CPD for Queensland Real Estate Agents: What Is Required and How to Stay Compliant

Your licence renewal is coming up and your principal asks whether you’ve done your CPD. You pause. You’ve been to a couple of industry events this year, watched a few webinars, maybe completed some in-house training. None of it was labelled “OFT-approved.” That pause is exactly the problem this article resolves.

From 6 June 2025, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) requires all Queensland property professionals holding a real estate licence or certificate to complete approved CPD training each year — this is now a legal requirement, not an industry recommendation. The rules are specific: specific session types, specific providers, a specific deadline that is different for every single licensee. Getting the details wrong carries real consequences.

Who Must Complete CPD Queensland Real Estate Agents Requirements 2026

As of 6 June 2025, CPD became mandatory for all real estate professionals in Queensland, including real estate agents, salespeople (including property managers), auctioneers, and resident letting agents. The obligation applies regardless of your role within an agency, your seniority, or how many years you have been in the industry.

Whether you’re a residential salesperson, property manager, assistant agent, business broker, auctioneer, assistant real estate agent, resident letting agent, or commercial agent, you’ll need to do CPD real estate training. The requirement follows the licence or registration, not the job title. A principal who also holds an individual licence must comply in their individual capacity, as must every salesperson on their books.

These new rules bring Queensland in line with other jurisdictions like New South Wales, where CPD requirements have long been enforced. Queensland was one of the last states to formalise mandatory continuing education for property professionals, a gap that the REIQ actively lobbied to close.

The CPD Queensland Requirements Do Not Apply to These Categories

Several categories of licence holder are exempt from the mandatory CPD requirement. Understanding the full scope of exemptions matters, because some of these situations are more common than people realise.

You are not required to complete CPD if: your licence was first issued less than 12 months ago; your licence was deactivated for most of your CPD year; you hold a limited real estate agent licence for affordable housing or for business letting; or you represent public sector agencies or are an official with a licence under the Property Occupations Act 2014.

New licensees who receive their first licence after June 2025 are exempt from CPD requirements for the first year. Since they have just completed their initial training, their first CPD year will start one year after their licence is granted. This is a sensible grace period — but it means new agents need to calendar their start date carefully so the obligation does not creep up on them unannounced.

You can also apply for an exemption for any given CPD year if you cannot complete your CPD due to exceptional circumstances. The OFT assesses these applications individually. Evidence is required. Missed deadlines due to poor planning do not meet the threshold.

Understanding Your CPD Year: It Is Not the Same for Everyone

This is the detail that catches the most agents off-guard. Your CPD year is based on your individual licence issue date, not the calendar year. Two colleagues working at the same agency may have CPD deadlines six months apart.

From 6 June 2025, your first CPD year begins on the anniversary date of your licence or certificate being issued as it appears on your licence. For example, if your issue anniversary date is 1 August, the OFT requires you to start keeping evidence of your CPD courses from that date.

Your licence or registration issue date is printed on your current licence or registration. If you hold multiple licences or if you hold both a licence and a registration, use the one with the earliest issue date. This means an agent who upgraded from a salesperson’s registration certificate to a full licence should check which document carries the earlier date and apply that as the anchor.

If you upgrade or change your licence or registration, your CPD year will align with the new issue date. If you hold multiple licences or registrations, your CPD year will change to the earliest issue date. Keep this in mind if you are considering a licence upgrade mid-year — it may shift your CPD window.

Any training you do before your CPD year begins will not count. This is critical. Even if you complete an OFT-approved session six weeks before your CPD year opens, it cannot be applied to that year’s requirement. Timing is everything.

The OFT has made a CPD calculator available on the Queensland Government website at qld.gov.au to help agents confirm their exact CPD year start and end dates. Every agent should check this tool rather than estimating.

Two Sessions Per Year: What Counts and What Does Not

You must complete 2 approved CPD sessions each CPD year. If you don’t, you may not be eligible to renew your licence or registration. The requirement sounds simple. Where agents run into trouble is assuming that any professional development activity satisfies it.

Only approved CPD sessions listed on the OFT’s website will count towards your 2 mandatory sessions. Any CPD sessions completed from other states or territories, even if approved there, will not be accepted. Interstate training — no matter how relevant or how reputable the provider — does not qualify. Queensland has its own approved list and agents must work from it.

To ensure sessions are approved in Queensland, look for session codes beginning with ‘QLDCPD20’. This is the simplest verification check. Before enrolling in anything, confirm the session code. If a course does not carry a QLDCPD20 code, it will not satisfy your mandatory requirement.

Type 1 CPD Sessions

Type 1 sessions are designed to promote and improve core skills. A Type 1 session is either an accredited unit of competency delivered by a registered training organisation drawn from nationally accredited real estate qualifications, or an approved, condensed ‘CPD version’ of one of the above units from an approved qualification.

