Viral data circulating online has led many to question the necessity of the real estate profession and the stability of the housing market.
The claim? Roughly 70% of real estate agents did not sell a single home in 2025.
The origin of the 70% figure
While resurfacing as data for 2025, the statistic first gained traction in 2024. However, the figure did not originate from official National Association of Realtors data. Instead, it came from a comment made by a Redfin executive at Inman Connect trade conference, according to BAM, a real estate trade media outlet.
The 70% figure includes every “active” license registered in the Multiple Listing Service. This includes part-time workers, referral-only agents and administrators who maintain a license but are not actively trying to sell homes, according to BAM.
In contrast, the National Association of Realtors Member Profile, which surveys members who pay dues specifically to be active in the business, tells a different story. According to the 2025 NAR Member Profile, which shows data for the 2024 calendar year, the median active professional successfully closed 10 deals. Only 5% of agents registered with NAR specializing in residential sales reported zero transactions.
The 2025 ‘update’
Official National Association of Realtors data regarding real estate agent success rates for the full 2025 calendar year have not yet been released. Despite this, the “70%” claim has recirculated as a 2025 statistic.
While specific agent success rates for 2025 are still in the works, a 2026 Redfin report highlighted several nationwide housing trends from 2025.
The report found that home prices reached another all-time high in 2025 and home sales remained at historic lows. On the bright side, mortgage rates steadily dropped throughout the year in the U.S. and all-cash purchases also remained at an all-time high.
The average home took just over a month and a half to sell on the market.
If the 70% failure rate were accurate, the median number of closed deals in official reports would be near zero. Instead, the data suggests that while the market is still difficult, full-time professionals are still closing deals.
The Utah housing market
The Utah market largely mirrored national trends. According to recent Redfin data, Utah home sales saw slight improvements over the previous year despite a slower overall pace.
For the Utah housing market, the median sale price hit $577,000, a price up from the previous year. Average homes took 66 days to sell in 2025, a number up from 58 the year before, according to the data.
Overall sales volume for Utah home sales in December 2025 was 3,238, which was a 7.1% increase from December 2024, and by the end of the year, there was a 15% jump in homes for sale in the Beehive State.
Ultimately, homes are still selling. The viral “70% failure” narrative may make for a good headline, but it fails to distinguish between casual Realtor license holders and career professionals making sales nationwide.