How to become a real estate agent in Australia

Real estate is one of Australia’s fastest-growing occupations. The occupation grew by nearly 30% between 2014 and 2024, with 108,700 real estate agents in Australia in 2024.

With excellent earning potential and work-life balance, it’s no wonder that real estate agent has become a popular career path for many. However, it is also a highly regulated and demanding field to enter.

If you want to become a real estate agent in Australia, the path usually starts with training, then moves into registration or licensing under your state or territory regulator. Rules vary depending on where you work and whether you want to sell property, manage rentals, or run your own agency.

Essential skills for real estate agents

Real estate professionals use a combination of hard and soft skills to do their job and connect with clients. Hard skills—like local market knowledge, financial literacy, and real estate law and zoning regulations—are generally part of a qualification or learned on the job.

But soft skills may come naturally or through practice. Soft skills that real estate professionals may need include:

Negotiation: Strong negotiators do more than push for price. They manage emotions, explain trade-offs clearly and keep a deal moving when problems appear.

Persuasive communication: Persuasive agents communicate clearly and confidently without sounding pushy. In practice, that means writing better listings, leading stronger appraisal conversations and following up leads with a clear next step.

Networking: Real estate is relationship driven. Over time, a strong network of buyers, sellers, landlords, mortgage brokers, and conveyancers can become one of the most reliable sources of listings and repeat work.

Commitment: Real estate rewards consistency more than short bursts of effort. Agents who stay organised and show up reliably usually build stronger reputations than those who rely on charisma alone.

Real Estate qualifications in Australia

To become a real estate professional in Australia, you typically need to complete a combination of education, training, and licensing.

Education & Training

A common national training pathway is completing a CPP41419 Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice. This qualification reflects the role of real estate professionals who apply legal, agency, compliance and ethical knowledge to real estate functions across residential and commercial property. 

Some states may require higher or more specific training beyond a Certificate IV, especially if you want to run an agency:

• Western Australia separates sales representative registration from agent licensing, and its regulator states that agents and sales representatives have different qualification and continuing professional development requirements.
• South Australia publishes specific qualification pathways for sales representatives, property managers and land agents, including pathways involving CPP41419 Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice and CPP51119 Diploma of Property (Agency Management).

Make sure to do your own research for qualification requirements in your State or Territory.

Licensing

Australia does not have a single national licence that covers all real estate agents. Licensing processes vary from state to state. For example:

• In New South Wales, you typically start as an assistant agent with a certificate of registration before progressing to a class 2 licence.
• In Victoria, an agent’s representative can work for a licensed estate agent, but cannot operate an estate agency business.
• In Queensland, salespeople must be registered, while contractors need a full real estate agent licence.

Real estate work requirements

Requirements for working as a real estate agent in Australia vary by state or territory. Basic requirements that generally apply across the country include:

• Be at least 18 years or older
• Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or hold an appropriate visa
• Work under a supervision of a licensed real estate professional for a set period
• Pass a background check, including criminal history
• Complete post-licencing qualifications

Check with your state or territory regulator

The first requirement is to identify the regulator where you plan to work. Real estate is regulated at state and territory level, not by one national body. Official entry points include NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria, the Queensland Office of Fair Trading, Consumer Protection WA, CBS South Australia, CBOS Tasmania, Access Canberra and the NT Agents Licensing Board.

Obtain registration or a licence

Most jurisdictions require either registration, a certificate, or a licence before you can legally perform regulated real estate work. For example:

• NSW requires a certificate of registration to start as an assistant agent
• QLD requires salespeople to be registered
• WA requires sales representatives to be registered and supervised
• ACT requires assistant agents to be registered and employed by a licensed agent
• NT requires agents’ representatives to be registered.

Meet or complete age, supervision and suitability checks

Many jurisdictions also set minimum age, supervision and suitability rules.

For example, Victoria says an applicant for an estate agent’s licence is ineligible if they are under 18 or disqualified from holding a licence. Queensland states that real estate salespeople must be 18 or older.

NSW requires assistant agents to work under the supervision of a licence holder, and WA says representatives must work under the supervision of a licensed agent or registered developer.

The NT application process also requires a criminal history check.

Complete continuing professional development

Qualifying is not always the end of the process. In Queensland, real estate agents and auctioneers must complete annual continuing professional development to maintain their licence or registration. Western Australia also states that agent and sales representative roles carry continuing professional development requirements.

Running your own real estate agency

To run a successful real estate business, you need more than a licence and qualifications. Here are tips to help your agency take full advantage of Australia’s booming real estate industry:

• Consider getting licensed for agency work – Depending on the state or territory, you may need a higher level of licencing to run an agency in addition to your sales licence.
• Build strong compliance systems – Real estate is a highly regulated industry requiring licence checks, meticulous record keeping, staff supervision, privacy mandates, and advertising review.
• Get Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance – Minimum levels of PI cover are required to receive a real estate licence in several states. Check your local state or territory laws to understand your business insurance obligations.
• Research your local market – A deep understanding of neighbourhoods, sales trends, and pricing history can help you work more efficiently and effectively.
• Market your agency – Lead generation is not a one-off campaign. Maintaining a consistent database strategy, collecting reviews, using referral partnerships, and tracking which channels help produce consistent appraisals, listings, and managements

Do I need a licence to become a real estate agent in Australia?

Yes. Most states and territories require a registration, certificate or licence to work in Australia. However, the exact requirement depends on your state or territory and the type of work you want to do. In many places, you can start in an entry-level registered role before moving to a full agent licence.

What qualification do I need for real estate in Australia?

A common training pathway is CPP41419 Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice, but some jurisdictions require additional units, specific approved courses or higher qualifications for agency ownership or advanced licensing. Always check your local regulator before enrolling.

Can I work in real estate before I hold a full licence?

Yes, in some areas you can start in a supervised entry-level role. NSW allows assistant agents to work under supervision with a certificate of registration, and Queensland allows registered salespeople to work as employees while contractors need a full licence.

Can I open my own real estate agency straight away?

No. In most states and territories, opening or operating an agency requires a higher licence level than working as a salesperson, assistant agent or representative. Victoria and Western Australia make that distinction clearly.

Thinking about starting a real estate business of your own? Review your state or territory licensing pathway first, then map out the insurance cover your agency may need before you open your doors.