Real estate ranks near top for entry-level job growth

Real estate has become one of the fastest-growing industries for entry-level workers, according to LinkedIn, giving new graduates another path in a tight job market. The opening matters because many employers have slowed junior hiring, while property-related firms are still adding workers in roles tied to sales, development and housing demand.

LinkedIn ranked real estate as the second-fastest-growing sector for recent graduates over the past three years in an April guide for new workers, Fortune reported. The ranking covered people who recently completed high school, an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree or an apprenticeship.

The only category ahead of real estate was technology, information and media, according to LinkedIn. Real estate placed above financial services, utilities and construction, Fortune reported.

LinkedIn also named new home sales specialist the third-fastest-growing job in the United States in a separate 2026 report. Kory Kantenga, LinkedIn’s head of economics for the Americas, told Fortune that real estate is benefiting from hiring focused on revenue-generating work.

Kantenga said employers in the field are still investing in work connected to housing, commercial real estate development and infrastructure. He told Fortune that those areas continue to support hiring even as the broader labor market shows low momentum.

Flexible paths draw younger workers

Real estate may appeal to younger workers because many roles do not follow a fixed corporate track, Kantenga told Fortune. He said early-career professionals are increasingly open to freelance work, contracts, service jobs and side hustles.

The industry also relies heavily on networking and relationship-building, Kantenga told Fortune, which may offer some insulation from artificial intelligence disruption. He said real estate’s growth reflects a wider shift in how young workers are starting careers.

The field includes mortgage lending, property management, development and home sales, Fortune reported. Becoming an agent can have a relatively low barrier to entry because it does not require a college degree, though income can depend heavily on commissions.

One agent’s first year

Fernando “Fernie” Rodriguez became a real estate agent at Douglas Elliman Real Estate after graduating from Florida State University in 2020, Fortune reported. Rodriguez, now 28, studied economics and had worked summers at his father’s car dealership, but he told Fortune he did not know how to sell homes when he began.

Rodriguez spent about $300 and three months getting a Florida real estate license, then paid a sign-on fee to join the brokerage, according to Fortune. He started in luxury property sales in South Miami with the company’s Solis Chirino group.

His first deal was a duplex rental at $2,400 a month, which paid him $400 in commission, Rodriguez told Fortune. He then built business through cold calls, door-knocking and industry events.

By the end of his first year, Rodriguez earned $75,000, Fortune reported. That was above the national average salary of about $64,000 cited by Fortune from SoFi, though Rodriguez did not receive a formal salary or benefits from his employer.

Rodriguez told Fortune his income rose in later years. Last September, he moved to Douglas Elliman’s Eklund|Gomes Team, which Fortune described as a leading residential group with an annual average of more than $4 billion in deals across more than a dozen cities.

Commission work brings risk

Rodriguez warned Fortune that real estate is not a quick route to wealth. He said new agents must handle uncertain income, long hours and repeated outreach to potential clients.

He told Fortune that early in his career he had to keep expenses low while living on commissions. Rodriguez said he still puts part of his income into advertising and marketing.

Rodriguez also advised newcomers to find a mentor, telling Fortune that learning from experienced agents can speed up the process. He said persuasion and relationship skills are central to closing property deals, especially at higher prices.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.