In order for you to become a real estate agent in South Africa you will need to follow the steps below:
Step 1 - Apply for a position as an intern at a registered real estate agency
Anyone looking to enter the real estate agency industry as an agent is required to serve as an intern estate agent, under the supervision of a principal estate agent or of a full status estate agent who has continuously held a valid fidelity fund certificate
Step 2 - Register at the PPRA as a Candidate Property Practitioner (Previously know as Intern Agent)
To become a real estate agent in South Africa, you must register as a Candidate Property Practitioner with the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) (Previously known as the EAAB). This registration is mandatory and ensures that you comply with industry regulations and adhere to the highest professional standards.
Step 3 - Complete training as a candidate property practitioner
The practical training course will constitute a minimum of six modules to be completed over a maximum period of six months. According to the Act: “The purpose and object of such practical training will be to equip non-principal property practitioners with the necessary practical skills required in order to enable them to operate in an efficient and appropriate manner as property practitioners in the relevant industry.”
After this, you will need another 6 months of supervision under a registered property practitioner. Until further guidelines around PPA implementation are released, trainee real estate agents are advised to hold onto and maintain their logbooks & PoE.
This is a mandatory one-year internship that provides you with hands-on experience in the real estate field. During this time, you must complete the following:
• Logbook to be completed (practical workplace experience) –
• Document your practical workplace experiences in a logbook to demonstrate your competency in various aspects of real estate.
• Qualification: FETC: Real Estate NQF4 – to be certified by SSETA – Complete the Further Education and Training Certificate in Real Estate (NQF Level 4), a nationally recognized qualification certified by the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA).
Step 4 - Write your Professional Designation Examination (PDE)
You have to write your PDE exam within 2 years after obtaining the NQF4.
After successfully completing your internship and PoE, you are eligible to write the PDE, conducted by the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB). Passing the PDE is crucial for progression in the industry. It is split into two:
To ensure greater access to the professional designation examinations, the Act states that the professional designation examinations will be capable of being written at least four times per annum at such intervals as are determined by the Authority. These exams may be written in any official language other than English and can also be completed orally.
Step 5 -Full Status Registration
Upon passing the PDE4, you can register as a full-status estate agent. This allows you to work without the supervision of a mentor.
Earning Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Points
Real estate, like many professions, is constantly evolving. Once qualified, estate agents will need to earn annual CPD Points in order to keep renewing their Fidelity Fund Certificate (FFC), which is a requirement in order to continue operating as a registered property practitioner.