1 November 2017

With only two months remaining for the 2017 calendar year Consumer Protection reminds you to check your Compulsory Professional Development (CPD) points tally. 

If you have not obtained all of your 2017 points you should secure a place in the available courses now.  You risk missing out if you leave it to the last few weeks of the year to book. 

An audit of the completion of CPD points was carried out at the end of September which found that:

• 43% of real estate agents and 49% of sales representatives and property managers have not completed their mandatory CPD points for the 2017 calendar year; and
• 72% of real estate a agents and 69% of sales representatives and property managers have not obtained all of the 10 CPD points required for the 2017 calendar year.

All licensees with current triennial certificates, and all sales representatives and property managers with current registrations, must complete the required CPD activities each year.

The Department will not accept that CPD courses being full at the end of the year, is a valid reason for non-compliance.  Places left in available courses are limited and therefore you are urged to act now.

Failure to complete your CPD requirements could result in your licence or registration not being renewed, or the suspension or cancellation of your licence or registration by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) until your CPD requirements are met.  The SAT may also reprimand, and/or fine you. 

Recent actions in the SAT are reflected in the following bulletins:

• Issue 148 - Fine for sales representative over CPD training requirements
• Issue 151 - Real estate licence cancelled for failing to complete CPD requirements

Under the Real Estate and Business Agents and Sales Representatives Code of Conduct 2016 agents have a responsibility to ensure their employees comply with legislation, including the requirement to meet their CPD obligations. The Department encourages all agents to check with their employees to ensure that they are, or will be, compliant with their CPD prior to 31 December 2017.

There is a comprehensive list of the mandatory and elective activities approved by the Department on the website.

If you have any specific queries relating to your CPD obligations, please contact the CPD team directly on 1300 304 064 or email: cpd@demirs.wa.gov.au.