Ask five people what a Queensland real estate licence costs and you will get five different numbers, mostly because they are not talking about the same thing. There are two separate products, each with its own course, its own OFT fee, and its own ongoing costs. This guide breaks both down, item by item, using the current Queensland Government fee schedule.
The OFT figures below are the 2026-27 schedule, indexed 3.4% on 1 July 2026. They reset again on 1 July every year, so treat these as this year's numbers rather than fixed forever, and confirm the current schedule before you apply.
Two products, two price tags
A salesperson registration certificate lets you work as a salesperson employed by a licensed agency. You cannot operate your own agency and you cannot hold a trust account. A full real estate agent licence lets you operate independently, run your own agency, and hold a trust account. On the OFT fee schedule this second product is listed as a "property licence (individual)". We use the plain English name, real estate agent licence, throughout this guide.
Both pathways run through the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT), the regulator that issues the actual credential. Archer Institute delivers the training and issues a nationally recognised Statement of Attainment, which you then lodge with the OFT as part of your application. The course and the registration or licence are two separate steps, run by two separate bodies, and it pays to keep that distinction clear.
What a salesperson registration certificate costs
The Real Estate Salesperson course at Archer is $540, one-off. It covers the 12 specified units the OFT requires from the CPP41419 Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice, not the full qualification, just the units the OFT has specified for this registration.
From there, the costs are set by the OFT:
- Archer course (12 specified units): $540, one-off.
- OFT application fee: $401.10 for a 1-year certificate, or $681.50 for 3 years.
- Criminal history check: $47.35, charged on every application unless the OFT has already run a check on you within the last 6 months.
- Getting your ID documents certified by a Justice of the Peace, Commissioner for Declarations, solicitor or notary: a small incidental cost, with no set OFT figure, so budget for it separately.
As a guide, that is $540 + $401.10 + $47.35 = $988.45 for the 1-year route, assuming the criminal history check applies to you. If it does not, take the $47.35 off.
What a full real estate agent licence costs
The QLD Estate Agents Licence course is $960, one-off. It covers the 19 specified units the OFT requires, drawn from CPP41419 and the CPP51122 Diploma of Property (Agency Management), again the specified units rather than the full Diploma.
Importantly, you do not need to hold a registration certificate first, and no prior work experience is required to apply for the full licence. Eligibility comes down to being 18 or over, meeting the OFT's suitability requirements, and completing the specified units.
- Archer course (19 specified units): $960, one-off.
- OFT application fee: $1,709.00 for 1 year, or $3,205.00 for 3 years.
- Criminal history check: same $47.35 rule. If you are upgrading from registration to a full licence within 6 months of an OFT check, you may not pay it again.
As a guide, that is $960 + $1,709.00 + $47.35 = $2,716.35 for the 1-year route, again assuming the check applies.
Renewing your registration or licence
Once you are registered or licensed, renewal is its own cost, separate from the initial application. A registration renewal is $201.45 for 1 year or $489.05 for 3 years. A licence renewal is $868.40 for 1 year or $2,409.70 for 3 years.
Renew on time. You have 3 months from expiry to apply to restore a lapsed registration or licence, and restoration costs more than a straightforward renewal. Miss that 3-month window entirely and you have to stop working, then apply, and pay, as a brand-new applicant. Building your renewal date into your calendar well ahead of time is the cheapest way to avoid the whole problem.
CPD: the ongoing training cost
Once you hold a registration or licence, Queensland requires two CPD sessions each CPD year, which runs 12 months from the anniversary of your licence or registration issue date, not the calendar year. First-year licensees may be exempt, so check your own dates with the OFT.
Archer's two OFT-approved Type 1 CPD units are Market Property and Trust Accounts, $100 each. Complete both and your two required CPD sessions for the year are done. You can read the full breakdown and enrol via QLD CPD training.
The course fee is only ever one part of what a Queensland registration or licence costs. Add the OFT application fee, the criminal history check where it applies, and a small allowance for certifying your ID, and you have the real first-year figure for either pathway. For the step-by-step process from enrolment to lodging your application, see how to get a real estate licence in QLD. If you are ready to apply, our guide to applying for QLD registration walks through the paperwork, and if you are still weighing up whether the career stacks up, our piece on real estate salary in QLD is a useful next read.
Fees are set by the Queensland Government and change each 1 July, so always confirm the current OFT schedule before you apply. If you want the numbers for your own situation, call our Australian-based team and we will talk you through it.
