As at September 2026 there is still no such thing as a buyer's agent licence anywhere in Australia. Each state and territory licenses "real estate agents" under its own Act, and that one licence covers selling, leasing and buying on someone else's behalf. A NSW Class 2 licence holder who was selling houses last year can call themselves a buyer's advocate this year without sitting another exam, and the REBAA-accredited specialist across the road holds the same class of licence.
That is why the alphabet soup of REBAA, REIA, PIPA and the eight state institutes matters more than it looks. This guide separates the bodies that can take an agent's licence away from the bodies an agent chooses to join, sets out what every state requires in 2026, and gives you a five-minute check to run before you sign.
Regulator or association: the distinction that matters
A regulator is a government body with a statute behind it. NSW Fair Trading, Consumer Affairs Victoria (through the Business Licensing Authority) and Queensland's Office of Fair Trading issue licences, keep the public register, take complaints, prosecute and suspend. Nobody may act as a real estate agent without their licence or registration.
An association is a club. The Real Estate Institute of Victoria, REBAA and PIPA are membership organisations that agents join voluntarily, pay fees to, and can leave. They set codes of conduct, run training and lobby government, and the good ones expel members who breach the code. They cannot stop that person practising.
The licence check tells you whether someone may act for you at all, and whether the regulator has disciplined them. The membership check tells you whether they have signed up to standards above the legal minimum, such as REBAA's rule that members must not sell property. "Member of the REI" sounds official but is not a licence, and "fully licensed" is the legal floor, not a mark of quality.
The 2026 changes that moved the goalposts
NSW raised the price of misconduct in 2026. The Property and Stock Agents Amendment (Underquoting and Other Agent Conduct) Act 2026 is arriving in two stages. The first, in force since 29 June 2026, lifted maximum court-imposed penalties for dummy bidding, unlicensed agent activity and mishandling trust money, which now reach $110,000 for a corporation and $55,000 for an individual, and gave Fair Trading power to force an agent to publicise their misconduct, suspend them from specific activities, and require a licensee in charge or an independent valuer to verify a price estimate. Stage two, which Fair Trading expects to start towards the end of 2026, adds a mandatory Statement of Information and an underquoting penalty of $110,000 or three times the commission, whichever is greater; our underquoting explainer covers the detail.
Victoria is putting every agent's representative on the register. From 25 November 2026 the salespeople who work under a licensed estate agent must register with the Business Licensing Authority for the first time, and from 1 April 2027 agents and representatives must complete annual CPD with written assessments. Separately, the Consumer Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 passed both houses on 26 August 2026, when the Assembly accepted the Council's amendments, but the bill status page still recorded no Royal Assent as at 7 September 2026. Clause 2 sets its estate agent provisions to commence on 1 October 2026, after which a vendor's reserve must be published for at least seven days before an auction or fixed-date sale.
Every buyer's agent became an AML reporting entity on 1 July 2026. Agents acting for a commission now have customer identification and reporting obligations to AUSTRAC. For buyers it means ID checks at the start of an engagement, explained in our guide to the 2026 AML rules.
Every body at a glance
| Body | Type | Covers | What it tells a buyer | How to check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 state and territory regulators | Statutory, compulsory | Every agent | Whether they may lawfully act for you; disciplinary record | State register (table below) |
| REIA | National peak body; members are the state REIs | No individual agents | Nothing about an individual | Not applicable |
| The 8 state REIs (REINSW to REINT) | Voluntary associations | Mostly sales agencies and property managers | Training, forms, a code; not a licence | Ask for a membership number |
| REBAA | Voluntary, buyer's agents only | Exclusive buyer's agencies | 12 months trading, licensed in every state they buy in, $2 million PI, no sales listings, Code of Conduct | rebaa.com.au directory by state |
| PIPA | Voluntary, with accreditation | Investment advisers (QPIA) | Six-module accreditation program, Code of Conduct, disciplinary register | PIPA adviser matching |
| PICA | Consumer association | Investors, from $25 a year | Nothing about an agent; no accreditation | Not applicable |
| SCA | Voluntary, with accreditation | Strata managers | Accreditation tiers, Code of Ethics, CPD; SCA (NSW) runs a Professional Standards Scheme | SCA state member lists |
| ASBC, AIBS | Voluntary | Building consultants (NSW), building surveyors | Accreditation criteria; inspectors are not uniformly licensed | Member directories |
Licensing by state in 2026
Every jurisdiction issues a full licence (for the person who runs an agency and its trust account) and a lower-tier registration for supervised employees. REBAA tells new entrants a buyer's agent "MUST hold a license in the specific state where they are making purchases", so if a Sydney agency is buying for you in Brisbane, ask which Queensland licence covers the work.
