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Hundreds of would-be real estate industry workers across New South Wales are being “forcibly unemployed” due to bureaucratic inefficiencies, according to the state’s real estate body.
The Real Estate Institute of New South Wales (REINSW) has pointed blame at NSW Fair Trading, who is at present “the gatekeeper of an application process which means fully trained agents who are ready, capable and eager to work must wait more than 50 days for the department to undertake the necessary checks”.
CEO Tim McKibbin said “it’s ironic that it takes longer for Fair Trading to process an application than it takes for the agent to complete the necessary training course”.
Acknowledging that many people lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, he highlighted that a number of individuals from industries such as tourism and hospitality have “taken the initiative to reskill, recognising that the customer service skills they have can be applied to real estate”.
“They’ve completed the required training and are prepared to re-enter the workforce,” he stated.
“Perhaps they’ve even secured a job with a real estate business. But they have to wait weeks — and even months — for their application to be processed.”
According to the REINSW, the number of workers waiting in the wings to commence their real estate careers is growing daily.
Mr McKibbin believes there is an opportunity to unlock these jobs “quickly and easily”, having considered the application process actually as one “that can be done in 24 to 48 hours”.
“There are plenty of accredited market operators entirely capable of processing real estate licence applications within one to two business days,” he said.
He believes there’s no need for the department to be the “gatekeeper” of such a process, especially “where others can manage it with significantly greater efficiency”.
“We are not proposing a radical solution,” the CEO said.
“The process could be as simple as registering a car. We have it inspected by a mechanic, they lodge a certificate online, we secure the other necessary documents, and our car is registered.”
He expressed that “it’s important to recognise the hold-up has nothing to do with training, nor is NSW Fair Trading providing any additional quality assurance or value to consumers over the months it takes to process an application”.
“It’s simply pointless bureaucracy keeping people from getting to work.”
Mr McKibbin has also noted that the delay has nothing to do with the COVID-19 pandemic, having highlighted that “the unacceptably long application processing times plagued the industry before the pandemic became a reality”.
He said NSW Fair Trading has “a clear opportunity to unlock more new jobs, alleviate pressure on itself and help get the NSW economy moving again”.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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