If you’ve been thinking about how to become a real estate agent in Australia, now is the time to act. With property prices at unprecedented highs and buyer enthusiasm shaking the rafters, the real estate industry is awash with opportunity.
Before you can embark on your new career, however, there are a number of assessments that need to be completed with a registered training organisation before you can earn your qualification, and begin working as a real estate agent in Australia.
As the leading provider of real estate courses in Australia, Entry Education make the process of becoming a real estate agent as accessible and straightforward as possible.
Before we jump into the specific requirements for each state to become a real estate agent, let’s start by going through your potential future working environment.
What is it really like being a real estate agent?
To start with, not everybody who works in the real estate industry is an agent. You can do a real estate course to be a property manager, a buyer’s advocate, an auctioneer, or a stock and station agent. All of these roles support a real estate agency’s capacity to manage property on behalf of vendors, landlords and people who want to sell, lease or purchase property in Australia.
Being a real estate agent is like nothing else. Real estate is a diverse and exciting industry that caters to a wide range of talent and personalities. This is important to understand for two main reasons:
- As a real estate agent, you don’t work in a narrow one-dimensional industry.
- There are plenty of opportunities in real estate to obtain higher qualifications (do a second or third real estate course); pursue a different, but related role; or expand and open your own agency.
As we discussed in 7 reasons you should become a real estate agent in Australia, there are a lot of good reasons to pursue a career in real estate. If you look after your clients, you’ll reap the rewards that come from good service and while impressive salaries do come, they take time and effort. You can work flexible hours, choose your own career goals, and build your own client base.
Helping people buy their dream home, or first home, is rewarding if you’re a people person, and who said you can’t have the time of your life while building a successful real estate career?
How do I become a real estate agent in Australia?
Good question! To work as a real estate agent in Australia, you need to complete a real estate course. These courses can vary from state to state, but they all lead to the same outcomes. Once you’ve completed your real estate course, you apply to the corresponding authority in your state or territory to obtain your real estate licence.
In our blog post 7 steps to become a real estate agent, we looked at sensible, straightforward ways to assist you in breaking into the industry. An important thing to do, both for yourself and your potential employer, is to research the properties for sale in your town or city, and look at individual agencies and how their properties are presented. The reason you should do this is to ensure your opinions about real estate are informed by facts and observations, rather than preconceived ideas.
Desperate to figure out how to become a real estate agent who is successful? It’s time to start throwing yourself into the industry. Talk to other agents, and read real estate listings, attend open houses, go to auctions and read the countless interviews online with Australia’s top real estate agents. The more you immerse yourself industry you want to work in, the more confident you’ll be completing your training, and taking your first steps as a real estate agent.
Becoming a real estate agent & choosing the right course
So, how to become a real estate agent in Australia? Depending on the state or territory in which you live, real estate training requirements might differ. As such, it’s important to enrol in a course specific to your location.
For example, if you complete NSW training and register with NSW Fair Trading, your licence will not allow you to sell real estate in other states and territories. To do that you’ll need to apply for new licence from the authority in the state or territory in which you’ve relocated.
Following is a list of the real estate courses in each Australian state or territory that qualify you to be registered as a real estate agent. These courses are also discussed separately in the Entry Education blog.
Find out how to become a real estate agent in:
Requirements to become a real estate agent in NSW
To begin your real estate career in NSW, you first need to complete an Assistant Agent course. There are five core units of study in this real estate course and on completion you are qualified to apply for a licence to work as an assistant agent in NSW. An assistant agent works under a licensed real estate agent in sales, property management, marketing and other related roles.
The next step in your career is a Class 2 Licence NSW, which requires you to complete a Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CP41419). There are 13 online units of study in this real estate course, and it qualifies you to work as a real estate agent in NSW. However, you can’t run your own agency with a Class 2 Licence.
The final career step is a Class 1 Licence NSW, which requires you to complete a Diploma of Property (Agency Management) (CPP51122). There are 12 online units of study in this real estate course, and it qualifies you to work as a real estate principal or director. You can run your own agency with a Class 1 Licence.
All of these real estate courses NSW are delivered by Australia’s leading provider, Entry Education.
Find out more in-depth information about how to become a real estate agent in NSW here.
Real estate CPD is compulsory in NSW
Once you’ve completed your NSW real estate course you can get to work, but keep in mind that there’s now a government requirement for agents to complete annual CPD (continuing professional development).
The CPD year runs from 23 March to 22 March the following year and, depending on the type of licence or certificate you hold, there are compulsory topics, elective topics and business skills topics. Each of these topics will require three hours annually of your time. CPD isn’t about measuring points, but the hours you spend learning.
CPD is your opportunity to stay up-to-date with changes, expand your knowledge and update your skills. Take the compulsory topic ‘COVID-Safe Business’ for example. It’s a relevant, important topic based on workplace health and safety guidelines from SafeWork Australia.
For further information on CPD real estate courses in NSW go to our Everything you need to know about CPD courses page.
Requirements to become an agent in Victoria
There are two different roles in the Victorian real estate industry – an entry-level role as an agent’s representative and a fully licensed real estate agent.
If you want to start working as a real estate agent or agent’s representative in VIC, you must complete a Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419), which is composed of 18 online units of study. When completed, you can apply for your licence from the Business Licensing Authority in Victoria and work as a real estate agent.
