What does the licensing look like in each state?
NSW Fair Trading requires auctioneer accreditation for anyone auctioning property, land or livestock. Only a holder of a class 1 or class 2 real estate agent licence, or a stock and station agent licence, can apply, and they must complete the specified auctioneer units from the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419). Assistant agents cannot be accredited. The accreditation sits on your licence and lapses if that licence is not kept current.
Queensland runs a standalone auctioneer licence through the Office of Fair Trading. You must be 18 or older, pass the required training and meet suitability tests, including a criminal history check. Processing takes 4 to 6 weeks. In Victoria, the Estate Agents Act 1980 allows only a licensed estate agent or an employed agent's representative to auction real estate or a business, apart from a few exemptions such as owners selling their own property.
Which auction rules will you be enforcing?
The auctioneer runs the legal side of the sale on the day. In NSW you can only take bids from people registered in the Bidders Record with a bidder number. You may make one vendor bid, and inventing bids is an offence. Taking a bid from an unregistered person exposes you to disciplinary action and a fine of up to $11,000.
In Victoria, auctions must follow the Sale of Land Act 1962 and the Sale of Land (Public Auctions) Regulations 2014. You must display the auction rules and the prescribed information statement for at least 30 minutes beforehand, make set announcements, and refuse late bids. Since 1 October 2026, Victorian agents must also disclose the seller's reserve 7 days before auction, applying to auctions from 16 October 2026.
How do auctioneers actually learn the job?
Most start in sales and learn the auction units on top of their licence. The three Queensland auction units are CPPREP4161 (pre-auction processes), CPPREP4162 (conduct the sale) and CPPREP4163 (post-auction and contract execution). The REINSW short course includes two mock auctions and a supervised logbook before you apply to NSW Fair Trading. TAFE NSW also runs an auctioneering skill set for licensed class 1 or 2 agents.
Competitions give you stage time without a real vendor's money at stake. REINSW's 2026 Novice Auctioneers Competition final was held in April. The winner went on to represent NSW at the REIA Novice Australasian Auctioneering Championships (Novice AUSTROS) in Melbourne. REINSW also runs a Seniors Competition as part of its Awards for Excellence.
Can you work as a contract or freelance auctioneer?
Yes. Many auctioneers call auctions for several agencies and are paid per auction, rather than working inside one office. Queensland's licence lets you work alone, with others, or as an employee of an auctioneer or a real estate agent. In Western Australia, Consumer Protection says an agency running an auction must either have a licensed auctioneer on staff or appoint a consultant auctioneer. REINSW's 2026 competition finalists all came from real estate agencies, including Elders Real Estate and Manor Real Estate. Expect to build a reputation inside your own agency first. Agents hire the auctioneers they have seen control a crowd.
Pay
AUD a year, before tax. Sales figures are modelled from ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, indexed to 2026; state figures are modelled estimates. Award minimums are from the Real Estate Industry Award 2020 (MA000106), effective 1 July 2026. Commission and per-auction fees move actual earnings. Refer to the Real Estate Sales salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Sales licence first (NSW)You need a class 1 or class 2 real estate agent licence, or a stock and station agent licence. Licences with a business agent or on-site residential property manager restriction are not eligible.
- Auction training unitsThese are units from the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419). Queensland lists CPPREP4161, CPPREP4162 and CPPREP4163 along with core units, and NSW requires at least 3 prescribed units.
- Age 18 or over (Qld)Queensland's auctioneer licence requires you to be 18 or older and to pass the required training courses.
- SuitabilityQueensland runs a criminal history check. A serious offence in the past 5 years, current disqualification or insolvency rules you out.
- Annual CPD (Qld)Queensland real estate agents and auctioneers must complete continuing professional development every year to keep their licence.
- Victorian authorityYou must be a licensed estate agent or employed as an agent's representative to auction real estate for a fee in Victoria.
State by state
| New South Wales | NSW Fair Trading adds auctioneer accreditation to a class 1 or class 2 real estate or stock and station agent licence once you complete the prescribed CPP41419 auction units. You apply through Service NSW or by email. |
|---|---|
| Queensland | The Office of Fair Trading issues a separate auctioneer licence (real property) to applicants aged 18 or over who complete the required units and pass suitability checks. Processing takes 4 to 6 weeks. |
| Victoria | Only a licensed estate agent, an employed agent's representative, or one of a small number of older accredited auctioneers can auction property for a fee. Consumer Affairs Victoria sets out the auction conduct rules. |
| Western Australia | Consumer Protection says an agency running an auction must have a licensed auctioneer on staff or appoint a consultant auctioneer. |
How to get there
- Year 1Get your entry licence or registrationStart in sales as an assistant agent, agent's representative or registered salesperson, depending on your state.
- Year 1-2Work auction campaignsRun bidder registration, open homes and auction-day logistics so you learn the process from the agency side.
- Year 2-3Upgrade your licenceIn NSW you need a class 2 or class 1 licence before you can seek accreditation. In Queensland, move towards the auctioneer licence units.
- Year 2-3Complete the auction unitsDo the auctioneer skill set through REINSW, REIQ, TAFE NSW or another RTO, including mock auctions.
- Year 3Apply and enter a novice competitionLodge your accreditation or licence application, then compete in a novice event to get stage time.
- Year 3+Build a calling bookCall auctions for your own agency, then take contract work for other offices as agents start asking for you.
Questions people ask
Can I become an auctioneer without a real estate licence?
Not for property in the main states. NSW accreditation sits on a class 1 or class 2 licence. Victoria requires you to be an estate agent or agent's representative. Queensland has its own auctioneer licence, and you need the training units to get it.
Can an assistant agent in NSW call auctions?
No. NSW Fair Trading says assistant real estate agents cannot get auctioneer accreditation. The only exception is livestock: an assistant stock and station agent can auction livestock while employed and directly supervised by a licensed stock and station agent.
How long does the auctioneer course take?
It depends on the course and what you have already studied. REIQ recommends 6 months for its 10-unit auctioneer licence course. Queensland students who already hold recent CPP units may be eligible for a shorter upgrade.
How are auctioneers paid?
Agency auctioneers are usually paid as sales staff, with a minimum under the Real Estate Industry Award of $58,193 a year at Level 2. Contract auctioneers are typically paid per auction by the agencies that hire them. Some sales staff at Level 2 or above can agree in writing to commission-only pay if they meet the award's income test.
Are there competitions for new auctioneers?
Yes. REINSW runs a Novice Auctioneers Competition each year, and the 2026 winner represented NSW at the REIA Novice Australasian Auctioneering Championships in Melbourne. REINSW also holds a Seniors Competition for experienced auctioneers.
Sources
- NSW Fair Trading: Auctioneer accreditation
- NSW Fair Trading: Auctions, responsibilities for property agents
- Service NSW: Apply for accreditation as an auctioneer
- Queensland Government: Apply for an auctioneer licence (real property)
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Conducting a real estate auction
- AustLII: Estate Agents Act 1980 (Vic) s 13B
- Consumer Protection WA: Selling a property by auction
- REINSW: 2026 Novice Auctioneers Competition winner
- REINSW: Auctioneer short course
- REIQ: Auctioneer licence course
