10 Best Degree for Real Estate in 2025-26

Want to Dominate Real Estate in 2025-26, but you want to know the Best Degree for Real Estate that will actually make you rich? The real estate world is changing fast, faster than most degrees can keep up. In 2025–26, it’s no longer just about knowing how to sell a house or manage a property. The industry now demands skills in data, tech, finance, and negotiation like never before. So, which degrees give you the upper hand in today’s high-stakes market? We’ve ranked the top 10 best degree for real estate that can open doors, boost your credibility, and help you earn big. Some of them might shock you.

You may determine whether you are headed in the right direction by learning about the requirements and advantages of this vocation. After investing the time and money to become a real estate agent, you don’t want to change your mind later. This tutorial helps you improve your performance by providing you with an overview and demonstrating certain techniques. You can then proceed with confidence by using that information to select a course of action that aligns with your long-term objectives.

What is Real Estate?

Real estate isn’t just about selling houses with fancy kitchens or owning a patch of land. At its core, it’s the business of helping people buy, sell, or manage physical spaces like homes, buildings, or land that are permanently attached to the earth. Unlike a car or your favorite coffee machine, these properties can’t just be packed up and moved. And while some professionals focus on cozy residential spaces, others deal with massive commercial developments. Whether it’s a suburban home or a downtown high-rise, real estate connects people to places and careers to big possibilities.

Real Estate Agent Requirements

It takes more than a sharp blazer to become a real estate agent. Divide your work into small portions to prevent overcommitting. Write down your goals on a sheet of paper with a pen, then hang the paper somewhere you will see it every day.

You Need a License in Your State

Numerous occupations call for a license. To practice their professions, nurses, physicians, lawyers, social workers, educators, and real estate brokers must hold a license. Since every state has its own set of laws, people need to get a real estate license from the state in which they operate.

There are several states with comparable legislation, thus moving from one state to another for a job doesn’t change anything. In these situations, reciprocity agreements are usually in place between states with comparable laws. Under these agreements, an individual with a license in one state can apply for a license in another state without having to finish additional courses.

What It Takes to Get Your Real Estate License

Getting your real estate license isn’t one-size-fits-all, it depends entirely on where you live (state by state). Each state has its own rules, but generally, you’ll need to complete somewhere between 60 to 90 hours of pre-licensing coursework. These classes aren’t just about laws and contracts; they also dive into practical skills like building client trust, time management, effective communications, and confidently pricing & selling homes.

You’ll also get a crash course in real estate law, so you know how to protect yourself (and your clients) legally. Thinking of becoming a broker down the line? Most states require real-world agent experience and passing a tougher licensing exam to level up.

Real Estate Careers

The real estate industry offers a wide range of job options, from interior design to intricate legal work. Some of the more well-liked career options with typical salaries are shown below.

Occupation in Real Estate	Salary	Job Growth
Real Estate Attorney / Lawyer (additional license needed)	$135,740	8%
Real Estate Finance	$96,220	8%
Real Estate Appraisers and Assessors (additional license needed)	$61,000	5%
Real Estate Property Management	$60,670	5%
Retail Sales Workers	$49,980	3%
Real Estate Sales Agents	$49,980	3%
Real Estate Brokers	$62,190	3%

Real Estate Agent vs REALTOR

The phrases “real estate agent” and “real estate realtor” are sometimes used improperly interchangeably. Despite their similarities, the meanings of these phrases are different. A licensed professional who assists customers with the purchase, sale, leasing, and management of real estate is known as a real estate agent. State boards are responsible for issuing all licenses. A REALTOR, on the other hand, is a licensed real estate agent who becomes a member of the National Association of Realtors. The NAR is the largest trade group in the United States, having been established in 1908. Over 1.5 million real estate professionals are among the members.

When an agent joins the NAR, they also have to join the REALTOR association in their state, city, or region. At the national level, the three memberships are usually combined into one package. Being a real estate professional without being a member of the NAR is completely feasible. Nonetheless, the NAR’s Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is one of its primary roles. Agents post properties for sale or rent in this electronic database. Additionally, the majority of agents join the MLS because it is nearly impossible to sell a residential property without listing it there.

Expectations for a Career in Real Estate

On the surface, most individuals are aware that real estate brokers assist with property sales. Before determining whether this is the perfect vocation for you, you should examine the tasks you will undertake daily in much greater detail. The greatest way to get ready for your new job and the projects you will be handling is to know what to expect.

Residential Real Estate

places where people call home and where daily living takes place.

Single-family homes: classic stand-alone houses for one household
Townhomes: multi-floor homes sharing walls with neighbors
Condominiums (condos): privately owned units within shared buildings
Cooperatives (co-ops): shared ownership of an entire building with individual living units
Duplexes & triplexes: multi-unit buildings with two or three separate residences
Mobile homes: movable dwellings offering flexibility and affordability

Commercial Real Estate

Where business meets bricks and mortar.

