Do I need a licence to start, or just registration?

In every state and territory you start at the registration or representative level and work under a licensed agent. A full licence is what you need to run an agency, hold a trust account, and operate independently. Check your regulator's page for the exact names and steps, which differ by jurisdiction.

Can I work in real estate in another state with my registration?

Not automatically. Registration and licensing are state-based. Mutual recognition arrangements exist, but you generally need to apply in the new jurisdiction and meet its requirements. Speak to the regulator in the state you're moving to before you accept a role there.

Do I need experience to get hired as a new agent?

Most agencies hire on attitude, communication and work ethic rather than prior real estate experience. What separates candidates in an interview is whether they can hold the conversations the job is actually made of — prospecting calls, buyer follow-up, an appraisal — not whether they can recite legislation.

Is The Agent Academy a Registered Training Organisation?

No. We are not an RTO and our programs do not lead to a nationally accredited qualification or a licence. You complete the statutory requirements through an RTO and your regulator. We train the practical skill — the conversations, the negotiation, the day-to-day judgement — that the statutory course does not cover.

Getting in — every state and territory

How to become a real estate agentin Australia.

Registration is state-based, faster than most people expect, and only half the job. Here is the path in each jurisdiction — and the part the statutory course leaves you to work out on your own.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026

The path, in four steps.

Check your state

Every state and territory has its own regulator, its own entry credential and its own name for it. Start there, not at a course provider's landing page.

Complete the units

Do the required units of competency through a Registered Training Organisation. This is typically weeks, not years.

Apply to register

Lodge the application with your regulator, including any police or character check, and pay the fee. Allow processing time before your start date.

Get good, fast

You will work supervised under a licensed agent. What determines your first twelve months is how quickly you can hold the conversations.

Requirements by state

Select a jurisdiction for the full detail. The regulator is always the source of truth — every entry links to the official page.

Entry requirements to work in real estate by Australian state and territory
Entry credential	What's involved	Regulator
Assistant agent certificate of registration	Complete the required units of competency, then apply to Fair Trading for a certificate of registration and work supervised as an assistant agent.	NSW Fair Trading
Agent's representative	Complete the agent's representative course, then work employed by a licensed estate agent. No separate registration application to CAV is required to start as a representative.	Consumer Affairs Victoria
Real estate salesperson registration certificate	Complete the required units of competency, then apply to the Office of Fair Trading for a registration certificate before you start work.	Office of Fair Trading Queensland
Sales representative registration	WA registers sales representatives individually. You complete the required units, then apply for registration before you can act.	Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (Consumer Protection)
Registered sales representative	Complete the required units of competency and register as a sales representative with Consumer and Business Services before working.	Consumer and Business Services
Property representative registration	Register as a property representative with the Property Agents Board after completing the required units of competency.	Property Agents Board of Tasmania
Registered real estate salesperson	Complete the required units of competency and register with Access Canberra as a salesperson before acting for an agent.	Access Canberra
Real estate agent's representative registration	Register as an agent's representative with the Agents Licensing Board after completing the required training.	Agents Licensing Board of the Northern Territory

New South Wales

Assistant agent certificate of registration

Complete the required units of competency, then apply to Fair Trading for a certificate of registration and work supervised as an assistant agent.

What you have to do

1Complete the units of competency Fair Trading requires for the assistant agent certificate in your area of practice, through a Registered Training Organisation.
2Apply to NSW Fair Trading for a certificate of registration and pay the application fee.
3Work under the supervision of a licensed agent — an assistant agent cannot operate independently.
4Complete the ongoing CPD attached to the certificate each year, which for assistant agents means further units towards the full qualification.
5Progress to a Class 2 licence once you hold the full qualification and the required supervised experience.

Eligibility

— At least 16 years of age
— Fit and proper person assessment, including disclosure of relevant offences
— Right to work in Australia

Typical timing

Typically a few weeks of study, then allow for application processing

NSW Fair Trading

Last checked 25 August 2026

Informational only, not legal or licensing advice. Requirements, fees and unit lists change — confirm everything with your regulator or a Registered Training Organisation before enrolling or applying. The Agent Academy is not an RTO and does not issue registration qualifications.

What the statutory coursewon't prepare you for.

The course gets you licensed. It does not get you competent.

Statutory training is built around legislation, forms and disclosure — necessary, and correctly the regulator's priority. It will not teach you what to say when a vendor asks why your fee is higher than the agent down the road.

Your first 90 days decide whether you last.

Most agents who leave the industry leave inside the first year, and almost always for the same reason: no listings. Listings come from conversations, and conversations are a trained skill.

Nobody will roleplay with you at the agency.

You will be told to 'shadow' someone. Shadowing is watching. The gap between watching a listing presentation and delivering one is the entire job.

Where we come in

Get registered with an RTO. Get competent with us.

First 90 Days is built for exactly this moment — you have the certificate, you have the desk, and you have no idea what to say on the phone. Scripts, appraisal structure, prospecting rhythm, and live AI role-play where you rehearse the calls before you make them for real. $349, credited in full if you upgrade later.

See First 90 Days Try a role-play free

Common questions

The entry-level credential — assistant agent, agent's representative, salesperson or sales representative, depending on your state — is usually a matter of weeks of study rather than years, plus regulator processing time. Holding a licence in your own right takes longer, because every state requires a fuller qualification and a period of supervised experience.

Already licensed and looking for your annual requirement instead? See CPD requirements by state.