The Board of REALTORS has the power to do which of the following

When you need a real estate agent licence, eligibility requirements, and how to apply.

Key information
When a real estate agent licence is needed
Eligibility
How to apply
Add a category to your licence
Renew a licence
Working interstate and mutual recognition
Qualification and training requirements
Contact us

• Anyone who wants to work as a real estate agent in NSW needs a licence.
• You need a real estate agent licence to sell, lease and manage real estate on behalf of clients.
• There are two classes of real estate agent licence – class 1 and class 2. Each class has different qualification and continuing professional development (CPD) requirements.
• Only class 1 agents can be nominated as a licensee in charge (LIC) of a business to be able to authorise trust account withdrawals.
• You can apply for a 1, 3 or 5 year licence.

You need a real estate agent licence to sell, lease and manage real estate on behalf of clients. This includes:

• acting as an agent for a prospective purchaser, seller, landlord or tenant
• negotiating transactions (like buying, selling, exchanging or leasing property)
• collecting rent for a lease and providing property management services
• acting as an auctioneer (provided you also hold auctioneer accreditation).

There are two classes of real estate agent licence – class 1 and class 2.

Before you can get a class 2 real estate agent licence, you must first hold a certificate of registration as an assistant agent. You need to have a certificate of registration for at least 12 months and gain experience under the supervision of a licensee.

Important: this licence (class 1 or class 2) does not allow you to conduct auctions. You must not act as an auctioneer unless you are an accredited auctioneer.

Learn more about your obligations as a licensed property professional.

There are several different licences and certificates of registration available for people in the real estate and property industry.

You may not need a real estate agent licence for the work you want to do, so check the functions listed for each licence or certificate type to ensure you apply for the right one.

There is also a range of roles in agency business that may not need a licence or certificate of registration at all.

Here is a list to help you understand what can be done without a licence or certificate of registration:

• answering the phone
• responding to basic customer queries
• coordinating appointments for agents
• logistical support at open homes (for example, setting up A-frames outside the property)
• issuing keys or access devices to existing tenants
• receiving rent money from existing tenants (under the instruction of the property manager), and
• sending work orders to contractors (with the authorisation of a licence or certificate of registration holder).

You need a class 2 licence for two years before you can apply for a class 1 licence. This helps build your skills and experience, so you are ready to take on the additional functions of a class 1 agent.

A class 2 licence allows you to:

• act as an agent for a client to sell, buy or exchange property, businesses or professional practices
• negotiate with clients and vendors
• collect rent, deposits, bond payments and fees related to a lease, licence or contract.

A class 1 licence allows you to do all of the above, and:

• act as a licensee in charge (LIC)
• work independently as a sole trader
• if you are an LIC, open and authorise trust account transactions for the business.

Only a class 1 agent who is nominated as a licensee-in-charge (LIC) of a business can authorise withdrawals from the agency’s trust account.

Class 2 licence holders are not allowed to open or manage a trust account, or be nominated as a licensee in charge of a business.

Restricted licences limit the work you can perform as an agent.

Before 23 March 2020, there were separate licence categories for business agents and on-site residential property management. These functions now sit within the real estate agent licence.

People who held one of these licences at the time of this change were able to transition to a real estate agent licence that restricted the licence holder to business agent or on-site residential property management functions only.

Depending on the qualifications provided with your application, licensing officers will determine if you meet the qualification criteria for a full real estate agent licence.

The functions of a business agent now sit within a real estate agent licence.

You need a real estate agent licence (or a licence restricted to business agent functions) to provide services related to buying or selling a business. These include:

• selling, buying, exchanging or disposing of a business or professional practice, or any share or interest in a business or professional practice
• negotiating the sale, purchase or exchange of a business or professional practice, or any share or interest in a business or professional practice.

The functions of an on-site residential property manager now sit within a real estate agent licence.

You need a real estate agent licence (or a licence restricted to on-site residential property management) to carry out the functions of an onsite residential property manager. This includes acting as an agent:

• for giving possession of residential premises under a lease, licence or other contract
• for collecting bonds, deposits, rents, fees or other charges in connection with any such lease, licence or other contract.

On-site residential property managers may work or live in the unit or apartment complex they are responsible for. Agents can conduct work from an on-site leasing office or might live in an apartment on the property as part of an agreed contract.

Given the unique working arrangements of onsite residential property managers, you can get a class 1 real estate agent licence (restricted to on-site residential property manager functions) without having to first hold a certificate of registration or class 2 licence. You must have completed the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419) and continuing professional development (CPD) requirements apply.

There are requirements you must meet to get a real estate agent licence.

Who can apply

You must meet the following criteria:

• You are at least 18 years old.
• You are a fit and proper person to hold a licence.
• You have the qualifications required for the licence class you are applying for.
• You have completed the required work experience tasks.
• Your previous licence (or certificate of registration) has not been disqualified.
• Your principal place of business is either in NSW or within 50km of the NSW border.

Fair Trading will perform checks (including financial and police checks) to determine whether you are a fit and proper person.

For example, this means you:

• have not been found guilty of an offence involving fraud or dishonesty in the last 10 years, and are not currently involved in court proceedings for such an offence
• have not been convicted of an offence under the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002, the regulations, or another Act administered by the Minister for Fair Trading
• are not a member of or regularly associate with members of a declared criminal organisation.

Before you begin your application, make sure you have:

You can apply for a 1, 3 or 5 year licence.

Apply now

Apply online at the Service NSW website.

To begin, select the ‘Apply now’ button below.

Your application will take about 20-30 minutes to complete.

This is for new applicants only. Find out how to renew your licence below.