| State | Regulator | Licence a buyer's agent works under | Public register | Worth knowing in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | NSW Fair Trading | Class 1 or Class 2 real estate licence; assistant agents (certificate of registration) must be supervised | Verify NSW | Agreement must contain the terms in Schedules 5 and 7 of the Regulation and disclose the rebates, discounts and commissions the agent may receive on your expenses; the statutory one-day cooling-off covers agreements for the sale of residential property or rural land only, so check yours |
| VIC | Consumer Affairs Victoria; Business Licensing Authority | Estate agent licence; agents' representatives register with the BLA from 25 Nov 2026 | CAV public register | Reserve disclosure due from 1 Oct 2026; rebates must be disclosed and passed on |
| QLD | Office of Fair Trading | Real estate agent licence (s 26 authorises buying real property and "negotiating for the buying" of it, as agent for others for reward); registration certificate for employees | Check a licence | No service without a signed Form 6 appointment (s 102); price guides prohibited on auction listings (s 216) |
| WA | Consumer Protection (Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety) | Real estate and business agent licence; sales representative registration | Licence search | Three-year licences, annual CPD |
| SA | Consumer and Business Services | Agent registration through CBS; confirm the exact class on the register | Occupational Public Register | CBS pages were unreachable for this check, so verify the class and conditions with CBS before you sign |
| TAS | Property Agents Board | Real estate agent licence; property representative registration | Register of Property Agents | Board also investigates complaints and audits trust accounts |
| ACT | Access Canberra | Real estate agent licence; assistant agent registration | Access Canberra public registers | Police certificate at every assistant agent renewal |
| NT | Agents Licensing Board of the Northern Territory | Real estate agent licence, full or restricted; agent's representative registration | Register of Licensed Real Estate Agents, kept by the Registrar and open to inspection without fee | Licence and registration periods run 1, 3 or 5 years |
The buyer's-agent bodies in depth
REBAA
Founded in 2000, REBAA is the only national body built around buyer's agents, and its membership criteria are why the badge matters. An agency must have operated as a buyer's agency full time for at least 12 months, be licensed in every state it buys in, carry professional indemnity cover of at least $2,000,000, "not have properties listed for sale or be involved in direct selling as a Sales Agent", and uphold the Code of Conduct. Joining costs $250 plus $1,350 a year per agency.
The exclusivity clause is the one that protects you: a REBAA member cannot steer you toward stock their own office is selling, because their office is not allowed to sell. REBAA does not publish a member count; its directory lists members by state, and that is the search to run. In August 2026 it elected Brisbane buyer's agent Zoran Solano as president, the youngest in its history, after Melinda Jennison's three years in the role.
REBAA is not a regulator. A complaint can end in expulsion, a real reputational cost, but the licence stays, so take money or conduct complaints to the state regulator as well.
PIPA
PIPA accredits property investment advisers rather than buyer's agents, though many people wear both hats. The QPIA (Qualified Property Investment Adviser) designation requires completion of PIPA's six-module accreditation program, held alongside an individual or corporate membership, and it sits under a Code of Conduct backed by a disciplinary register and a "Verify a QPIA" check. In 2026 PIPA's online search directory is still being developed, and until it is finished PIPA matches enquiries to members directly. Property investment advice is not regulated like financial advice, and QPIA is the closest thing to a recognised qualification, so if someone is recommending a suburb or a strategy rather than negotiating a purchase, ask whether they hold it.