Office buildings: spaces for corporate, tech, or service-based companies
Retail centers: malls, plazas, and storefronts for shops and restaurants
Multifamily apartment complexes: residential buildings with multiple rentable units
Warehouses: large spaces for storage, logistics, and distribution
Industrial properties: sites for manufacturing or heavy operations
Special-use properties: custom-built spaces like hospitals, hotels, or gyms

What is the Best Degree for Real Estate?

The top college degrees for a real estate career are listed below.

1. Business Administration

Examine the advantages of earning a business administration degree if you want to differentiate yourself from other real estate brokers in your field. A wide range of skills necessary for success in the real estate industry are covered in this degree program. Learning to communicate effectively both orally and in writing not only helps you convey your ideas, but it also improves your comprehension of others.

Pursuing this degree for real estate will teach you how to become a powerful and successful leader. You can’t ignore the importance of time, money, people, and resource management, regardless of the kind of work you want to undertake. Everything you need to effectively manage your resources is revealed in business administration lessons. Budgeting and business ethics are among the topics covered in your coursework.

Effective communication with buyers and sellers is a critical skill that affects your overall effectiveness as a real estate agent. When you try to reach a bargain that benefits both the buyer and the seller, the leadership skills you acquire can help you negotiate more effectively. Getting the most out of your advertising campaigns requires careful budget management, which is aided by a business administration degree. Business ethics apply to brokers and agents in the real estate industry.

2. Graphic Design

You might find that a graphic design degree is the answer you require. You can get the edge you’ve been looking for if you want to succeed in your work with the abilities you study in this degree program. You can create logos, flyers, banner advertisements, and more with graphic design lessons that teach you how to use editing tools. You will learn throughout your studies how to apply graphic design abilities to boost a business’s branding endeavors. You will quickly learn how to sketch pictures and create digital artwork, depending on the classes you enroll in.

The question of how a degree in graphic design relates to the real estate industry is a great one. Real estate agents put a lot of effort into promoting their clients’ properties, and you may occasionally produce flyers and other materials to help them do this. Gaining the necessary abilities to create eye-catching promotional content that attracts attention and yields positive outcomes is possible with a graphic design degree. Your job options will increase since almost all real estate brokers would be happy to hire a graphic design specialist.

3. Digital Marketing

A typical marketing degree used to be sufficient to produce high-quality outcomes in the real estate industry. Everything has changed in the past decade due to technological advancements, and digital marketing is now the solution. A degree in digital marketing will teach you how to advertise products on search engines and social media. As your education progresses, you learn how to use email marketing in a way that improves your chances of closing the deal.

Make sure you understand how to sell or rent houses quickly if you want to succeed as a real estate agent. If you have a reputation for closing deals quickly, more people will want to work with you, which will raise your revenue. Utilize your expertise in digital marketing to market real estate to your clients; with the correct strategy, you may get fantastic results that are hard to believe.

Additionally, the course material teaches you how to use search engine optimization (SEO) to sell yourself, which lowers your marketing costs. The benefits of earning a degree in digital marketing should be taken into consideration by any real estate agent hoping to achieve even greater outcomes.

4. Accounting

If you are serious about getting into the real estate industry, getting an accounting degree is also a smart move. You learn how to manage and examine ledgers in your accounting classes. Along with various payment options, you will learn how to process debit and credit card transactions. You will discover the meaning of various account codes as you study the course material. Accounting degree programs teach you how to control a company’s budget and handle petty cash.

Every day, real estate brokers deal with a lot of numbers, from listing pricing to completing agreements. You learn the fundamentals of handling these figures in regular real estate classes. However, a degree in accounting provides far more information and exposes how to deal with the various scenarios that may arise in your profession.

5. Human Resources

One of the best degree for real estate agents and brokers would be in human resources. A human resources degree teaches you how to manage people and resolve the most typical conflicts you will probably face. Additionally, you learn about diversity and how to make your workplace inclusive of all team members. As you pursue your degree in human resources, you should also anticipate learning about business ethics and the law.

You can put your human resources degree to use in a number of ways after you start working as a real estate agent. For instance, you’ll be aware of the most effective ways to resolve disputes between buyers and sellers. Occasionally, you will come across a customer whose cultural values diverge from the seller’s. If you are unsure of how to react, those disparities may hinder the sale. You can bridge the divide and bring everyone together with the diversity training that comes with your human resources degree.

If you go on to work as a real estate broker, these skills become even more valuable. You will already have the resources necessary to create your team if you are a broker with a degree in human resources. Before it’s too late, you will be aware of the potential legal obstacles you may encounter and how to avoid them. You can react to disagreements among team members in a way that eases tension and advances the group. A degree in human resources can help you progress your real estate career in a variety of ways, regardless of the future course you decide to take.

6. Finance

If you want to work as a real estate agent, you might want to consider getting a degree in finance. You learn the fundamentals of economics, financial reporting, and more when you study finance. You learn how to forecast market trends and choose whether investments are worthwhile. You can figure out how much you’ll spend and estimate how much money you’ll make over the next few months.

