Who issues real estate licences in WA?
Consumer Protection handles real estate licensing in Western Australia. It sits within the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS), which took over from the old DEMIRS. Some application forms and online links still carry the old DMIRS or DEMIRS name. Both the licence and the registration come under the Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978 (the REBA Act). You need one or the other to sell, lease or manage property for a client.
WA has two levels. A sales representative holds a certificate of registration and must work under a licensed agent. An agent holds a real estate and business agent licence and a current triennial certificate. Both last three years. Most new applications take four to six weeks to process.
Sales representative registration: the three types
You can register in one of three ways. Unrestricted registration covers sales and property management. Restricted registration covers either sales only or property management only. People on the property-management-only registration are what the industry calls property managers. A registered representative can't work on their own account or manage an office.
Unrestricted registration needs 18 units of CPP41419: 15 core units and 3 electives. Sales-only needs 13 units: 10 core and 3 electives. Property-management-only needs 12 core units. You also qualify for unrestricted registration if you hold the agent-level qualifications, or have held registration for at least 3 of the past 5 years, or have held a triennial certificate within the last 3 years. Restricted holders can upgrade later by completing bridging units.
The agent licence and triennial certificate
An agent can negotiate sales and leases, collect rent, own or manage an agency, run the trust account and supervise representatives. To apply you must be at least 18, of good character and repute, suitably qualified and experienced, with enough assets and financial resources to operate.
Accepted qualifications include the Diploma of Property Services (Agency Management) CPP50307 and certain Curtin University Bachelor of Commerce property majors. The Diploma of Property (Agency Management) CPP51122 or CPP51119 also counts, but you need extra Certificate IV units on top. The Curtin Master of Property and Graduate Diploma in Property are also prescribed. WA.gov.au pages disagree on whether they need extra units, so confirm with Consumer Protection.
You need a résumé showing at least two years of employment and a log of your transactions. You also need two business references confirming two years of full-time experience, and one of them must come from outside your current workplace. Observational or theoretical experience alone does not count. You must have been directly involved in negotiating transactions from start to finish.
Renewal, CPD and working interstate
Registrations and triennial certificates both run for three years. Renewal costs $245 for a sales representative and $973 for an agent. A sales representative who lodges late pays an extra $50. Fees are reviewed each year, and changes usually start on 1 July.
CPD is due every year. You need five points, with at least one from each of these areas: legal requirements, ethics or professional responsibility, and professional skills. The 2026 CPD year runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2027. From 1 April 2027 each year runs April to March. Only approved providers count, and catch-up is no longer allowed. If you hold a licence from another state or New Zealand, you may be able to work in WA under automatic mutual recognition, or you can apply for a WA licence under mutual recognition.
Pay
AUD a year, before tax. The award rows are the official minimums in the Real Estate Industry Award 2020 (MA000106), effective 1 July 2026, for a 38-hour week. The WA figure is modelled from ABS Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025), brought forward with a wage index. It is an estimate and moves with commission, the market and the agency. Refer to the Real Estate Sales salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Age and characterYou must be at least 18 and of good character and repute. You also need a police check dated within the past 3 months.
- Sales representative qualificationYou need units from the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419): 18 for unrestricted registration, 13 for sales only and 12 for property management only.
- Agent qualificationYou need a prescribed qualification, such as Diploma of Property Services (Agency Management) CPP50307 or a Curtin Bachelor of Commerce property major. The CPP51122 and CPP51119 diplomas need extra Certificate IV units.
- Agent experienceShow at least two years of employment and real transaction experience. Back it up with two business references, one from outside your current workplace.
- Financial standingAgent applicants need access to enough assets and financial resources, and must understand their duties under the REBA Act.
- DisclosureDisclose any convictions, pending proceedings, reprimands or fines. False or misleading information can attract a penalty of up to $20,000.
- Annual CPDComplete five CPD points each CPD year from approved providers. If you are licensed partway through the year, you need fewer points.
How to get there
- Any timeStart in an unlicensed support role (optional)Answering phones, booking appointments, helping at open homes and issuing keys to existing tenants need no registration.
- Months 1-6Complete Certificate IV unitsFinish the CPP41419 units that match the registration you want: 18, 13 or 12 units.
- Months 6-8Register as a sales representativeApply online with your evidence and police check, and pay $342. Approval usually takes 4-6 weeks.
- Years 1-3Build transaction experienceWork under a licensed agent, do annual CPD, and keep records of the deals you negotiate for your future licence application.
- Years 2-3Gain the agent qualificationComplete an accepted diploma or degree, plus any extra Certificate IV units it requires.
- Year 3 onwardApply for the agent licence and triennial certificateLodge references, your résumé, your transaction log and a police check, and pay $1,418.
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Questions people ask
Do property managers in WA need a licence?
Yes. Property managers register as sales representatives, either with registration restricted to property management or with unrestricted registration. That takes 12 core units of CPP41419 for the restricted type, and they must work under a licensed agent.
How much does it cost to get registered or licensed in WA?
A new sales representative certificate of registration costs $342, and renewal costs $245. A new individual agent licence and triennial certificate costs $1,418, and renewing the triennial certificate costs $973. Fees are reviewed each year, and changes usually start on 1 July.
How long does a WA real estate licence last?
Sales representative registrations and agent triennial certificates are both valid for three years. You also need to meet the CPD requirement every year in between, or your licence can be suspended.
Can I move from sales only to unrestricted registration?
Yes. If you hold the sales-only registration under CPP41419, you complete the property management and trust account units CPPREP4121 to CPPREP4125. You then apply to have the restriction removed.
What happens if I work without registration?
Falsely claiming to be a registered sales representative can bring a penalty of up to $25,000. For agents, the maximum is $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a body corporate.
Do auctioneers use the same licence?
No. Auctioneer licences in WA are issued separately through the Magistrates Court. An agent can only auction property if they also hold an auctioneer licence.
Sources
- Consumer Protection (LGIRS): real estate licensing and registration
- WA.gov.au (LGIRS): apply for sales representative registration
- WA.gov.au (LGIRS): apply for a real estate and business agent licence
- WA.gov.au (LGIRS): property industry licensing fees
- Consumer Protection (LGIRS): CPD for property professionals
