Does the New York license file contain 146,824 new agents?

No. It contains active salesperson and broker license records, including business licensees and records already represented in directories.

How many individual records passed the strict candidate gate?

The audit identified 98 unique individual license profiles as unambiguous candidates; 210 other candidate profiles were held for office-license or multiple-license ambiguity.

Does a real-estate license prove an agent is available?

No. A dated active-license roster does not establish an agent's current availability, recent transaction performance, or service area.

146,824 License Rows, 98 Potential Matches: How We Audited New York Agent Coverage

October 3, 2026 · Guide · 2 min read

A large government roster can make a directory look more complete than it is. New York’s active salesperson and broker dataset contained 146,824 license rows when we reviewed it on October 1, 2026. That is a measure of the source file—not a count of new people, unique profiles, or agents available to take a client.

We compared the roster against 8,463 existing agent profiles. The strict pass required a normalized name match and the same complete business address, city, and ZIP. It also required the candidate to resolve to one distinct non-empty license number. After those checks, 98 individual license profiles were unambiguous candidates for additional evidence. We held 210 other candidate profiles: three were office-license records and 207 had multiple-license ambiguity.

Why the match gate is strict

Brokerage names, agent names, and office addresses can repeat. A fuzzy match can attach one person’s credential to another profile or make one person appear as several agents. The matching rules therefore require agreement on identity and location, not just a similar name. Ambiguous records stay out of the verified candidate count until they can be resolved.

The roster was published by the New York State Department of State through NY Open Data. It contains active salesperson and broker licenses as of the source snapshot and can include business licensees. Its business address is not proof of an agent’s complete service territory, current contact details, or willingness to represent a new client.

What we do—and do not—claim from a license row

A dated state record can support a license type, number, and expiration fact.
It does not establish transaction volume, client satisfaction, negotiation skill, or current availability.
A business address should not be turned into a claim that an agent serves every nearby neighborhood.

That distinction matters when comparing agents. Use our city listings to find profiles, then confirm the current license through the New York Department of State source and ask the agent about recent work in the type of transaction and area you have in mind. Our audit favors a smaller number of defensible matches over a larger count built from uncertain identity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the New York license file contain 146,824 new agents?: No. It contains active salesperson and broker license records, including business licensees and records already represented in directories.
How many individual records passed the strict candidate gate?: The audit identified 98 unique individual license profiles as unambiguous candidates; 210 other candidate profiles were held for office-license or multiple-license ambiguity.
Does a real-estate license prove an agent is available?: No. A dated active-license roster does not establish an agent's current availability, recent transaction performance, or service area.