A Diploma of Property Agency Management (CPP51122) qualifies you to work in Victoria as a fully licensed real estate agent, an agency manager or principal, or an agency director. There are 12 online units of work in this diploma, and you need to complete the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice prior to commencing it.
Real estate courses in Victoria are available through Entry Education.
Find out more in-depth information about how to become a real estate agent in VIC here.
Requirements to become an agent in Queensland
How to become a real estate agent in Australia if you’re in Queensland? You’ll need to complete the entry-level qualification, the Real Estate Salesperson Registration QLD.
Once you’ve completed this real estate course you can apply to the Queensland Office of Fair Trading for your Certificate of Registration QLD Real Estate. There are 12 units of study in the course, and these will qualify you to work as real estate agent under the supervision of a licensed real estate agent. You can’t open your own agency with this qualification.
To work as a fully licensed real estate agent in Queensland and be able to work as an independent contractor or open your own agency, you must complete the full licensing course. This Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419)is composed of 19 online units of study, and on completion of this real estate course, you can apply for your Full Real Estate Licence from the Office of Fair Trading in Queensland.
Real estate courses in Queensland are also available through Entry Education.
Find out more in-depth information about how to become a real estate agent in QLD here.
Becoming a real estate agent in WA
The perfect introduction to working as a real estate agent in WA is through the Restricted Sales Registration WA course. This real estate course is composed of 13 online units, and you have 12 months to complete them.
On completion of this course, you’ll be qualified to work in residential, commercial, and rural sales across Perth and WA. However, you won’t be able to work as an independent contractor or open your own agency.
To work in both sales and property management in WA, you need to complete the Unrestricted Real Estate Registration course. This is also known as the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419) course, and it is the full certificate with 18 online units of study to complete.
Once you’ve completed the real estate course and are registered with the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS), you can work as both a licensed real estate agent and a property manager.
To run your own agency or work as an independent contractor, you need to complete the Diploma of Property Agency Management WA (CPP51122). After completing this real estate course, you can apply to the DMIRS for your real estate licence and even go ahead and launch your own real estate agency.
There are 12 online units of study in the diploma course, plus any bridging units you need to bring across from the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP 41419) if you haven’t completed that qualification.
Real estate courses in WA are available through Entry Education.
Find out more in-depth information about how to become a real estate agent in WA here.
Training to become a real estate agent in SA
To launch your career as a real estate agent in SA, you need to decide whether you want start as a Property Manager or a Sales Representative.
To be registered in South Australia as a Property Manager you are required to complete the Property Managers Registration course (PMR). This course consists of 13 units and once successfully complete will enable you to apply to register as a Property Manager with Consumer and Business Services.
If you would like to start your career as a Sales Representative you will need to complete the Sales Representative Registration SA course. There are 19 units of study in this online course, and once you’ve completed the real estate course, you can apply for registration with Consumer and Business Services in SA to work as a real estate representative for a land agent. This course doesn’t qualify you to run your own agency.
If you want to run your own agency, you’ll need to complete a Land Agent course. This is a combination of the required units for the Property Manager Registration and the Sales Representative Registration, as well as units of competency that form the Land Agent course. Although real estate agents in SA often complete the diploma real estate course to increase their knowledge and expertise.
The Land Agent course is composed of 36 units of study; however, you can receive credit for part of this real estate course if you hold Sales Representative Registration or Property Management Registration.
Real estate courses in SA are available at Entry Education.
Find out more in-depth information about how to become a real estate agent in SA here.
Becoming an agent in the ACT
Launching your real estate career in Canberra, and across the ACT, is as easy as enrolling in the Certificate of Registration course. This five-unit online course will qualify you to apply for your ACT Certificate of Registration and commence working for a licensed real estate agent in property sales, marketing or property management.
To obtain a (full real estate) Class 2 licence in the ACT, you will need to have a minimum of 12 month’s experience as a registered salesperson/assistant agent and complete a Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419). This real estate course has 18 online units of study (13 if you have completed the current Assistant Agent course) and once you complete them you can apply for a class 2 licence from Access Canberra.
To develop your own business and employ other agents you will be required to hold a class 1 licence. To obtain this licence you will need a minimum of 24 months experience as a class 2 agent, and to complete the Diploma of Property (Agency Management) (CPP51122). By completing the 12 units of study you can apply for a class 1 licence to work as a principal or director running your own agency.
Real estate courses in Canberra are available through Entry Education.
Find out more in-depth information about how to become a real estate agent in ACT here.
How to open a real estate agency in Australia
If your dream is to open your own real estate agency, now is the time to do it. Low-interest rates and a booming real estate industry mean you’ll be hanging out your own shingle in a supportive economic environment.
But it takes more than a good economy to make a successful business, and in our blog post How to open a real estate agency in Australia, we look at what you need to know before you see your bank manager.
Good leaders are not generally born with the skills and knowledge required to be successful. They learn from experience, formal learning and the successful people around them.
The most important things to consider when opening your own real estate agency are to:
- research your competition
- sorting out your legal responsibilities
- learning how to market your brand
- learn IT skills that will promote your agency
- develop a business plan
- find the best real estate course.
And don’t be afraid to invest in courses and further education that will teach you important personal and business skills. Many of the most successful business people in the world continue to invest in themselves to fill gaps and develop skills they don’t have.
