Updated on May 15th, 2024.
Have to do your CPD course? Here’s what you need to know
Continued professional development, or CPD as it’s usually called, is a requirement to maintain your licence if you work in the NSW real estate industry. From March 2021, all people who hold a Class 1 Licence, Class 2 Licence or an Assistant Agent Certificate (Certificate of Registration) must complete the CPD requirements for their licence or certificate category each year.
The CPD year is different to the calendar year. Due to recent changes the CPD year now runs from 1July to 30 June each year. Only providers approved by Office of Fair Trading can deliver compulsory CPD topics.
The CPD activities vary, depending on the type of licence or certificate you hold. There are compulsory topics for the Class 1 and 2 (five hours in a webinar or face-to-face class, or 10 hours self-paced). On the other hand, for the Assistant Agent CPD is completing 3 units from the CPP41419 Certificate in Real Estate Practice. CPD is not about accumulating points, but the hours you spend learning.
Is CPD important and why am I doing it?
You might be wondering why you’re completing a CPD real estate course, and if there’s any benefit for you either personally or professionally.
CPD is a requirement of NSW Fair Trading. They consult with the real estate industry and then set compulsory learning topics annually. So there are a new set of compulsory topics every CPD year, which are delivered by approved providers that must comply with a comprehensive set of conditions.
Is CPD worth it? The answer is yes! Your CPD course is a golden opportunity for you to stay up to date with skills and knowledge. We’re talking about active and practical learning that will contribute to your success in the real estate industry. Without CPD, you’re absorbing knowledge at the coalface, on the run or hearing about current practice second-hand.
Most professionals complete a CPD course. Its value is recognised across professions and industries from doctors and accountants to lawyers and teachers. It’s a great way to stay current and keep on top of changes in your profession.
Completing a CPD real estate course enables us to take time out of our busy work schedules to focus on learning new technical, legal and industry knowledge that impacts our everyday work. It also provides you with a competitive advantage!
Your CPD is tailored to your real estate qualifications. This ensures you’re learning the most useful skills for the level of work you do.
CPD real estate course for Class 1 and Class 2 agent – Real Estate or Strata Management
You must complete at least five hours of CPD a year if you are a Class 1 Agent in Real Estate or Strata Management. These five hours are broken down into topics based on the agents’ role:
Sales agents:
- Introduction to work health and safety obligations in residential sales and property management
- New supervision guidelines – Residential sales and property management
- Introduction to strata for residential sales people and property managers
- Marketing – Price Representations and Underquoting
- Contracts for Sale
** In addition to the three compulsory topics being delivered over five hours, residential sales people are required to complete an additional online module related to price representation and underquoting that is to be released by TAFE NSW.
Property managers:
- Introduction to work health and safety obligations in residential sales and property management
- New supervision guidelines – Residential sales and property management
- Introduction to strata for residential sales people and property managers
- Compliance with habitability standards and landlord information statement
Commercial agents:
- Introduction to work health and safety obligations in commercial real estate agencies
- New supervision guidelines in commercial real estate agencies
- Introduction to strata for commercial real estate agencies
Stock and Station agents:
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- Introduction to work health and safety obligations in stock and station agencies
- New supervision guidelines in stock and station agencies
- Mandatory implementation of eID in sheep and farmed goats in NSW
- Animal welfare best practice in saleyards
Assistant Agent Certificate (Certificate of Registration)
If you’re an assistant agent, you need to complete at least three units each year. These units of study, must be selected from a valid Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419) qualification This is the qualification that is required to apply for a Class 2 licence in real estate. Students can select any units, not previously completed, from the Certificate IV course.
If you’re an assistant strata managing agent, you need to complete at least three units a year. These topics, or units of study, need to be selected from a valid Certificate IV qualification that is required for a Class 2 Licence in Strata Management. You can select any preferred units from your Certificate IV qualification.
If you complete three units of the Certificate IV course every CPD year, then after four years you’ll only have one unit left to meet the educational requirements to apply for a Class 2 licence in real estate.
Can you carry over CPD to the following year?
You can no longer carry over CPD from one year to the next. A provision to carry over any CPD was provided in the first year of the new CPD arrangements in 2020, but this is no longer available.
There is one exception, however, for assistant agents who are completing units from their Certificate IV qualification. Any units completed since their last certificate renewal can be carried over.
How to get the most out of your CPD course
An opportunity to learn can be a rare thing among the demands of a busy real estate career. But planning your time to get the most out of your CPD course is important to your learning and your career.
Take the compulsory out of CPD and make it enjoyable. Do it with a colleague, network while you’re there, ask questions and, most important of all, apply your learning to your workplace decisions when you go back to work.
At Entry Education we love teaching and making new friends. We’re one of the best real estate academies in Australia. Why? Because our focus is 100% on our students’ success.
We offer unparalleled student support that’s available in- and out-of-office hours. We get straight down to work and we help you accomplish that goal – your licence, certificate or CPD.
At Entry Education we offer high-quality CPD real estate courses fully online for NSW agents. We know how busy you are, and we’ve designed our CPD so you can jump straight in and complete your requirements with no fluff and no time-wasting paperwork.
Find out more about how to become a real estate agent in Australia here.
Let’s chat about your CPD requirements . Invest in yourself today!