PICA
PICA is a consumer body for investors, open to "anyone over the age of 18" at $25 a year for individual membership, and it exists to lobby on tax and tenancy policy. It does not accredit professionals, so "PICA member" on an agent's website tells you nothing about competence. It can be worth joining yourself for early notice of legislative change after the 2026 Budget's negative gearing reforms.
What the state institutes do, and do not, guarantee
The eight REIs are the oldest and largest associations in the industry. REIWA represents more than 1,350 member agencies, which it says is 90% of the WA sector, and over 9,700 individuals. REIV, established in 1936, says it takes in over 2,000 real estate businesses and 5,000 professionals across Victoria, and REIQ invites new members to "join 15,000 QLD industry professionals". Each of those is the body's own figure, not an audited one. Several institutes, REIT and REINT among them, also run the courses that lead to the qualifications the regulators require, from the agent's representative course up to the Diploma of Property.
That last point is the key to reading REI membership. The institutes are where most agents get trained, buy their standard forms and phone a helpline when a contract goes wrong. Membership signals an agency is plugged into the profession. It does not mean the individual in front of you has been vetted beyond holding a licence, and most REI members are selling agents. If a selling agency's "buyer's agent division" cites REI membership as its credential, ask whether the same office holds listings and how conflicts are handled.
REIA, the national body, is a federation whose members are the state institutes, not agents. It has long argued for a single national licensing scheme, which in 2026 still does not exist, and it has no individual members to check.
How to check an agent in five minutes
- Search the state register. Use the link in the table above for the state where the property is, not where the agency is based. Confirm the name, licence class, expiry and conditions, and if the person is an assistant agent or representative, who supervises them.
- Search the REBAA directory. If the agent claims membership, find them at rebaa.com.au under their state. If they are not there, ask why.
- Look up the ABN and the company. ABN Lookup and the ASIC register show how long the entity has existed and who controls it. A six-month-old agency is not a problem in itself, but it cannot be a REBAA member.
- Read the reviews with a filter. Google reviews are unedited, which makes them useful and noisy; weight the ones that describe a specific purchase, suburb and negotiation. Our guide to choosing a buyer's agent covers the questions for the first call.
- Read the agency agreement before signing. In NSW it must contain the terms prescribed by the Regulation, be signed by a Class 1 or Class 2 licence holder, reach you within 48 hours and disclose the rebates, discounts and commissions the agent may receive on your expenses; in Queensland it is the Form 6; in Victoria any rebate must be disclosed and passed to you. Check how the fee is calculated (our fee guide explains why percentage and fixed fees pull in different directions), what happens if you find the property yourself, and whether there is a cooling-off clause.
If something goes wrong
Complain to the agency first, in writing, because every regulator will ask whether you did. Then escalate.
Conduct, licensing or misleading price claims: the state regulator. In NSW, Fair Trading can now suspend an agent from specific activities or order them to publicise a breach; in Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria conciliates and enforces; elsewhere, the bodies in the table above.
Fee disputes and contract arguments: your state's civil and administrative tribunal (NCAT, VCAT, QCAT, SAT, SACAT, ACAT, TASCAT or NTCAT), which hears consumer claims cheaply and usually without lawyers.
Lost trust money: the regulator-run compensation fund. In NSW the Property Services Compensation Fund pays claims under section 173 of the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 where a licensee has failed to account for money held in trust. Other states run their own funds. They cover money entrusted to a licensed agent, one more reason the licence check comes first.
Breach of an association code: REBAA or PIPA, in parallel with the regulator, not instead of it.
Frequently asked questions
Is REBAA membership compulsory for buyer's agents?
No. Membership is voluntary and no state requires it; the compulsory credential is the state licence or registration. REBAA membership signals an agency has bound itself to an exclusive-buyer model, minimum insurance and a code of conduct, which is why it is worth checking, but competent buyer's agents exist outside it, and some cannot join because they also sell.
Can a selling agent also act as my buyer's agent?
Legally, yes. The same licence authorises both: a Queensland real estate agent licence covers buying and selling real property for others alike, and negotiating either way. The problem is conflict of interest: an agent paid by a vendor cannot give you independent advice on that property, and an office with listings has an incentive to steer you toward them. Ask whether the agency or any related entity holds listings, and get the answer into the agreement.
