What Degree Do You Need for Real Estate Agent Careers?

You can find plenty of opportunities in the real estate industry. More than 360,000 real estate brokerages exist in the United States, and the agents working within them sold over 4 million homes in 2023 [1]. The job outlook for real estate agents is positive, and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects demand to grow around 2 percent through 2033 [2].

The ability to start a real estate career without needing a degree is one of the reasons it’s such a popular field. In most states, you can qualify for a license after taking a prelicensing course and passing a state exam—a process that typically takes a few months to complete. Yet, most real estate agents in the US have a college degree, which suggests you may find it useful to have one.

Let's explore who should go to college for real estate careers and the best degree for real estate agents.

Build job-ready skills with a Coursera Plus subscription

Start 7-day free trial

• Get access to 10,000+ learning programs from world-class universities and companies, including Google, Yale, Salesforce, and more
• Try different courses and find your best fit at no additional cost
• Earn certificates for learning programs you complete
• A subscription price of $59/month, cancel anytime

Start 7-day free trial

Read more: What Is a Real Estate Agent? Your Career Guide

Real estate careers that require a degree

Careers in real estate include jobs that involve interacting directly with clients (like sales agents, loan officers, and property managers) and behind-the-scenes positions (like broker, broker assistant, and appraiser). Typically, you do not need a degree to pursue these jobs—but you will need one for specific roles like real estate attorney, real estate accountant, or urban planner.

However, keep in mind that the knowledge and skills you learn while earning a degree can be beneficial. For example, as a communications major, you have opportunities to build teamwork, marketing, and public speaking skills. As a sales agent, you also need to work with others—agents, other professionals, and clients—and know how to get their attention and present information to them. You may find a business degree beneficial if your career plan includes overseeing a brokerage.

Read more: How to Get Your Real Estate Agent License

Real estate degree vs. real estate license

A real estate license—like many professional licenses—is a credential that allows you to work as a sales agent or broker. Your state government decides what you must do to earn the license, such as taking courses or passing a licensing exam.

Meanwhile, a real estate degree comes from a school. To earn a degree, you must complete the coursework required for the major—requirements the school determines. You can earn a real estate degree at the associate, bachelor's, and master's levels.

Should you go to college for real estate?

The decision to go to college for real estate depends on your interests and plans. When you take college courses, you have opportunities to learn information and develop skills that you can use in your day-to-day work with clients, and some companies prefer hiring sales agents with a degree. You'll also be able to start building a professional network that includes potential business associates, mentors, and clients who may later help you advance your career.

Of course, going to college for real estate may mean you have to delay starting your career. Instead of attending classes, you could learn the business, close deals, and make money.

What is the best degree for a real estate agent?

The most suitable degree for a real estate agent is one that helps you develop the skills and knowledge you need to be successful in the field. Here is a closer look at how the coursework of different majors applies to real estate. 

Accounting

Coursework for accounting degrees typically includes topics like auditing, cost accounting, financial accounting, and taxation. You also should have opportunities to learn how to use finance and accounting software and practice problem-solving. As a sales agent, broker, or property manager who needs to keep financial records, you can use the information you learn in these courses, like financial reporting and spreadsheets.

Read more: Accounting Degrees: Courses, Careers, Salaries

Business

Business majors take a number of courses designed to help you learn how to oversee the operations of a business—in this case, a brokerage or your own work as a self-employed sales agent. You'll take courses on entrepreneurship, business law, accounting, and financial management that typically come up during your daily work in real estate. Some schools offer real estate as a concentration for business majors, so you can examine how broad business concepts work in the real estate industry.

Read more: Types of Business Degrees: Guide

Education

As an education major, you have plenty of opportunities to develop communication skills, both written and verbal. You'll use these skills as a real estate agent when you talk with clients, write property descriptions, and create marketing materials for your business. You have to learn to speak and write clearly and ensure your clients understand what you're saying. Courses in an education program often focus on other valuable skills like critical thinking, teamwork, and management.

Finance

If your real estate plans include development and investment or mortgage lending, you may prefer a degree in finance. As a finance major, you can take courses in investment, financial markets, mergers and acquisitions, and financial modeling that help you learn how to analyze a property's financial risks and rewards and choose development projects. Some schools offer a finance degree program with a concentration in real estate. 

Ready to start exploring? Take a look at online finance degrees and MBA programs.

Marketing

If you plan to work as a sales agent, broker, or property manager, you will likely spend time marketing your services and available properties to potential sellers. As a marketing major, you explore topics that apply to your work, like consumer behavior, professional selling, customer relationship management, and marketing strategy. You'll also have opportunities to study best practices and effective strategies for connecting with clients and crafting marketing materials.

Read more: Marketing Degree Requirements: Your Guide

Psychology

The concepts about human behavior you learn in psychology classes—cognitive processes, perception, social psychology, and more—can be helpful in your real estate career. Buying and selling property tends to be an emotional experience for many people, and understanding how people think and learning how to recognize patterns of behavior can help you manage your interactions and help meet your client's needs.

Real estate management

Some schools offer real estate and business degrees with a concentration on real estate. Designed to prepare you for a career in real estate, these programs include courses in real estate fundamentals, asset management, negotiation, and more. An advantage of these programs is that you can take part in a practical, real-world real estate project to learn more about the industry.

Getting started in real estate

No matter where you are in your real estate career, you can find on Coursera degree programs, courses, and more that can help you develop the skills and knowledge you need. You can pursue a bachelor's degree like the Bachelor of Science in General Business from the University of North Texas, which offers courses in accounting, marketing, and professional communication. If you already have a degree and want to build skills you can use in your real estate career, consider the Keller Williams Real Estate Agent Professional Certificate. Some skills you'll learn from this program include contract negotiation, housing market conditions, working with sellers, and more.