You study statistics and how to apply them to the various scenarios you can encounter while pursuing your finance degree. Being able to work with statistics is a crucial skill you cannot afford to ignore when facilitating the purchase and sale of property.

7. Psychology

You may be surprised when you look back at the subjects you learn with a psychology degree. Obtaining a psychology degree is a terrific way to differentiate yourself as a real estate agent. You gain knowledge of the fundamentals of human behavior and the reasons for people’s actions. Emotions and the different ways people deal with them in their daily lives are covered in this degree program, which offers insightful information on the human mind. You will also learn about the various types of personality disorders and how to deal with them.

Your success as a real estate agent is based on your ability to connect with both buyers and sellers. It’s a little simpler to steer conversations in the correct way if you know what makes people tick and how they behave. You can rely on your knowledge of human behavior if you want to become a successful marketer who closes deals and receives a fair fee. If there is a disagreement between buyers and sellers, you know exactly what to say to increase the likelihood that they will reach a compromise that will keep the sale going.

8. Entrepreneurship

Enterpreneurship is an excellent degree for real estate for people who want to work as real estate agents. An overview of the abilities needed to start a firm is provided by an entrepreneurship degree. Among other subjects, entrepreneurship degree programs involve marketing, accounting, law, and business. Although experts in particular fields have far more knowledge, this curriculum equips you with the necessary information to take the crucial initial steps. Your chances of success are increased by entrepreneurship degrees, which equip you for the variety of obstacles you may encounter.

Being a real estate agent is comparable to managing a company. You will frequently schedule your hours and schedule client meetings, even if you are employed by a real estate broker. The amount of money you make depends on how well you negotiate agreements and assist buyers and sellers in finding a middle ground. Gaining knowledge of the subjects included in an entrepreneurship degree improves your abilities and brings you one step closer to your goal.

9. Photography

Photography is one of the best degree for real estate. Although most people don’t realize how much a degree in photography may help their real estate profession, mastering the art of taking excellent photos is a talent you shouldn’t ignore. Everything you need to know about choosing a camera and lens is covered in photography courses. You’ll discover how to select the ideal lighting and angles to produce crisp, eye-catching pictures that draw in viewers from across the room. Along with learning how to capture amazing photos, you’ll also learn how to edit your photos to perfection.

Taking excellent photos of the houses you want to sell is a requirement of being a real estate agent. You may accomplish that and more with the abilities you acquire while studying photography. You will soon be able to snap eye-catching photos of houses that almost make them buy if you work hard and don’t take any shortcuts. Additionally, you can alter the photos and emphasize the traits you like to show off. The outcomes will demonstrate that you made the correct choice.

10. Computer Science

Another degree for real estate option that individuals ignore while entering the industry is computer science. They are mistaken in believing that there is nothing in computer science that they may utilize to further their professions. Consider the amount of work that real estate brokers conduct from both their homes and offices using computers. A computer malfunction during a project could cost you the sale and damage your reputation with potential customers, therefore, you don’t want to make that mistake.

Studying computer science teaches you how computers work and the most common issues they may run into. You get knowledge on how to configure and maintain printers and other equipment needed to maintain the optimal operation of any real estate office. Local area networks and wide area networks can be set up and maintained by computer science programs. After that, you can ensure that you and your team have the resources needed to maintain your real estate business online while protecting your bottom line.

Why is Real Estate a Good Career?

There aren’t many college degrees in real estate, hence the field is occasionally misinterpreted. It does, however, constitute a significant portion of the American economy. For instance, some retirement funds are backed by large real estate investments. Additionally, the sale of homes is a massive industry that generates revenue for banks and home improvement retailers alike. According to Statista, the real estate, insurance, and finance industries accounted for more than 20% of the US GDP in 2022. Everybody requires a place to live and work. Therefore, a real estate career is a great option for work stability.

Furthermore, a job in real estate can be the solution if you want your hard work and dedication to influence how much money you make each month. Your career advancement is greatly aided by the degree programs you have found. However, obtaining your real estate license and locating a broker to sponsor you should be your top priorities. You can then enroll in part-time studies to develop your skills and raise your earning potential after you’ve accomplished those goals.

In conclusion, choosing the right degree for real estate can set the foundation for a successful and future-proof career in 2025–26. Whether you’re drawn to business, finance, urban planning, marketing, or even data analytics, each path offers unique insights that can help you thrive in a rapidly evolving market. As technology and consumer behaviors shift, real estate professionals who combine industry knowledge with strategic thinking and digital fluency will stand out.

The best degree for real estate isn’t just the one with the most prestige, it’s the one that aligns with your goals and helps you stay adaptable. From residential sales to commercial development and real estate investment, your education should equip you with the tools to lead with confidence. Whether you’re just starting or looking to pivot, now is the time to invest in a degree that provides both a competitive edge and the freedom to grow in this dynamic field. Your future starts now.