Information about the options available to assistant agents with an expiring certificate of registration.
Key information
- A certificate of registration is issued for a four-year term and is not renewable.
- Assistant agents with certificates of registration that expired from 22 March 2024 may be eligible to apply for a 12-month extension based on exceptional circumstances.
- 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, changes to the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 and the Property and Stock Agents Regulation 2022 make it possible for eligible assistant agents to apply for an extension of their certificate of registration based on exceptional circumstances.
Applications based on exceptional circumstances
These types of applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis by NSW Fair Trading 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 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?
Assistant agents with certificates of registration that expired on or after 22 March 2024, in the following classes, can apply:
- 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 can apply for an extension based on exceptional circumstances before or after their certificate expires. 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.
Applications will be assessed within 30 business days.
Once your certificate expires you cannot continue working under that certificate, even if you have submitted an application to extend your certificate to Fair Trading and it is being assessed.
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 that expired 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.