How to read a real estate agent's statistics
The four statistics that matter
| Statistic | What it tells you | CA median | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed transactions (sides) | Sales where the agent represented the buyer or seller. Volume = experience with the process, negotiations, and problems. | 8 in 24 months | Very low counts make every other stat noisy. Under ~5 sales, treat percentages as anecdotes. |
| Average days on market (DOM) | Mean time the agent's listings took to go under contract. Measures pricing and marketing effectiveness — seller side only. | 39 days | Compare to the same city/ZIP median, not statewide. A 60-day DOM can be great in a slow zip and terrible in a hot one. |
| Sale ÷ list price | What homes actually sold for relative to the final asking price. At or above 100% means the agent prices to the market. | 99.2% | This uses final list price. Pair it with the price-reduction rate to catch agents who cut their way to a "good" ratio. |
| Price-reduction rate | Share of the agent’s closed listings that needed at least one price cut. The clearest overpricing signal. | 29% | High rate + long DOM + sub-100% sale-to-list is the overpricing trifecta. See the overpricing-trap guide. |
Medians across ranked California agents with at least five observations per statistic, computed from closed sales 2023–2026. Methodology.
How to use them in an interview
- Anchor locally. Every profile here compares the agent's DOM to their ZIP's median — that comparison matters more than the raw number.
- Cross-check the pitch. If an agent claims they "sell over asking," their sale-to-list ratio and price-reduction rate will confirm or contradict it.
- Mind the specialty. A luxury specialist's 70-day DOM can be excellent — expensive homes take longer. Check the agent's price band on their profile first.
Start with your market: find agents by city, then read each candidate's full scorecard on their profile.
Frequently asked questions
Which single agent statistic matters most?
No single number. The strongest read is the combination: healthy sales volume in your area, days on market at or below the local median, sale-to-list near or above 100%, and a low price-reduction rate.
Are these statistics self-reported by agents?
No. Every statistic is computed from public records of closed home sales. Agents cannot edit their numbers — claimed or not — and the methodology is public.
What sample size makes an agent’s stats trustworthy?
We suppress statistics below five observations. Five to ten starts to be meaningful; twenty-plus closed listings makes DOM and pricing ratios genuinely representative.