Type 1 sessions are the most technically rigorous of the two types. They draw from the national Property Services Training Package — the same framework that underpins the Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice and the Diploma of Property Agency Management. Type 1 = an accredited unit (or approved CPD-version) from the national property qualifications, delivered by an eligible provider.

As a practical example, among the REIQ’s OFT-approved offerings is “Acquiring Expertise in Trust Account Management,” session code QLDCPD20250008. Each approved session carries its own unique QLDCPD20 code, allowing agents to verify their enrolment against the official register.

Type 2 CPD Sessions

Type 2 CPD focuses on service delivery, consumer satisfaction, and professional ethics, improving your communication and negotiation skills across sales, property management, and leasing. These sessions sit outside the formal property training package but carry OFT approval in their own right.

A Type 2 session focuses on enhancing service outcomes and consumer protection for buyers and sellers. These CPD courses aim to boost the professionalism, customer service, and ethical business practices of people in the profession, whether in sales or property management.

How the Two Types Combine

From 6 June 2025, licence and registration holders must complete two approved CPD sessions each CPD year — either one Type 1 and one Type 2, or two Type 1 sessions. Two Type 2 sessions do not satisfy the requirement. The combination must include at least one Type 1.

This gives agents reasonable flexibility. If you are a property manager looking to deepen trust account management skills, you could complete two Type 1 sessions in technically-focused areas. If you want a balance of technical and professional skills, one of each is the standard approach.

Session Duration

The OFT says a duration of two to three hours for each compulsory CPD session is considered sufficient. These are not half-day seminars or full conference programmes. The expectation is focused, substantive learning in a defined and auditable format. Each session delivers specific, measurable content against a set learning framework.

OFT-Approved Providers: Only These Qualify

Not every training organisation in Queensland is authorised to deliver CPD that counts toward your mandatory requirement. CPD sessions may only be provided by eligible organisations that have had sessions approved by the Office of Fair Trading. Provider eligibility and session approval are separate — a provider can be eligible but still need individual sessions assessed before they appear on the approved list.

Eligible provider categories include RTOs (Registered Training Organisations), industry bodies, and government departments. The OFT evaluates and selects proposed sessions with input from a CPD Advisory Panel that includes industry, community, and training representatives.

The REIQ is among the most prominent approved providers. CPD is now a requirement for all licensed and registered real estate professionals in Queensland, effective from 6 June 2025, and as a leading provider of real estate education and an OFT-approved CPD provider, the REIQ offers a comprehensive range of CPD training options across the state, including regional Queensland.

Delivery formats vary by provider. The REIQ plans to offer a range of learning options including in-person events, live online courses, and on-demand video sessions. Some providers operate exclusively online; others offer face-to-face options or blended delivery. Format does not affect validity — what matters is that the specific session has OFT approval.

A word of caution for principals managing teams: do not assume that a vendor’s CPD claim is accurate. Always verify the QLDCPD20 session code before booking team training. Compliance is the individual agent’s responsibility, and an incorrectly verified session cannot be credited after the fact.

Record-Keeping and Reporting: Your Obligations

Once you complete a session, the CPD provider must supply you with proof of completion, such as a certificate or statement of attainment. Safeguard this documentation. Do not treat it as administrative paperwork to be discarded.

You must keep a record of completion for five years. The OFT does not require you to submit certificates proactively, but it may request them during compliance checks. An agent who cannot produce their records cannot demonstrate compliance — and an inability to demonstrate compliance is treated the same as non-compliance.

From 6 June 2026, you will only need to confirm your CPD status when renewing or restoring your licence or registration. You do not need to send your certificates to the OFT. The process is declaration-based: at renewal, you declare that you have met your obligations. The OFT will record your declaration and may verify compliance during subsequent visits. False declarations can lead to compliance actions, including possible loss of licence.

The REIQ offers a CPD tracker to help agents monitor their progress, stay within their CPD period, and avoid any hiccups at renewal time. REIQ Members may opt to use the CPD Tracker available in the REIQ Portal. The REIQ does not submit CPD completion records to the Office of Fair Trading on your behalf. The tracking tool is a convenience, not a submission mechanism — your records remain your responsibility to retain and produce.

What Happens If You Miss Your CPD Requirement

The practical pathway to non-compliance in Queensland’s CPD regime is straightforward: leave CPD too late, and you cannot renew your licence on time. Leave it long enough, and your licence lapses.

The OFT cannot process your renewal application until your CPD is complete. To avoid delays, complete your CPD before lodging your renewal application. An agent who submits for renewal without having completed both sessions will find their application stalled until the gap is remedied. In a busy market, even a two-week licence processing delay has real commercial consequences.

The Property Occupations Act 2014 is the governing legislation for Queensland real estate licences. Under the Act, the chief executive may only renew a licence if the licensee has complied with their CPD obligations for each CPD year within the term of their current licence. The renewal may proceed where: the licensee has complied with section 92B(1) for each CPD year ending within the term of the licensee’s current licence; or the licensee has not complied but exceptional circumstances apply. No CPD, no circumstances, no renewal.

