How much do real estate agents make in Richmond, VA?

The honest answer is “it depends on how many deals you close.” Federal data puts the median Richmond-area real estate sales agent at $64,850 a year (mean $73,350), but that survey leaves out self-employed agents, which most agents are. In practice your income is your gross commission income (GCI) minus your brokerage split, cap and fees, minus your own business costs. A full-time Richmond agent closing 20 deals a year with $200,000 GCI can net well into six figures before business expenses and taxes; a part-time agent closing three deals won’t come close.

Brave Search’s AI answer, captured Nov. 3, 2026 (Google’s AI Overview blocked our automated capture today), says: “Real estate agent salaries in Richmond, VA vary significantly by source and role, typically ranging from $47,000 to $157,000 annually.” It cites estimates from $47,213 (Salary.com) to $84,903 (ZipRecruiter), $116,574 (Indeed) and a $157,183 median total pay from Glassdoor.

That spread is exactly the point. I’m Daniel Keeton, Broker and Founder of Keeton & Co, and I recruit agents, so I’m biased. Here’s how to read those numbers and what drives yours.

What does the government data say Richmond agents make?

Occupation, Richmond, VA metro (May 2025)	Median annual wage	Mean annual wage
Real estate sales agents	$64,850	$73,350
Real estate brokers	$75,300	$97,680
All occupations	$51,460	$68,400

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Richmond, VA, May 2025, checked Nov. 3, 2026. For comparison, BLS shows a $59,880 median for agents in the Lynchburg metro; it doesn’t publish a wage for Charlottesville agents.

The catch: BLS says plainly that its OEWS survey doesn’t include the self-employed (OEWS FAQ). Most agents are independent contractors, so these figures mostly reflect salaried or W-2 roles. The salary-site numbers in the AI answer have their own problems: they’re often built from job ads and self-reported pay.

Ignore averages. Ask any brokerage you’re interviewing for the actual distribution of agent income at their firm, with a disclaimer, in writing.

How do real estate agents actually get paid?

Agents earn commission, not salary. Here’s the chain:

Step	What happens
1. Commission	The fee negotiated with your buyer or seller
2. Brokerage split	Your brokerage keeps a share (for example 30% on a 70/30 split) until you hit a cap, if there is one
3. Fees	Per-deal fees, transaction coordination, E&O, desk or tech fees
4. Business costs	Marketing, MLS and association dues, licensing, car, phone
5. Taxes	As a 1099 contractor, you pay self-employment tax and estimated taxes

Your GCI is step 1 added up for the year. Net income is what’s left after step 5.

What does a Richmond agent take home on 20 deals?

Here’s what our published plan costs a 20-deal agent with $200,000 GCI, about $10,000 per deal:

Line	Amount
Gross commission income	$200,000
Annual cap (split stops here)	−$20,000
Post-cap transaction fees (6 × $200)	−$1,200
Transaction coordination (20 × $387)	−$7,740
E&O and office fees	$0
Agent nets from the brokerage	$171,060, plus a $3,000 President’s Club trip

That’s before your own marketing, dues and taxes. Every brokerage’s math is different, so run your own last 12 months through each plan you’re considering. Our guide on how to compare brokerage plans with your last 12 months shows you how.

What separates a $40,000 agent from a $200,000 agent?

Factor	Lower-earning agents	Higher-earning agents
Lead flow	Waits for referrals	Has a system: sphere, open houses, brokerage leads, past clients
Follow-up	Calls once	Follows up for months, on a schedule
Listings	Mostly buyers	A healthy share of listings
Support	Does every task alone	Uses TC, listing coordination and showing help
Time	Part-time or unstructured	Treats it like a business with set hours

In Richmond, the metro’s median sale price was $429,845 over the past 12 months (Keeton & Co analysis of CVR MLS data), and homes went under contract in a median 10 days. Price points are high enough that a steady pipeline of deals adds up fast.

How long does it take a new agent to make money?

Plan on a slow first few months. Deals take time to find, and then 30 to 45 days to close, and you don’t get paid until closing. Save several months of living expenses before you go full time, and pick a brokerage with real training and mentoring. Our guide to what a new Virginia agent’s first year should look like lays it out.

Why do agents grow their income at Keeton & Co?

• Pros: a $20,000 annual cap at every level of our Individual plan, then 100% with a $200 fee; no E&O or office fees; in-house transaction and listing coordination; an ISA team that sets 300+ appointments a month (with the Leads plan); and offices in Glen Allen, Charlottesville and Lynchburg
• Trade-offs: some cloud models have lower caps, and we’re a regional firm, not a national brand

Across the firm, our top 10% of agents average $180,000 net, and last year’s top earner netted $476,000. Results vary, and past results don’t guarantee future earnings. As a company, we closed 706 homes in the 12 months ending October 2026 (4,200+ all-time), with over 1,600 five-star Google reviews. RealTrends ranked us for 2025 with 718 sides and $295.32 million in volume.

Brand new? Start with new agents or getting licensed. Already licensed? See our plans or contact us for a confidential conversation. Call 804-373-2223.

BLS wage data: May 2025 OEWS, Richmond, VA metro, accessed Nov. 3, 2026. Salary-site figures as quoted in Brave Search’s AI answer, captured Nov. 3, 2026; we didn’t independently verify them. Keeton & Co figures from our published plan and agent-earnings disclosure as of Nov. 3, 2026. Individual results vary. Written by Daniel Keeton, Broker & Founder. Updated Nov. 3, 2026.