Apply now - new applicants

If you want to apply in-person, download and complete the application form and return it to your nearest Service NSW service centre.

What happens next?

Your application will be reviewed and assessed to check it meets eligibility requirements. This can take up to 30 business days.

We might contact you (by email or post) if we need more information.

We will send an email to advise you if your application has been successful.

If your application is successful, the email will include a copy of your licence and your details will be added to the public register.

If your application is unsuccessful, you’ll be advised of the reasons in writing and be provided with your options.

You can add categories to your real estate agent licence. For example, you can add stock and station agent or strata managing agent to your licence.

To add another category, you need to:

Submit your completed application by email to .

You can also remove categories using the same form.

It takes up to 30 days to process your application. You will be advised of the outcome via email or mail.

You need to renew your real estate agent licence before it expires.

Eligibility

To be eligible to renew your licence, you must complete continuing professional development (CPD) training each year.

CPD requirements vary between class 1 and class 2 licences. Learn which ones apply to you.

How to renew

We will email or post you a renewal application form 30 days before the expiry date with details of how to renew. We will also send you an SMS reminder.

You can renew your licence online (on or before the expiry date) and pay by credit card.

To renew, you will need:

If your licence isn't renewed by the due date it will expire, and you will no longer be authorised to work as a real estate agent in NSW.

As a licence holder, it is your responsibility to tell us within 14 days if your name, address or other details change. You can do this by submitting the Notification of change of details form at a Service NSW centre, or by email to .

Restoring your licence after expiry

If your licence has expired in the past three months, you can restore it online or at a Service NSW centre.

You can use the details on your renewal form to apply to restore your licence.

If your licence is restored, it is considered to have been restored from the day it expired.

In certain circumstances, the Fair Trading Commissioner may extend the period to restore your licence if satisfied that:

• failing to apply before renewal was unintentional, or
• restoring your licence is a fair and just outcome.

If your licence has been expired for more than 3 months and you have not been granted an extension by the Commissioner, restoration will not be an option and you will need to reapply. You cannot trade until your new licence is issued.

To check the status of your licence, you can search the public register.

If you hold a current and equivalent licence in another state or territory (or New Zealand) you can use the notification to local registration authority form to apply to work in NSW.

You must also complete the Application for a licence – agent form and pay a fee.

Submit both forms and your supporting documentation together by email to .

You need to hold certain qualifications and complete work experience to be a real estate agent in NSW.

You also need to complete continuing professional development (CPD) training each year. The CPD calendar runs from 23 March to 22 March the following year and compulsory topics change each year.

Training needs to be provided by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) like TAFE NSW.

Fair Trading can suspend your licence if you do not comply with the qualification and CPD requirements outlined below.

Work experience

You must complete a range of work experience tasks to be eligible to apply for a real estate agent licence.

Use the work experience logbook to keep track of the tasks as you complete them.

You need to complete the listed activities under the supervision of a licensee in charge. They must verify your ability by signing each task in your logbook as they are achieved.

Once you have finished your work experience tasks, you must scan and submit the logbook as an attachment to your licence application.

Keep your logbook for reference.

Class 2 qualifications, work experience and CPD requirements

To be eligible for a class 2 unrestricted real estate agent licence you must have:

• held a class 2 unrestricted real estate agent licence within 12 months of applying

OR

• held a certificate of registration as an assistant real estate agent (with or without restriction condition) for at least 12 months, and
• a Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419), and
• completed work experience requirements for a class 2 agent over a 12 month period

OR

• held a class 2 restricted real estate agent licence within 12 months of making an application, and
• a Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419), and
• completed work experience requirements for a class 2 agent over a 12 month period.

To be eligible for a Class 2 real estate agent licence, you must complete:

• a minimum of 9 tasks from Part 1 of the logbook, and
• a minimum of 5 tasks from Part 2.

Class 2 real estate agents must complete 6 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) learning each year. This includes:

• 3 hours of compulsory CPD topics (these are set by Fair Trading and change every year), and
• 3 hours of elective CPD topics.

See the full list of CPD requirements.

To be eligible for a class 1 unrestricted real estate agent licence you must have:

• held a class 1 unrestricted real estate agent licence within 12 months of applying

OR

• held an unrestricted class 2 real estate agent licence for at least 2 years, and
• a Diploma of Property (Agency Management CPP51119) or Diploma of Property Services (Agency Management CPP50307), and
• completed work experience requirements for a class 1 agent over a 2 year period

OR

• held a class 1 restricted real estate agent’s licence within 12 months of applying, and
• a Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice, and
• completed work experience requirements for a class 1 agent over a 2 year period

OR

• held a class 2 real estate agent’s licence for at least 2 years with a restriction for some or all of those 2 years, and
• completed work experience requirements for a class 1 agent over a 2 year period, and
• completed Certificate IV Real Estate Practice (CPP41419), and
• completed Diploma of Property (Agency Management CPP51119) or Diploma of Property Services (Agency Management CPP50307).

To be eligible for a Class 1 real estate agent licence, you must complete:

• all tasks listed in Part 1 of the logbook, and
• a minimum of 8 tasks from Part 2.

Class 1 real estate agents must complete 9 hours of CPD training each year. This includes:

• 3 hours of compulsory CPD topics (these are set by Fair Trading and change every year)
• 3 hours of elective CPD topics, and
• 3 hours of business skill topics.

See the full list of CPD requirements.

If you need help with your application or have a question, please call 13 32 20.

My application was unsuccessful

See reviews of Fair Trading decisions for more information about your review rights. Call 13 32 20 if you need more information.