California Real Estate License Count Falls to 405,841

What happened

The California Department of Real Estate's latest licensee statistics show the state's agent population is still shrinking. California had 405,841 total licensees in August 2026. That compares with 407,350 the month before, 421,011 a year earlier and 432,525 two years ago.

Both license types are down. According to the DRE report, current brokers numbered 116,104, compared with 120,261 a year earlier and 123,229 two years ago. Current salespersons totaled 289,737, compared with 300,750 a year earlier and 309,296 two years ago.

Renewals help explain the drop. Of the 7,155 salespersons whose licenses were up for renewal in August, 4,984 renewed. The DRE puts that renewal rate at 70%, compared with 75% the month before and 72% in August a year earlier. For brokers the renewal rate was 88%, compared with 90% the prior month and 91% a year earlier.

Fewer new agents are coming in to replace them. The DRE issued 1,302 original salesperson licenses in August, compared with 1,467 in July, and 162 original broker licenses, compared with 251 in July. The salesperson exam pass rate was 51%, with 2,662 exams given.

On enforcement, the report lists 325 total investigations assigned in August (535 the month before and 280 a year earlier), along with 10 license revocations and 6 suspensions.

Why it matters for agents

The numbers show agents leaving the business in California, the country's largest licensee market. Three in ten salespersons due to renew in August let their licenses lapse. Original license issuance also fell from July.

For agents who stay, that can mean fewer competitors for listings and referrals, though the report doesn't say how many of the remaining licensees are actively doing deals. Brokers who recruit should look at the renewal figures. Lapsed licenses in a given month often belong to agents who stopped producing earlier, so that can be a signal for retention conversations within a team.

The report also shows the DRE is still opening cases and revoking licenses as the field shrinks. Compliance remains a real exposure for licensees in the state.

The DRE publishes these RE 149 reports monthly. Agents and brokers who want to track whether the decline continues can compare future releases against the August figures above.