How to become a real estate rep in WA
Becoming a real estate rep in Western Australia has never been easier. There are a few steps to the process, but the first one is always choosing a course.
The short version
- There are three pathways: property management only, sales only, or both.
- Most people who "work as an agent" are actually registered reps. That's where you start.
- After your course, you apply to LGIRS with a police check and a registration fee.
Step 1Choose your pathway
There are three pathways to becoming a real estate rep in Western Australia. Which one you choose will depend on what you want to do once you're working in real estate.
Each one has a short video below. Have a watch and see which one sounds like you.
Restricted property management registration
A course for people who know they only want to do property management things. Property management is largely an office job, with occasional excursions out of the office. Property managers are great problem solvers and have excellent attention to detail.
Restricted sales registration
Salespeople spend their life on the road. They love people and making connections. Some people know for sure they'll only ever want to do sales, and this is the course for them.
Unrestricted registration
This is the CPP41419 Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice, for people who want to keep their options open. It covers both sales and property management, so you can work in either (or both) and move between them as your career grows. It's the right choice if you're not sure yet which side of real estate suits you, or if you like the idea of doing a bit of everything.
Picked a restricted pathway and changed your mind later? You can do an upskill course to remove the restriction.
Step 2Apply for your registration
Once you complete your registration course, you'll have the educational requirement to apply for your registration with the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety (LGIRS, previously DMIRS and DEMIRS). They're the governing body (the people in charge) of real estate in WA.
But the educational requirement is just one part of what you need. In summary, here's the list:
- Complete your registration courseThat's the educational requirement sorted.
- Be over 18So you can legally sign contracts.
- Show good "character and repute"This just means you have to provide a police check. In most cases you can get a police history check online, but check with LGIRS first to make sure they'll accept the one you're going to apply for. Your police check must be less than 3 months old.
- Pay the registration feeAt the time of writing, it's $342, paid to LGIRS.
For the full list of requirements, check out the LGIRS registration page.
Once you've done all that, and assuming nothing is wrong with your application, you should receive your registration!
Still weighing up your pathway? See exactly which units are in each one.
Compare pathways