Victoria will introduce mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for the real estate sector in April 2027 and a new registration scheme for agents' representatives from November this year.
The reforms may affect rent roll exchanges as well as day-to-day agency requirements, so they are worth understanding.
CPD and representative registration: what's changing and when?
New registration regulations will come into effect on 25 November 2026, introducing a requirement for agents' representatives (aka sales agents and property managers) to be registered with the Business Licensing Authority (BLA).
New CPD obligations will apply from 1 April 2027. From then, licensed estate agents and their registered representatives must complete at least five CPD activities between 1 April and 31 March.
These activities must run for a minimum of one hour and be delivered in person or through an interactive online format requiring real engagement (it can’t be a basic recording).
At least two of the five activities each year must be mandatory topics set by the BLA and assessed through a written examination.
Providers delivering these activities face their own obligations, including notifying the Authority before offering a course and reporting any change to their registration status.
The BLA can prohibit a provider from delivering CPD activities for up to three years if content or notification requirements are not met, so it’s worth checking a provider's status before you invest in training for your agency.
Why new regulations matter for a rent roll transaction
If you’re buying or selling a rent roll, these reforms have a flow-on effect.
For buyers, training time and costs now need to be factored into the business plan for any acquired team. Five activities per person per year, with at least two requiring formal assessment, represent a real ongoing commitment across a portfolio management team, not a one-off expense.
Regarding workforce risk, the more pressing issue is registration continuity. Management income will be easier to transfer if the people servicing those properties are registered and compliant.
Rent roll buyers need to ask how many PUMs are on the roll and:
How many people are running it?
Are the roll operators registered if they need to be?
Where do things stand in terms of compliance?
What regulatory updates mean for vendors
If you are preparing an agency for sale, a clean compliance position will help create a more valuable asset. An agency which can demonstrate its team is ahead of the CPD requirements, with training tracked and documented, presents lower integration risk to a buyer than one where compliance becomes the purchaser's problem to solve after the exchange is finalised.
Good record keeping is a habit worth getting into. From April 2027, agents and representatives must retain a certificate for each CPD activity, including the provider's details and certification of authenticity. Building this tracking into your agency systems now will help you develop a stronger position at sale and give your buyer one less thing to sort out during handover.
Preparing for the transition
With implementation still some months away, there is time to prepare.
If you’re exploring buying, ask sellers about current staff registration status and training pathways as part of due diligence.
If you’re on the journey to sell, build CPD tracking into your agency operations and prepare ahead of time for representative registration so you can hand over a compliance-ready asset.
Compliance has the power to be a differentiator which can put you ahead at the negotiating table, so it is important to keep it in mind as regulations change and during a rent roll exchange.
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From 25 November 2026, agents' representatives must be registered with the Business Licensing Authority. From 1 April 2027, licensed agents and representatives must complete at least five CPD activities each year (minimum one hour each, in person or interactive online), with at least two on mandatory topics assessed by written examination.
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Buyers need to factor ongoing CPD training time and costs into their business plan, and confirm during due diligence that the team servicing the roll is registered and compliance-ready. Registration continuity makes management income far easier to transfer at settlement.
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An agency that can show its team is ahead of CPD requirements, with training tracked and certificates retained, presents lower integration risk to a buyer. Building CPD tracking and representative registration into your operations now positions your rent roll as a compliance-ready asset at sale.