If you hold a real estate licence in Australia, continuing professional development is the part of the job that quietly decides whether you can keep trading next year. It rarely feels urgent, yet it is one of the most important things on the list. Leave it too late and you can find yourself unable to renew, which puts your income on hold until it is fixed.
The catch is that there is no single national CPD rule. Each state and territory sets its own requirement, and they do not match. This guide walks through what CPD means in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT, so you know exactly what applies to you and how to get it done early.
What CPD actually is
CPD stands for continuing professional development. It is the ongoing training licensed agents and assistant agents complete each year to keep their knowledge current and their licence active. Think of it as the maintenance that keeps your right to trade switched on. The licensing authority in your state sets the requirement, and you complete the training with a registered training provider like Archer Institute.
Done well, CPD is more than box-ticking. It keeps you across the law, trust account rules and practice changes that affect how you work day to day. Done late, it becomes a panic the week before renewal. The trick is to treat it as a small annual task you finish early, not a deadline you race.
The golden rule: requirements differ by state
This is where people get caught out, especially anyone licensed in more than one state. The number of hours or points, the categories, and even whether you can do it online all change depending on where you are licensed. Here is the state-by-state picture.
NSW CPD
In New South Wales, licensed agents and assistant agents complete annual CPD set by NSW Fair Trading across defined categories. With Archer Institute, NSW CPD runs as live, interactive online sessions for your licence category, and one enrolment covers the compulsory topic sessions for your category. You receive a completion certificate for each compulsory topic you complete. Property managers and Class 1 licence holders have further NSW Fair Trading requirements outside Archer sessions, and assistant agents complete Certificate IV units instead.
For the full breakdown of what counts and how the categories work, read our guide to NSW CPD requirements, or go straight to NSW CPD training.
QLD CPD
Queensland works on a CPD year that runs for 12 months from the anniversary of your licence or registration issue date, not the calendar year. In your CPD year you are required to complete two CPD sessions. Because the year is tied to your own issue date, two agents in the same office can have completely different deadlines.
Since 6 June 2026, Queensland renewal applicants declare that their CPD is complete, confirm they are exempt, or give details of exceptional circumstances. Separately, the Office of Fair Trading says it cannot process a renewal until your CPD is complete, so you cannot leave CPD until after you renew. If you are unsure when your CPD year falls, our QLD CPD year guide will walk you through it, our free QLD CPD year calculator will do the maths, or you can read the full QLD CPD requirements.
ACT CPD
The Australian Capital Territory requires 12 CPD points per year for licensed agents and assistant agents. Archer delivers ACT CPD online and self-paced, with all categories available and a completion certificate issued when you finish. Twelve points is a manageable annual task once you sit down to it, and our ACT 12-point guide explains how the points add up.
VIC CPD from 1 April 2027
Victoria starts mandatory CPD on 1 April 2027. Consumer Affairs Victoria says estate agents and agents' representatives must complete at least 5 CPD activities in each CPD year, which runs from 1 April to 31 March. At least 2 must come from the Business Licensing Authority's list of mandatory topics, each activity must be at least an hour, and it must be delivered in person or interactively online. Conferences, self-study and pre-recorded webinars do not count.
Archer is preparing live Victorian CPD for the 2027-28 CPD year, as interactive online webinars and in-office sessions for agency teams, and you can register your interest now. Our guide to Victorian CPD lists the 8 mandatory topics, and the Victorian CPD planner lays out your five activities.
What happens if you miss your deadline
Missing CPD stops you trading. If your CPD is not complete when your licence is due for renewal, you can be left unable to renew on time. That can mean stepping back from work you are otherwise qualified and keen to do, all because of a training task you could have finished well ahead of time. In Queensland this is sharper still, because the Office of Fair Trading says it cannot process a renewal until your CPD is complete. We cover the consequences in detail in what happens if you miss your CPD deadline.
How to make CPD painless
- Know your date. In Queensland that means your licence anniversary, not the calendar year. In other states, check your renewal date.
- Do it early. Finishing months ahead removes the deadline stress entirely and protects your renewal.
- Pick a provider with real support. If you get stuck on a unit, a person who answers is the difference between finishing today and abandoning it.
- Keep your certificate. Save your completion certificate somewhere you can find it when you renew.
Running CPD for a whole team
If you are a principal or office manager, multiply all of the above by the number of agents on your team, each with their own date and licence type. That is a real administrative load, and it is exactly what catches agencies out. Archer works with principals to coordinate team CPD, track who is due when, and chase the staff member directly so you do not have to. See agency training for how that works.
Your next step
Find your state, confirm your requirement, and get it done before it is urgent. Browse CPD options for your state, or call our Australian-based team and we will tell you exactly what you need and how long it will take.