Does PropertyGo verify licences?
PropertyGo's application page for agents states that a valid Australian real estate licence, professional indemnity insurance and relevant buyer's agent experience are required and that credentials are verified during the application process; REBAA and other memberships are supplied by the agent as optional information. A listing is a starting point, not a substitute for the state register: licences lapse, gain conditions and occasionally get suspended after a profile is created, so run the check yourself on the day you sign.
What to do now
Run the five checks above in order, for the state where you are buying, and keep a dated screenshot of the register result. Read what a buyer's agent actually does so you can tell whether the agreement matches the service, and if you are shopping in the largest market, our NSW buyer's agent shortlist is a place to start. If you would rather have the licensing and membership questions asked for you, GoMatch matches buyers with vetted buyer's agents for free.
None of this is legal advice. The rules above were checked against regulator and association websites in the first week of September 2026, and some were still landing, so confirm the current position with the regulator before relying on it.
Sources
- NSW Government, NSW Fair Trading, "Changes to property and stock agents laws", published 8 July 2026, and NSW legislation, Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 No 66 (sections 55, 57, 59 and 173) and Property and Stock Agents Regulation 2022 (Schedules 5 to 12), accessed 7 September 2026.
- NSW Government, NSW Fair Trading, "Underquoting guidance for property professionals", updated 8 July 2026.
- NSW Government, NSW Fair Trading, "Agency agreements: information for property professionals", 2026.
- NSW Government, NSW Fair Trading, "Property services compensation fund claim form A and guide", 2025.
- Service NSW, "Check a real estate agent licence" (Verify NSW), 2026.
- Consumer Affairs Victoria, "New education rules: agents and agents' representatives", updated 28 May 2026.
- Consumer Affairs Victoria, "Public register: search for licensed estate agents", last updated 13 February 2025.
- Premier of Victoria, "Bringing the hammer down on underquoting", 20 November 2025.
- Victorian Legislation, "Consumer Legislation Amendment Bill 2026": bill status page (status "Passed both Houses", no assent recorded), introduction print (clause 2 and new sections 47AG to 47AM of the Estate Agents Act 1980) and the Legislative Council amendment schedule, accessed 7 September 2026.
- Queensland Government, Property Occupations Act 2014 (sections 26, 102, 115 and 216), legislation.qld.gov.au, and Office of Fair Trading, "Check a licence", last updated 30 January 2024.
- Consumer Protection (WA), "Real estate licensing and registration" and "Real estate agents, property managers and sales representatives", and the Consumer Protection licence and registration search, accessed 7 September 2026.
- Northern Territory, Agents Licensing Act 1979 (sections 25A, 32A, 41A and 109), legislation.nt.gov.au, accessed 7 September 2026. South Australian regulator pages were unreachable during this check; only the Consumer and Business Services Occupational Public Register was confirmed.
- Property Agents Board of Tasmania, home page and "Register of Property Agents" (registers current at 4 September 2026), accessed 7 September 2026.
- Access Canberra, "Licensing for business, real estate and stock and station agents" and "Assistant agent registrations", accessed 7 September 2026.
- REBAA, "REBAA Membership" (eligibility requirements and fees), "About", "FAQs" and "Become a Buyer's Agent", accessed 7 September 2026.
- REBAA, "REBAA elects new president", 24 August 2026.
- Property Investment Professionals of Australia, QPIA and membership pages, accessed 7 September 2026.
- Property Investors Council of Australia, "Membership information", accessed 7 September 2026.
- Real Estate Institute of Australia, "AML/CTF" obligations page (timeline: enrolment opens 31 March 2026, obligations commence 1 July 2026), and AUSTRAC, "Real estate designated services", last updated 31 August 2026.
- REIWA "About us", REIV "About us", REIQ "Membership", and REIT and REINT home pages, accessed 7 September 2026.
- Strata Community Association, "Accreditation", and SCA (NSW), "Professional Standards Scheme", 2026.
- Australian Society of Building Consultants (NSW), home page, 2026.
- PropertyGo, "Join as a buyer's agent" and "About" pages, September 2026.
