NSW CPD requirements 2026–2027: what property professionals need to know

The 2026–2027 NSW CPD year runs from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. If you hold a class 1 licence, class 2 licence, or a certificate of registration as a property agent in NSW, you must complete the continuing professional development specified for your licence or certificate category during that window.

Failure to comply may result in a penalty, or the suspension or cancellation of your licence or certificate. This article summarises the published requirements from the NSW Government CPD page (last updated 9 July 2026 at the time of writing). Always check that page for updates — some topics are still being finalised.

Key rules for 2026–2027

To meet your CPD requirements you must complete all compulsory topics relevant to:

• each licence category you hold, and
• the areas of practice in which you operate.

Licence category means the broad type: Real Estate, Stock and Station Agent, or Strata Managing Agent. If you hold multiple categories, you must maintain knowledge across all of them — even if you are not actively operating under each one.

Area of practice is the type of work you perform. Strata and Stock and Station each have a single area of practice. Within Real Estate there are multiple areas, including:

• Residential real estate salesperson
• Residential property manager
• Buyers agent
• Commercial real estate agent
• Business broker
• Onsite (short-term) residential property manager

If you hold a Real Estate licence and work in only one area of practice, you complete mandatory CPD for that area only. If you work across several areas, you must cover mandatory topics for each. Where topics are shared, you do not repeat the same topic so long as all required learning outcomes are met — but you may need more than the minimum hours for one area to cover everything.

Compulsory topics must be delivered by a training provider approved by the Strata and Property Services Commissioner, in an interactive environment (face-to-face, maximum 40 attendees, or interactive webinar, maximum 25 attendees), and must include an assessment activity.

Licensees-in-charge must have all CPD training detailed in the training plan for the agency.

Compulsory topics by licence and area of practice

Residential real estate salespeople

Minimum 7 hours of interactive training from an approved provider, covering 4 compulsory topics:

• Auction laws and practice
• Contracts
• Rules of Conduct refresher
• Supervision Guidelines and AML CTF in agency practice

Residential property managers

Details for Residential Property Manager CPD topics — including minimum hours and the Domestic Violence reforms topic — are currently being finalised and will be published separately by Fair Trading. Do not rely on last year’s topic list until the 2026–27 schedule is published. Check the official CPD page for updates.

Buyers agents

Minimum 7 hours, covering 4 compulsory topics:

• Marketing services, scope of practice and licensing obligations
• Auction laws and practice
• Contracts
• Supervision Guidelines and AML CTF in agency practice

Commercial real estate agents

Minimum 7 hours, covering 4 compulsory topics:

• Fire safety regulations
• GST in commercial property transactions
• Rules of conduct refresher
• Supervision Guidelines and AML CTF in agency practice

Business brokers

Minimum 7 hours, covering 3 compulsory topics:

• Establishing and managing relationships and negotiation skills
• Ethical practice for business brokers
• Supervision Guidelines and AML CTF in agency practice

Onsite (short-term) residential property managers

Minimum 4 hours, covering 3 compulsory topics:

• Conflict resolution and complaint management
• Establishing and managing relationships
• Regulatory change in strata

Strata managing agents

Minimum 6 hours, covering 3 compulsory topics:

• Regulatory change in strata
• Repairs and maintenance
• Roles, authority and risk

Stock and station agents

Minimum 7 hours, covering 4 compulsory topics:

• Auction laws and practice
• Contracts
• Safety risk management
• Supervision Guidelines and AML CTF in agency practice

Dual licence holders

If you hold more than one broad licence category (for example Real Estate and Strata, or Real Estate and Stock and Station), you must complete CPD for each category and your area of practice. Shared mandatory topics do not need to be repeated if all learning outcomes are met for each category — but where there are no shared topics, the minimum hours for each category still apply.

In practice this often means completing the full interactive hours for each licence pathway (for example 7 hours of residential salesperson topics plus 6 hours of strata topics). See the official page for the full dual-licence combinations.

Additional requirements for Class 1 agents

Class 1 licence holders must attend a NSW Fair Trading accredited forum relevant to each licence category they hold, in addition to their core CPD hours. Fair Trading has indicated further detail on these accredited events will be provided shortly.

Class 1 holders in relevant areas of practice will also be required to complete AUSTRAC’s real estate AML training as a mandatory requirement. Fair Trading will provide further guidance as AUSTRAC finalises delivery. Relevant areas named by Fair Trading include residential real estate salespeople, buyers agents, commercial real estate agents, business brokers, and stock and station agents.

Until those details are published, plan your core compulsory topics first and watch Fair Trading updates for forum and AUSTRAC timing.

Certificate of registration (assistant agents)

Assistant agents in real estate, strata, or stock and station must complete at least 3 units each CPD year from a valid Certificate IV qualification required for the issue of a Class 2 Agent licence in their pathway. They may complete any units from that Certificate IV.

Exception: assistant stock and station agents restricted to livestock-only sales have no CPD requirements under that condition.

Carry-over, records, and exemptions

Carry-over

CPD generally cannot be carried from one year to the next — except assistant agents, who can carry forward additional Certificate IV units completed during the CPD year.

Records you must keep

• Licence and certificate holders must keep their own records of compulsory topics completed and provide them to NSW Fair Trading if requested.
• Certificate of registration holders must keep the statement of attainment for each Certificate IV unit and provide it if requested.
• Class 1 and class 2 licence holders: keep records for 3 years.
• Certificate of registration holders: keep records for 4 years.

Exemptions

Fair Trading may exempt a holder by written notice. In addition:

• Holders whose licence or certificate commenced less than 90 days before the end of the CPD year (including new, restored, or reactivated licences under the published rules) may be exempt from completing CPD for that year. For 2026/27, if your licence or certificate commenced on or after 1 April 2027, you are automatically exempt from CPD for that CPD year. The exemption does not stop you from undertaking training to stay current.
• Certificate of registration holders commencing within 3 to 9 months of the end of the CPD period may need to complete a minimum of 1 Certificate IV unit instead of the full assistant-agent load — see the official page for the precise conditions.

Exemptions do not apply in certain suspension/cancellation recommencement scenarios where a condition requires specified CPD.

How EDUTIVE can help

EDUTIVE is listed among the organisations approved by the Strata and Property Services Commissioner to deliver compulsory CPD topics for the 2026–27 year (see the approved providers section on the NSW CPD page).

• Browse interactive courses for your licence category on our CPD Course catalogue.
• Track planned and completed hours against compulsory topics with CPD Tracker.

This article is a practical summary of publicly published requirements. It is not legal advice. Confirm your exact obligations against your licence categories, areas of practice, and the latest Fair Trading guidance.

Frequently asked questions

When does the 2026–2027 NSW CPD year run?

The CPD year for all NSW licence and certificate holders starts on 1 July 2026 and ends on 30 June 2027.

Who must complete NSW CPD?

Property agents who hold a class 1 licence, class 2 licence, or a certificate of registration must complete the CPD specified for their licence or certificate category each year.

Can I carry unused CPD hours into the next year?

No for most licences. Carry-over is not available except for assistant agents completing Certificate IV units.

Are Residential Property Manager compulsory topics published for 2026–27?

Not fully. Fair Trading states that details — including minimum hours and the Domestic Violence reforms topic — are being finalised and will be published separately. Check the official NSW Government CPD page before you enrol for that pathway.