AccountTech Data Reveals a Surprising Financial Shift in September 2025
BOSTON, Dec. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new analysis from AccountTech's industry index reveals an unexpected and compelling story: while gross profit margins in the real estate brokerage sector have tightened significantly, EBITDA performance has surged. The numbers paint a complex but revealing picture of how brokerages are adapting in 2025.
A Concerning Margin Drop That's Hard to Ignore
In September 2024, the average gross profit margin stood at 19.583%. By September 2025, that number slipped to 17.9637%, a drop of nearly 2 percentage points.
This decline is striking because it reflects the average across both profitable and unprofitable companies. What's more surprising: unprofitable companies barely moved at all. The shift is coming from the broader, healthier market—suggesting real structural pressure.
Gross profit margin represents the amount left after paying agents their commissions. It's what brokerages rely on to pay operating expenses and keep the lights on. And now there's simply less of it.
The Paradox: Gross Profit Down, EBITDA Up
Despite the squeeze in gross profit, net profitability is rising. If brokerages have less left after paying agents, yet are still reporting higher net profits, one conclusion becomes unmistakable:
Brokerages are aggressively cutting internal expenses.
This operational tightening appears to be the key driver behind the stronger EBITDA performance. Companies aren't necessarily earning more — they're simply spending less.
Agent Split Pressure Intensifies
The drop in gross profit margin also highlights an industry reality:
brokerage owners are facing increasing pressure from agents demanding higher splits.
Margin compression—especially from rising agent payouts—has been a multi-year trend. The September 2025 data shows it's not just continuing; it's accelerating.
Seven-Year Trend Signals a Turning Point
AccountTech's 7-Year Gross Profit Margin Index shows stability from 2021 through late 2024, with only minor fluctuations (notably a small dip in 2022).
But the sudden two-point drop in September 2025 marks the sharpest decline in years. This is the statistic that stands out — the one industry leaders cannot afford to overlook.
A New Financial Reality for Brokerages
With EBITDA up and gross profit down, one thing is abundantly clear:
brokerages are becoming leaner, more cost-controlled organizations out of necessity.
The current market doesn't reward inefficiency. Companies that thrive are doing so because they're adapting faster than ever — optimizing operations, tightening expenses, and recalibrating their models in response to intense margin pressure.
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