Existing licensees can have their licences cancelled as a result of breaches of the Property Occupations Act 2014. A lapsed licence means an agent cannot legally practise — cannot list, cannot negotiate, cannot sign agency agreements, cannot collect commission. For a salesperson, this means immediate suspension of their ability to earn. For a principal, it can mean a business that cannot legally operate.

The stakes are not theoretical. You must complete 2 approved CPD sessions each CPD year. If you don’t, you may not be eligible to renew your licence or registration. That “may not” is functionally a “will not” in the absence of demonstrated exceptional circumstances.

Principals running multi-agent teams need to understand that CPD compliance is individual — each licence holder in the business is responsible for their own record. A principal cannot complete CPD on behalf of a salesperson, and a salesperson’s non-compliance does not generate liability for the principal in the CPD-specific sense. However, an agency that employs unlicensed agents exposes itself to separate and serious liability under the Act.

CPD Queensland Real Estate Agents Requirements and Licence Upgrades

Agents who hold a salesperson’s registration and are considering upgrading to a full licence should be aware of how a licence change affects their CPD year.

If you upgrade or change your licence or registration, your CPD year will align with the new issue date. This means the clock resets. Any CPD completed against your old registration period may need to be reviewed to confirm what carries over and what falls outside the new CPD window. Use the OFT CPD calculator at qld.gov.au to recalculate after any licence change.

Any CPD you complete before your first CPD year starts will not count towards your mandatory requirements. This applies equally to newly licensed agents and to those who have undergone a licence upgrade. Do not pre-complete sessions in anticipation of a new CPD year — they will not be credited.

Approved Sessions From Across the State

One practical concern for agents in regional Queensland is access. Not all approved providers operate in all areas, and not all sessions are available in face-to-face format outside major centres.

Online delivery is the most accessible format — several providers offer CPD courses through flexible online learning platforms accessible from anywhere in Queensland. Currently, many CPD courses are delivered online, providing convenience and immediate access for busy professionals.

The availability of online delivery means that a sole operator in Cairns, a property manager in Mackay, or an auctioneer in Toowoomba has the same practical access to approved CPD as an agent in Brisbane’s inner north. There is no geographic reason for non-compliance.

When selecting sessions, agents should apply some professional judgement rather than simply booking the cheapest or most convenient option. These requirements ensure that real estate practitioners are up to date with relevant legislation, ethical practices, and changing market trends in the property industry. A session on trust account management carries different relevance for a property manager than for a sales-only agent. Select sessions that address actual gaps in your practice, not just gaps in your compliance calendar.

What This Means for Queensland Agents

The CPD Queensland real estate agents requirements that commenced 6 June 2025 represent a permanent change to how licences are maintained in this state. The adjustments required are modest — two sessions per year, each approximately two to three hours — but the administrative discipline required to stay compliant is non-trivial.

The first thing every agent should do right now is locate their licence or registration and confirm the issue date. That date is the anchor of your CPD year. Everything flows from it. Use the OFT’s online calculator at qld.gov.au to confirm your exact CPD year start date, then mark the end date in your calendar with enough lead time to book and complete two sessions before renewal.

The second discipline is provider verification. Before enrolling in any session, confirm that it carries a QLDCPD20 session code and appears on the OFT’s approved list. A session without that code — regardless of the provider’s reputation — will not satisfy your mandatory requirement. Interstate CPD courses do not count. Internal agency training does not count.

The third discipline is record-keeping. When you complete a session, your provider must issue you a certificate or statement of attainment. File it immediately. Keep it for five years. Do not rely on the provider to maintain records on your behalf — at renewal time, the declaration is yours to make and the burden of proof, if the OFT asks, is yours to discharge.

For principals, the team management dimension matters. Each salesperson in your business carries their own CPD obligation, and their failure to comply ultimately affects their individual ability to practise. Build CPD deadlines into your team’s licence management calendar. Do not wait until renewal notices arrive — by then, a team member running late on CPD may already be blocking their own renewal.

These changes bring Queensland in line with other jurisdictions like New South Wales. The REIQ was at the forefront of advocacy for CPD in Queensland as a means of raising industry standards and enhancing the real estate profession’s reputation. The requirement is here to stay. For agents who treat it as a genuine investment in their professional practice rather than a compliance burden, the annual CPD cycle is a straightforward, low-cost way to maintain currency with a market and a regulatory environment that continues to evolve.

For full details on approved session lists, the CPD calculator, and exemption applications, refer to the official Queensland Government CPD page at qld.gov.au. For REIQ-delivered CPD programs, refer to reiq.com. The Property Occupations Act 2014 is available at legislation.qld.gov.au.