How Many REALTORS® Are There in Canada?
There are roughly 160,000 REALTORS® in Canada — members of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) — spread across more than 75 local boards and associations. The number fluctuates with the market and has trended upward through the 2020s. Not every licensed real estate professional is a REALTOR®: the title is reserved for CREA members, while licensing itself is provincial.
In Ontario, the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) registers approximately 100,000 real estate salespersons and brokers as of recent annual reports — the largest provincial cohort in the country.
REALTOR® vs. licensed real estate agent
All REALTORS® are licensed real estate professionals, but not all licensed professionals are REALTORS®. The REALTOR® trademark is owned by CREA and the U.S. National Association of REALTORS®; using it requires CREA membership and adherence to the CREA Code of Ethics. In practice, the overwhelming majority of Canadian residential salespersons are CREA members because access to the MLS® system runs through local boards.
Where to verify the current number
Why the number matters — and why it doesn’t
The total agent count is a useful headline statistic but not a useful selection criterion. What matters when you’re hiring an agent is how many transactions they have closed in your area, not how many colleagues they have nationally. See our guide on how to pick a real estate agent.
How Ontario compares to other provinces
Ontario’s ~100,000 RECO registrants reflect both market size and a low barrier to entry: pre-registration education through Humber College, a course of articling, and licensing under the Trust in Real Estate Services Act (TRESA). British Columbia and Alberta each register tens of thousands more; Quebec is regulated separately through the OACIQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many REALTORS® are in Toronto specifically?
- The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) is Canada’s largest local board, with roughly 70,000 members spanning the GTA and surrounding regions — the bulk of Ontario’s registered professionals.
- Has the number of REALTORS® grown over time?
- Yes, broadly with the housing market. Sharp market slowdowns are typically followed by attrition; sharp upturns are followed by an influx of new registrations.
- Do all REALTORS® work full-time?
- No. A meaningful share of registered REALTORS® close fewer than five transactions per year. When choosing an agent, ask directly whether real estate is their primary occupation.
Related Reading
Primary sources for jurisdictional facts:
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