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Simon Parker
National licensing should be the trigger for even better industry education and training standards, the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) CEO has urged.
Talking to Real Estate Business on the sidelines of the NAB National Small Business Summit in Sydney, REIA CEO Amanda Lynch said legislators should take the opportunity presented by national licensing to ensure education and ongoing training standards were up to scratch across Australia. Instead, she feared the government may be looking to dilute industry standards by removing the need for ongoing training.
She pointed to one agent in Queensland who had expressed their disgust about one training company that was allegedly supplying answers to trainees. Ms Lynch added a recent survey found 84 per cent of respondents said the industry was already under threat from training providers offering 'short' courses.
Her call comes not long after Real Estate Institute of NSW (REINSW) CEO Tim McKibbin raised concerns about the lack of adequate training for agents in NSW. He said this lack of training led to a dearth of expertise in the industry, which in turn explained why so many agents were leaving the industry.
Draft legislation for the national licensing of real estate agents is expected in September.
Key real estate industry stakeholders will be contacted the moment draft legislation and Regulation Impact Statements (RIS) are available for review.
Following the release of the draft rules, a six-week review process will follow which will include meetings that interested parties can attend in each capital city.
The new legislation, which is aimed at removing inconsistencies and overlapping laws in each state and territory, is due to commence for property-related professions on July 1, 2012. The aim is to ensure relevant professionals can work in any state or territory without having to obtain an additional licence.
