Wishing for a 'Million Dollar Listing,' would-be brokers surge into bustling housing markets

The number of U.S. real estate agents is increasing as the housing market recovers from the Great Recession.

Applications for new real estate licenses doubled in Florida and California last year. Even hard-hit Nevada has seen the number of people seeking licenses grow by almost a quarter.

And the National Association of Realtors says its membership grew slightly last year after six straight years of declines.

Experts warn that real estate is a tough profession and that many new agents quit before they sell a single house.