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The group has shared the launch of its own industry training arm, set to offer a “unique” blend of learning styles.
Barry Plant Real Estate Training has met all of the requirements of the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) to operate as a registered training institution, according to the Victoria-based network.
ASQA is the national regulator for the country’s vocational education and training (VET) sector, which oversees training organisations across the country.
Notably, the group’s training initiative will be rolled out following the major overhaul of qualifications to become a real estate professional in Victoria.
The revamped industry standards saw minimum requirements for agent entry into the industry expand from three units — which could be typically completed in a few weeks — to 18 units, which will now take an average of six to nine months to study and complete.
Emma Gordon, the chief executive of the new training organisation, believes that the centre’s unique blend of learning styles offered will be a game changer in the Victorian real estate training space.
According to the group, the centre will offer a unique blend of learning styles, including face-to-face classes, online sessions or a combination of both.
“We’re about allowing students to tailor a learning style that suits them. Everyone learns in different ways, and in recognising this, we’re offering flexibility and choice,” she stated.
Eventually expected to offer customised learning styles, the first intake will only offer online training, with face-to-face options being added early next year.
Initially, the Barry Plant Real Estate Training will offer Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (the revised Agents Representative course).
Then, the Real Estate Diploma (full licence and tertiary qualification) will be added to the institute’s curriculum at a later date, the group revealed.
In addition to the new program, Barry Plant revealed that it is also offering a training grant as it looks to lower the cost of the courses for eligible participants.
Barry Plant Group chief executive Nigel O’Neil said that the driving force behind the group establishing its own training arm that will be accessible to people outside the network was “simple”.
“We have a mission to raise the bar as far as the professionalism of the real estate industry goes and make it a career of choice,” he declared.
While he lauded the rollout of stricter industry entry requirements as a “good starting point”, he offered that there are other ways to ensure the creation of quality agents.
“We don’t want to just provide them with qualifications; we want them to be industry-ready and thoroughly versed in the ethics and professionalism that real estate clients expect and should receive. Graduates can hit the ground running,” he explained.
Aside from helping new agents have a solid footing when starting out their real estate careers, he also wants them to have the proper support and network support systems in place.
“We want to connect with more people as they enter the industry, mentor them and be able to introduce them to employment opportunities within our group,” he said.
By setting up newcomers in a “win-win” scenario, Mr O’Neil said that any recruits who are successfully absorbed by the network could then take advantage of the in-house training and development programs provided by the group to in-house — a transition the executive believes will give any agent a “springboard to develop their career”.
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