No 9 to 5 for beleaguered realtors

Realtors are adopting new technologies at a faster rate, and working longer hours to survive in a lagging market, the National Association of Realtors reports. About a third of realtors now use social and professional networking sites, and 17 percent use blogs, RSS feeds and podcasts, up from 12 percent in 2008. The group said its survey showed only 12 percent of realtors work fewer than 20 hours per week, 31 percent work 20 to 39 hours per week, and 14 percent work at least 60 hours per week. Seventy-six percent report real estate is their only occupation. Members who worked less than 20 hours per week earned a median of $8,200, while those who worked 60 hours or more earned $74,000. The typical NAR member has been in the business for 10 years, up from eight years in 2007.