Real estate agent income in Ontario varies enormously. The median full-time agent earns $75,000-$100,000 per year in 2026, but the distribution is heavily right-skewed: the top 20% earn more than $200,000, while the bottom 30% earn under $40,000.
New agents in their first year typically earn under $40,000. The first year is when most agents quit — they underestimate the time-to-first-commission (usually 4-6 months from registration), the cost of running a real estate business, and the volume of cold outreach required to build a client base.
After year three, most surviving agents stabilize in the $75,000-$150,000 range. Top producers — agents who close 30+ deals per year — earn $200,000 to $500,000 depending on average deal size. Top producers in luxury markets (Toronto, Oakville, Niagara-on-the-Lake) regularly exceed $1 million.
Income depends heavily on three factors: brokerage commission split (60/40 to 95/5 are common ranges), local market average sale price, and how many deals you close per year. A 70/30 split agent in Toronto closing 15 deals per year on $1M average sale price earns roughly $130,000 before expenses.
After expenses (brokerage fees, marketing, insurance, board dues, MLS, vehicle, taxes), most agents net 50-65% of gross commission. Plan for self-employment income — there is no salary, no employer benefits, and no paid time off in real estate.