Information about the options available to assistant agents with an expiring certificate of registration.
On this page
Certificate of registration extension
Statement of regulatory intent
Key information
- A certificate of registration is issued for a four-year term and is not renewable.
- Assistant agents with a certificate expiring on 22 March 2024 can apply online until 22 June 2024 for a one-off, 12-month extension of their certificate.
- To apply you must be enrolled in Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice or Certificate IV in Strata Community Management.
Certificate of registration extension
A certificate of registration is issued for a four-year term and is not renewable.
However, recent changes to the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 make it possible for eligible assistant agents to apply for an extension of their certificate of registration.
If you cannot apply for a class 2 agent licence before your certificate expires and your certificate has an expiry date of 22 March 2024, you can apply for a one-off, 12-month extension.
How to apply
Prior to expiry of your certificate, you will receive an email from NSW Fair Trading with information on how to complete the online application.
To submit your extension application, simply access the link provided in the email or SMS from NSW Fair Trading. You can only complete this extension and make the payment online using this link.
You don’t need to provide any information to apply online but will need to confirm you are enrolled in either Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419) or Certificate IV in Strata Community Management (CPP40516 or CPP40521).
Once you have completed the online application for extension and paid the fee, you will be issued a confirmation and a copy of your updated certificate by email. Applications will be processed within 24 hours.
Certificate holders with a certificate expiry date of 22 March 2024 will have three months from the date of expiry to apply for the 12-month extension.
You can apply for the 12-month extension as soon as you receive the extension notification from NSW Fair Trading. You must apply online by 22 June 2024.
The 12-month extension of your certificate will commence on 22 March 2024 regardless of when you submit your application. If there any issues with your application, NSW Fair Trading will contact you.
No further extensions will be available. If you continue to work beyond 23 June 2024 without a current certificate you may face fines of up to $11,000.
This is a once-only extension of the certificate of registration. Once this expires on 22 March 2025, you will not be able to extend the certificate and will be required to wait 12 months to re-apply. You are advised to complete the required training and apply for a class 2 agent licence to continue working in the industry. If you have recently applied for a class 2 agent licence and it’s still being processed, you do not need to complete the application to extend your certificate.
Note: Assistant stock and station agents (livestock only) can already extend their certificates online.
Fees
The fee to apply for a one-off, 12-month extension of a certificate of registration is $100. This applies only to certificates of registration with an expiry date of 22 March 2024.
There is no penalty fee for lodging this extension during the three month restoration period.
If your application is refused, you will receive a partial refund of your application fee. The processing fee of $46 is non-refundable.
Statement of regulatory intent
Eligible certificate holders with a certificate expiring on 22 March 2024 will be covered by a statement of regulatory intent, which ensures they are protected from enforcement action or prosecution for operating under their original certificate until 23 June 2024 or they receive their certificate extension, whichever occurs first. The statement also covers certificate holders with an expiry date of 22 March 2024 who have applied for a class 2 agent licence which is still being assessed by NSW Fair Trading.
These certificate holders can:
- continue to work using their original certificate, including any conditions, for the period covered by the statement of regulatory intent or until they receive their online extension.
- continue to work using their original certificate for the above mentioned period even though their certificate will appear as expired on the public register until they either extend their certificate online or obtain a class 2 licence.
Assistant agents who do not extend their certificate by 23 June 2024 and continue to work without a certificate, face on the spot fines of $1,100 or higher court-issued fines of up to $11,000.
Class 1 licence holders who oversee and manage assistant agents should help them to up-skill before their certificate expires or apply for the 12-month extension. If they are employing someone without this registration, they could face the same court-issued maximum penalty of $11,000.
Read the Statement of Regulatory Intent for more information.
Applications based on exceptional circumstances
These types of applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis by the NSW Fair Trading Licensing team and must meet specific criteria.
