What is the usual route into selling homes?
Every state starts in roughly the same place. You complete a set of units from the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419) with a registered training organisation. Then you get the entry-level registration and work for a licensed agency. How many units you need, and what the first credential is called, depends on the state you work in.
Queensland wants 12 named units before you can register as a salesperson. Western Australia accepts 13 units for a sales-only registration, or 18 for an unrestricted one that also covers property management. In Victoria a first-time agent's representative needs 18 units completed within the last 5 years. NSW calls its entry holder an assistant agent, working on a certificate of registration.
What can you do before you hold a full licence?
Quite a lot. A registered salesperson in Queensland can list, show, advertise and negotiate the sale of property. They cannot conduct auctions or operate trust accounts, and they can only work as employees. Anyone who wants to work as a contractor needs a full real estate agent licence. In Victoria an agent's representative can do any legal function of the agent who employs them, as long as they have that agent's written authority. They cannot run their own agency.
Supervision rules differ. In NSW the licensee in charge who supervises you must hold a Class 1 licence in the same category of work. South Australia lets you register 'under supervision' while you are still studying. A registered agent, or a sales representative with at least 2 years on the register, must be with you whenever you do registered work.
How long before you earn a living?
Expect a slow first year. You need listings before you get sales, and listings come from people who already know and trust you. Most new agents start as a sales assistant or on a retainer plus commission, and they build a database through open homes, appraisals and local contacts. Take a role with a base wage while that pipeline grows.
The Real Estate Industry Award sets a weekly minimum for employees. Commission-only pay is allowed only for sales or commercial leasing staff at Level 2 or above. It must be agreed in writing, and you must already have earned at least 125% of the classification rate in a consecutive 12-month period within the past 3 years. Juniors, casuals and part-timers cannot be put on commission only, so a new agent is entitled to the award minimum.
What is the step up to a full licence?
In NSW the certificate of registration lasts 4 years and cannot be renewed. You must finish your qualifications and move to a Class 2 licence within that time. If you don't, you have to stop working as an assistant agent and wait 12 months after expiry before you can apply for a new certificate.
Elsewhere the full licence is optional for a salesperson, but you need it to work as a contractor, run auctions in Queensland, handle trust accounts or open your own agency. Victoria is also tightening its rules. From 25 November 2026 agent's representatives must register with the Business Licensing Authority and pay a fee. From 1 April 2027 they must complete annual CPD to keep that registration.
Pay
AUD a year, before tax. Award minimums are from the Real Estate Industry Award 2020 (MA000106), effective 1 July 2026. Typical earnings are based on ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, moved to 2026 with a wage index. State figures are modelled, and actual pay depends heavily on commission and listings. Refer to the Real Estate Sales salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- TrainingUnits from the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419), completed through a registered training organisation. Queensland requires 12 named units, WA sales-only registration 13, and Victoria 18.
- AgeAt least 16 for a NSW certificate of registration. At least 18 to be a salesperson in Queensland or an agent's representative in Victoria.
- EmploymentYou must be employed by a licensed agent. In Queensland salespeople can only work as employees, and contractors need a full licence.
- Character checksWA wants a police check dated within the last 3 months. SA accepts a National Police Certificate up to 12 months old. In Victoria your employer checks your eligibility, including a police check.
- SupervisionIn NSW your supervisor is a licensee in charge holding a Class 1 licence. In SA, trainees registered 'under supervision' must be accompanied at all times when doing registered work.
State by state
| New South Wales | NSW Fair Trading issues an assistant agent certificate of registration from age 16. It lasts 4 years, cannot be renewed, and you must move up to a Class 2 licence within that time. |
|---|---|
| Victoria | Agent's representatives need 18 Cert IV units completed within 5 years, and the employer notifies the Business Licensing Authority. From 25 November 2026 representatives must register with the BLA, and annual CPD applies from 1 April 2027. |
| Queensland | The Office of Fair Trading registers salespeople aged 18 or over who have 12 CPP41419 units. Salespeople work only as employees and cannot conduct auctions or operate trust accounts. |
| Western Australia | Sales representatives must be registered. Sales-only registration needs 13 units and unrestricted registration needs 18. Applications typically take 4 to 6 weeks. |
| South Australia | Consumer and Business Services registers sales representatives, and a new application costs $693 including 1 year of registration. You can register 'under supervision' if you are enrolled and finish training within 12 months. |
How to get there
- Weeks to monthsComplete the entry unitsEnrol with a registered training organisation and finish the CPP41419 units your state requires for sales work.
- Month 1-3Get registered and hiredApply for your state's entry registration, or in Victoria have your employer verify you, then start with a licensed agency.
- Year 1Learn the deskRun open homes, take buyer enquiries, help with appraisals and build a database of local owners.
- Year 1-2Win first listingsTurn appraisals into signed agency agreements and run campaigns under your licensee's oversight.
- Year 2-4Step up to a licenceIn NSW, move from certificate of registration to Class 2 within 4 years. Elsewhere, get the full licence when you want to contract, auction or run an office.
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Questions people ask
Do I need the whole Certificate IV to start selling?
Not in every state. Queensland registers salespeople with 12 named units, and WA offers sales-only registration with 13. Victoria requires 18 units for a first-time agent's representative.
Can I start in South Australia before I finish my course?
Yes. You can register 'under supervision' if you show you are enrolled, finish the training within 12 months, then apply to have the condition removed. Until then a registered agent, or a representative registered for at least 2 years, must be with you when you do registered work.
Can I work as a contractor on a salesperson registration?
Not in Queensland. Registered salespeople can only work as employees there, and contractors need a full real estate agent licence.
Will I be paid commission only from day one?
Not lawfully under the award. Commission-only arrangements need Level 2 or higher, written agreement and a proven income history of at least 125% of the classification rate. Juniors, casuals and part-timers are excluded.
Does my interstate registration carry over to Victoria?
No. Mutual recognition does not cover interstate or New Zealand salespeople working as agent's representatives in Victoria. You must meet Victoria's own eligibility and education rules first.
Sources
- NSW Fair Trading: Assistant agent certificate of registration
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Agents' representatives
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: New education rules for agents and agents' representatives
- Queensland Office of Fair Trading: Register as a real estate salesperson
- WA Government: Real estate and business sales representatives registration
- SA.GOV.AU: Sales representatives
- Fair Work Commission: Real Estate Industry Award 2020
