NSW Real Estate CPD Requirements 2025–26: What Agents Need to Know

Continuing professional development (CPD) is a legal requirement for all licensed real estate agents and certificate holders in New South Wales. Failure to meet NSW Fair Trading's CPD requirements can result in a licence or registration not being renewed — meaning agents cannot legally carry out real estate functions. This guide covers every CPD obligation for 2025–26, including compulsory topics, hour requirements, and how to keep your records audit-ready.

Who Must Complete CPD in NSW?

CPD is compulsory for all holders of:

• A real estate agent licence (Class 1 or Class 2)
• A certificate of registration (assistant agent)
• A stock and station agent licence
• A business agent licence
• A strata managing agent licence

CPD must be completed in each 12-month period that falls within a licence or certificate's three-year term. NSW Fair Trading audits CPD records at renewal and may conduct mid-term audits of selected licence holders.

How Many CPD Hours Are Required?

For the 2025–26 CPD year, licence and certificate holders must complete 12 hours of CPD, split as follows:

Compulsory CPD Topics for 2025–26

NSW Fair Trading sets the compulsory CPD topics each year. For the 2025–26 CPD year (1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026), the compulsory topics for Class 1 and Class 2 licence holders include:

• Supervision obligations — responsibilities of the licensee-in-charge and how to supervise certificate holders
• Trust accounting — correct handling of trust moneys under the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 (NSW)
• Legislative and regulatory update — changes to the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002, Regulation 2022, and associated guidelines
• Cybersecurity and data protection — obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and practical security measures
• AML/CTF obligations — anti-money laundering requirements for real estate agents as AUSTRAC reporting entities

Note: Certificate of registration holders (assistant agents) have separate compulsory topics focused on working under supervision. Always check NSW Fair Trading's current CPD schedule directly, as topics can change between CPD years.

The CPD Year and Renewal Deadline

The NSW CPD year runs from 1 July to 30 June. All required CPD hours must be completed by 30 June each year. CPD completed before 1 July cannot be carried forward to the next CPD year.

When a licence is renewed at the end of its three-year term, the agent must provide evidence of CPD completion for each of the three CPD years that fell within the licence period. If CPD was not completed in any one year, the licence will not be renewed.

What Records Must Be Kept?

Each agent must retain the following for every CPD activity completed:

• A certificate of completion from the approved provider
• The provider's name and approval number
• The topic covered and whether it was compulsory or elective
• The number of hours completed
• The date the activity was completed

NSW Fair Trading may audit these records at any time — not just at renewal. Keep all CPD records for the full duration of your licence period plus three additional years.

The LIC's Responsibility for Staff CPD

While every agent is individually responsible for their own CPD, the licensee in charge (LIC) has a supervisory obligation under the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 (NSW). If an LIC employs certificate holders or Class 2 agents who fail to complete CPD, the LIC can face disciplinary proceedings for failing to properly supervise their staff — even if the LIC's own CPD is complete.

Best practice is for the LIC to maintain a CPD register for all staff — tracking hours completed, topics, providers, and renewal deadlines for every person carrying out licensed functions in the agency. REA Hub's CPD tracking module manages this automatically, sending automated alerts 90, 30, and 7 days before each agent's CPD deadline.

What Happens if CPD is Not Completed?

Non-completion of CPD by 30 June can result in:

• Refusal to renew the licence or certificate
• Suspension of the licence or certificate pending CPD completion
• Disciplinary proceedings for carrying out real estate functions without a current licence
• The LIC facing a separate disciplinary proceeding for failing to supervise staff CPD