The applicant needs to demonstrate there have been exceptional circumstances which substantially disrupted their ability to complete the qualifications to progress to a class 2 agent licence within the 12 months before expiry of their certificate.
Exceptional circumstances could include but are not limited to:
- a medical condition of the certificate holder
- an exclusion of the holder from participation in the property and stock agents industry that is beyond the holder's control
- a disruption to the certificate holder’s domestic arrangements.
Who can apply?
From 22 March 2024, NSW Fair Trading will be offering this option to Assistant Agents with certificates of registration expiring on or after 22 March 2024, in the following classes:
- real estate
- real estate – business broking
- real estate - on-site residential property manager
- real estate - sales or leasing
- stock and station
- strata management.
The application for an extension based on exceptional circumstances will be contingent on applicants:
- being enrolled in Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419) or Certificate IV in Strata Community Management (CPP40516 or CPP40521)
- providing evidence of exceptional circumstances
- paying the prescribed application fee.
Assistant agents with a certificate expiring on 22 March 2024 currently have the option to extend their certificate online for a one-off, 12-month period. This option is open until 22 June 2024. If they miss the window to extend their certificate online and they meet the criteria to apply, these agents could apply for an extension based on exceptional circumstances after 22 June 2024.
Assistant agents with a certificate expiring on or after 23 March 2024 do not have the option to extend their certificate online. If they meet the criteria to apply, these agents could apply for an extension based on exceptional circumstances. They are advised to apply within three months of their certificate expiring.
If you apply more than three months after your certificate has expired, you must not only provide evidence there are exceptional circumstances for extending your certificate, but also why you did not apply for the extension within three months of expiry.
How to apply
You can lodge an application at a Service NSW Centre. If you cannot attend a centre, you can request an application form via email by calling Service NSW on 13 32 20.
The application form cannot be downloaded from the NSW Fair Trading or Service NSW websites.
To apply, you must:
- complete the application form including details of the exceptional circumstances that have substantially disrupted your ability to complete the qualifications for the issue of a class 2 agent licence within the 12 months before the expiry of your certificate
- attach documentary evidence to support the exceptional circumstances criteria
- confirm you are enrolled in Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice (CPP41419) or Certificate IV in Strata Community Management (CPP40516 or CPP40521)
- pay the prescribed application fee
- submit your application at a Service NSW Centre or via email to the NSW Fair Trading Licensing team.
If you are submitting your application at a Service NSW Centre, you can pay the application fee at the centre. If you are submitting your application via email, you must pay the application fee at the NSW Government Payment Portal.
Details of how to apply are clearly outlined on the application form.
Assistant agents can make an application before or after expiry of their certificate and it will be assessed within 30 business days.
Even if you have made an application to extend your certificate based on exceptional circumstances, you cannot continue working under your certificate once it expires. For applicants with certificates expiring on 22 March 2024, this applies from 23 June 2024 when these certificates are no longer covered by the statement of regulatory intent.
For applicants with certificates expiring on or after 23 March 2024, this applies from the time these certificates expire.
From the date of expiry, certificates will appear as expired on the public register.
If the application to extend is approved, you will receive an email from NSW Fair Trading with an updated certificate and it will appear as current on the public register.
The extended certificate will be backdated to the expiry of the previous certificate, regardless of when the extension was approved. For example, a certificate expiring on 23 March 2024 that receives an extension approval on 1 June 2024, will have an expiry of 23 March 2025.
If the application to extend is refused, you will receive an email from NSW Fair Trading and your certificate will continue to appear as expired on the public register.
Unsuccessful applications
If your application to extend a certificate of registration is refused, you can request a review of the decision.
See reviews of Fair Trading decisions for more information about your review rights.
Update your details
As a certificate holder, it is your responsibility to tell us within 14 days if your name, address or other details change.
You can do this by submitting the Notification of Change of Details form at a Service NSW centre or by email.
Contact us
If you have any questions or need more help, please call us on 13 32 20.