There are about 130,000 REALTORS® in Canada.
That means 1 out of every 315 people is a REALTOR®.
MYTH ✅ It’s one of the most crowded professional spaces in the country.
In 2024, there were over 160,000 licensed realtors in Canada — nearly 1 for every 240 people.
→ REALTORS® are expected to prove their value.
→ And worse, to distance themselves from the worst examples of the profession in the public's mind.
But somehow, real estate is different.This is about what happens when numbers climb faster than standards…
…faster than support,
…faster than representation.A house of cards doesn’t fall because of weight —
It falls because of the gaps between the cards.
We need to:
That means 1 out of every 315 people is a REALTOR®.
MYTH ✅ It’s one of the most crowded professional spaces in the country.
REALITY ✅ It’s one of the most crowded professional spaces in the country.
In 2024, there were over 160,000 licensed realtors in Canada — nearly 1 for every 240 people.
Compare that to doctors (1 per 400) and lawyers (1 per 470) — and the weight of perception starts to tilt.
“There are too many REALTORS®.”
We’ve all heard it. Maybe even said it.
But when you look at the numbers, we’re not that far ahead of doctors, lawyers, or tradespeople.
The Numbers Say:
- 1 in 315 Canadians is a REALTOR®
- 1 in ~420 is a physician
- 1 in ~413 is a lawyer
→ REALTORS® are expected to prove their value.
→ And worse, to distance themselves from the worst examples of the profession in the public's mind.
So maybe the question isn’t how many of us there are… Maybe it’s: how many of us are showing our value — consistently and clearly — in a world where the worst of us often set the tone. Maybe the problem is a :
Perception Gap: The Public Sees the Signs, Not the Work
To the public, the job looks like:
- Instagram listings
- “Sold over asking!”
- Staging and suits
- No other profession celebrates every win and every job completion as a brag online.
But the real job includes:
- Risk management
- Emotional labour
- Contract law
- Navigating fragile family dynamics
- Protecting vulnerable buyers and sellers
We are perhaps the only industry that celebrates every hard won, hard fought, back breaking sometimes soul crushing "Closing" as though it were a lottery win. As if we did nothing to achieve that success... as if we simply walked in to it.
Here are the real Numbers ( Clearly....
its not just about the numbers)
We don’t need fewer professionals.... We need more Accountability.
We’re not that much more numerous than other essential professions.
So maybe the issue isn’t just the number of REALTORS® — it’s the noise, the barriers to entry, and the perceived value.We’re one of the only professions where every single job done well —
every successful outcome —has to be turned into a marketing campaign just to remind people that we’re good at our jobs. - This may not be about oversaturation. It may simply be about overstimulation.
- No other profession has to prove it this loud.
1. Population vs Realtors
- Population (2024 estimate): ~41.01 million people
- Number of Realtors (CREA members): ~130,000 active agents, brokers, salespeople
→ Ratio: approximately 1 REALTOR for every 315 Canadians.
🩺 2. Doctors in Canada
- ~97,384 physicians as of 2023 (≈243 per 100,000 population)
⚖️ 3. Lawyers in Canada
- Approximately 99,300 lawyers (≈254 per 100,000 population)
🔌 4. Electricians in Canada
- Around 38,950 electricians in Ontario alone
- Across Canada, there are ~27,098 businesses in electrical contracting (with 59% having 1–4 employees)
🪚 5. Carpenters in Canada
- Employment in carpentry is projected at ~132,000 (with 44,700 openings expected through 2033, including replacements)
📊 Quick Summary Table
ProfessionApprox. Number in CanadaPer Capita RatioREALTORS®130,0001:315 (Canadians)Physicians97,3841 per ~420 peopleLawyers99,3001 per ~413 peopleElectricians~38,950 (ON)—Electrical Businesses27,098—Carpenters132,000—
💡 INSIGHT
This isn’t about “too many REALTORS®. even though ...Everyone knows a REALTOR® they think shouldn’t have a license.But what if that’s exactly why the good ones have to be better, louder, and more professional than ever?No one says there are too many electricians, or too many doctors.But somehow, real estate is different.This is about what happens when numbers climb faster than standards…
…faster than support,
…faster than representation.A house of cards doesn’t fall because of weight —
It falls because of the gaps between the cards.
We need to: - Reposition real estate as a profession rooted in trust, not transaction.
- Showcase realtors who lead, advocate, and care — not just close.
- We all know those amazingly knowledgable realtors.
- Brokerage models that reward quantity over quality.