan 26, 2020 02:06 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Chuck:

I really enjoyed your post and there are some great points here. The numbers for the tech sector do not surprise me in the least (nor the real estate data, either). There are plenty of agents I know, including many here, who have tremendous work and life experience. And most that I know are continuing to learn and grow, even if they have been in the business for a while.

Jeff

Mar 02, 2020 03:05 PM
Cari Edwards
People Are My Priority! 619-634-5011 - San Diego, CA
Mobile Notary + Certified Loan Signing Specialist

I appreciate this post and definitely see the value of learning and growing from each other's experiences and knowledge.   As the "low person on the totem pole" (At least, when it comes to the real estate structure), I find that learning how all the parts work together in the real estate/broker/escrow world  has helped me tremendously in my own respective niche in the industry.  I'm new to this site but will stick around to gain knowledge and insight!

Feb 26, 2022 10:53 AM
Eileen Burns 954.483.3912

Welcome to Active Rain Cari Edwards How did you hear about us?  Please plan to join us every Tuesday at 2pm eastern where we zoom and members present on a topic of interest to our industry.  

Jul 04, 2023 06:59 AM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Cari Edwards - greetings! There is so much to this industry, but fortunately there are many in this industry who will willingly share the things they've learned over the years.

Feb 26, 2022 03:28 PM
Eileen Burns 954.483.3912
Trans State Commercial Realty Inc. - Fort Lauderdale, FL
FLorida Real Estate Connector

Chuck Willman thanks for the blog post.  I too find the ActiveRain forum one of the best in the industry.  Always learning and growing.  Interesting to visit weekly our rainships across the country to see what is going on in their markets.😎  New or seasoned agents have an equal voice here in the Rain

Jul 04, 2023 07:03 AM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

Thanks Eileen- I agree with that; this is a great place for all curious folks (new or seasoned).

Jul 05, 2023 07:40 AM
Chuck Willman
Chuck Willman - Alpine, UT
NewHouseUtah.com

This trend does not appear to be turning downward- latest statistics are so similar to previous years.

Sep 22, 2023 03:03 PM