While varying across states, CPD isn’t just box-ticking; it shapes compliance, trust, and real estate careers, and sets the foundation for how agents build their industry standards. Here is how to get your head around it.
At its core, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the ongoing training and education that real estate agents must complete to maintain their licence, stay compliant with legislation, and keep their industry knowledge up to date.
For new agents, TRACit founder Roylene Reilly said while the entry point remained the Certificate of Registration delivered by registered training organisations (RTO), CPD was the industry’s ongoing framework for staying current with evolving legislation, compliance expectations, and professional standards throughout their careers.
“It also ensures agents are legally informed when dealing with complex and changing regulations, especially in tenancy law, where incorrect advice can have serious consequences,” she told REB.
Additionally, she said that CPD sessions were strongly tied to the level of responsibility agents carry in the marketplace, particularly when advising on high-value property decisions.
“You can’t expect to be paid a lot of money without knowing everything about your industry.”
“We are talking well and truly into the hundreds of thousands or millions and millions of dollars.”
From an industry standpoint, she said that CPD was positioned as a mechanism that elevates real estate to the same level of accountability as other regulated professions.
“It reinforces that agents are not simply salespeople, but regulated professionals expected to maintain ongoing competency.”
Reilly said that agents should ensure they stay up to date with their CPD as non-compliance carries direct consequences for both individuals and businesses.
“They risk their licence being suspended, and they could be fined up to about 11,000 in total.”
Different states, different rules
Despite being integral to industry regulation, Reilly said that one of the most significant challenges in CPD compliance was the lack of consistency across Australian states and territories, as each jurisdiction operates under different rules, timelines, and regulatory expectations.
"That inconsistency becomes particularly difficult for agents who operate across multiple states or hold several licences simultaneously."
She said that the differences extend beyond simple training requirements and affect CPD reporting periods, required hours or modules, licence classifications, compliance deadlines and tracking systems
Each state currently operates under a different CPD structure, with NSW running from 1 July each year to 30 June the following year, Western Australia following a calendar year cycle, and Queensland tying CPD to the date an agent originally obtained their licence.
Victoria, meanwhile, has historically not required universal CPD compliance for all agents, but will start in November 2026.
On the other hand, Reilly said Queensland was one of the more complex CPD systems, with agents often needing to trace back their original licence date to determine their compliance cycle.
“Most of the agents have to go back and find their original licence to work out when they started because that's their period of CPD.”
She said that the lack of a unified system increased the risk of agents unintentionally falling behind on compliance, not necessarily because they are avoiding CPD, but because the framework itself is fragmented.
“If we really wanted to get this sorted, then each state can have their own rules, but they should have consistency across the number of hours or points that are required in each state and territory.”
How can established agents keep their CPD up to date?
For established and licensed agents, Reilly said that CPD shifts from an entry-level requirement into an ongoing professional obligation that must be actively managed every year.
While experienced agents may already understand the operational side of real estate, she said that legislative changes, compliance updates, and evolving industry expectations make ongoing education essential regardless.
She said that agents must complete annual CPD hours through RTO-led training that combines workshops, real-world discussions, and formal assessments to test knowledge of current legislation and compliance requirements.
Additionally, CPD requirements vary by licence class, categories and level of experience.
“Agents carrying greater responsibilities like trust accounting, office management, and compliance oversight make ongoing updates critical in high-pressure environments.”
To manage this, Reilly said tools like TRACit help align CPD requirements with an agent’s licence class and automate compliance tracking.
“This allows agents to monitor progress, identify outstanding modules, and maintain visibility over compliance requirements throughout the year.
“It also reduces reliance on manual tracking and helps ensure obligations are not missed due to workload or administrative oversight.”
“It also makes managing compliance easier for agency owners, and mitigates the possibility of financial penalties by the regulator,” she concluded.
Interested in becoming a real estate agent? Join REB’s New Agent Academy.
One of the industry’s key education and networking events, it connects early-career agents with some of Australia’s top performers, offering real-world insights to help fast-track your success.
Whether you’re breaking into the industry, building momentum in your first few years, or looking to sharpen your edge in a competitive market, the academy is designed to give you the tools to get ahead.
To secure your free tickets to the REB New Agent Academy, click here.
The REB New Agent Academy will be held in Brisbane on 28 May, Melbourne on 5 June, and Sydney on 12 June.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?Make Real Estate Business a preferred news source on Google.
