How to check a buyer's agent's licence in every Australian state and territory

There is no separate buyer's agent licence in Australia. A buyer's agent works under the same real estate licence or registration as a selling agent, issued state by state, and normally needs one that covers the state where the property sits. To check a buyer's agent's licence, you search that regulator's free public register, and it takes about five minutes. In NSW the register even shows disciplinary action going back to 1 September 2003.

The licence is the floor, though, not the finish line. The costly surprises usually sit in the agreement: an open-ended tail clause, exclusivity that covers houses you find yourself, or a payment from the other side you never heard about. This guide covers both: the official register for every state and territory, what to search and what each one shows, and the red flags to find before you sign.

A note on PropertyGo: we don't check licences. Each profile on PropertyGo shows the agency's Google reviews, service areas and specialties so you can compare them, but checking the licence is a step you should take yourself before you sign anything. This guide makes it quick.

Before you search: what you need

• The agency's legal or trading name and, if you can, its ABN.
• The name of the person who will act for you. Licences are often held by the business and by individuals, and the person you deal with may be a registered representative working under a licensee.
• Their licence number, if they have given you one. It is often on their website, email signature or agency agreement. If they won't tell you, treat that as a warning sign.

Where to check, state by state

Victoria's own guidance puts it plainly: a buyer's agent "is a licensed estate agent who, for a fee, acts for a buyer instead of a seller." Every other state works the same way. Every register above is free to search and is run by the government or the statutory licensing body.

New South Wales

• Where to check: Verify NSW. Choose the register "Property and real estate agents", then search by name, licence or registration number, ABN or ACN, or suburb and postcode.
• What it shows: the holder's name and business address, licence category and conditions, licence or certificate number, issue and expiry dates, and disciplinary action since 1 September 2003.
• Good to know: a buyer's agent in NSW must hold a real estate agent's licence, or hold a certificate of registration and work under the direction of a licensed real estate agent. Questions go to NSW Fair Trading on 13 32 20.

Victoria

• Where to check: the Estate agents public register. Search by name, or by licence number or AMR operator reference.
• What it shows: licence number, name and registered office, grant, surrender or cancellation dates, conditions, tribunal or court orders, and claims allowed by the Victorian Property Fund. Leave "Only show current registrants" ticked to see current licences, and untick it to find former licensees.
• Good to know: an agent's representative must be employed by a licensed estate agent. The online register is a partial extract; full extracts are available from the Business Licensing Authority for a fee.

Queensland

• Where to check: the Fair Trading Licensing Register. Search by licence number, given and last name, or company name, and choose the industry sector "REAL ESTATE".
• What it shows: the licence holder, registered business name and place of business, licence number and class, and status (current, expired, refused, cancelled or suspended). It does not show disciplinary history, so ask the Office of Fair Trading if you need it.
• Good to know: under the Property Occupations Act 2014, a real estate agent licence authorises buying real property as an agent for others for reward. The free register cannot be used as evidence in legal proceedings; an official extract is available for a fee.

Western Australia

• Where to check: Consumer Protection's online licence search. Search by licence number, or switch to "Type", start typing "real estate", then add a name or location.
• What it shows: whether a licence or registration is current. For conditions or complaint history, ask Consumer Protection directly.
• Good to know: under the Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978, anyone operating as a real estate agent in WA must be licensed and hold a current triennial certificate, and sales representatives must be registered and work under a licensed agent. Interstate professionals working in WA under automatic mutual recognition sit on a separate AMR register.

South Australia

• Where to check: the CBS licensing register, reached from Find a licence holder. Search by licence number, surname or trading name. Land agents and land sales representatives are both covered.
• What it shows: whether the person or company is licensed. For conditions or complaint history, ask Consumer and Business Services.
• Good to know: individuals and companies must be registered as land agents with CBS if they carry on a business that buys, sells or otherwise deals with land, or negotiates its purchase or sale. "Land agent" is South Australia's name for a real estate agent.

Tasmania

• Where to check: the Property Agents Board's Register of Property Agents. It is published as PDF lists, not a search box: one for property agents conducting business, one for individual property agents, and one for interstate agents working under automatic mutual recognition.
• What it shows: name, business name, place of business, licence type, the date the licence runs until, and whether it is valid. The business list shows only one business name per agent, and the lists are reissued periodically, so if an agent is not on them, contact the Board.
• Good to know: the Board regulates property agents under the Property Agents and Land Transactions Act 2016.

Australian Capital Territory

• Where to check: Access Canberra keeps two registers, split by when the licence was issued: licensed real estate agents issued after 1 July 2022 and licensed real estate agents issued before 1 July 2022. Search both if the agent is not in the first.
• What it shows: licence number, licensee and trading names, with more under "Details". Assistant agents and registered salespeople have their own registers in Access Canberra's public register list.

Northern Territory

• Where to check: the NT Government's public register. Choose the licence scheme "Property Agent", then search by name, licence number, or suburb or postcode.
• Good to know: in the NT you need a licence to be a real estate, business or conveyancing agent, and agents' representatives must be registered. Licensees are managed by the NT Agents Licensing Board.

Do they need a licence in the state where you are buying?

This is the trap for interstate investors.

Queensland does not accept interstate licences automatically. An agent must hold a Queensland licence or registration to work there, and a NSW or ACT Class 2 licence is not equivalent, so it cannot simply be transferred. A Sydney buyer's agent buying for you in Brisbane needs Queensland credentials.

NSW and Victoria, among others, take part in automatic mutual recognition (AMR). An interstate licensee can work in NSW after notifying NSW Fair Trading, and in Victoria after an AMR notification to the regulator. Someone working this way may not appear on the local register as a local licence holder, so ask which licence and notification cover the work, then check both. Victoria's register can be searched by AMR operator reference, and WA and Tasmania publish separate AMR lists.

Sole trader or company: which licence should you see?

The name on your agreement is often a company, and the company can need its own licence.

• NSW: a corporation running an agency needs a corporation licence and must employ a Class 1 licensee in charge. A sole trader with a Class 1 licence can be their own licensee in charge. Someone running a business on a Class 2 licence must employ a Class 1 licensee to supervise it.
• Victoria: a company holds its own estate agent's licence and must have an officer in effective control who holds an individual licence.
• Queensland: a corporate licence requires the person in charge of the principal place of business to hold an individual licence. Contractors need a full licence, because salespeople can only work as employees.
• Tasmania and the ACT: a company needs at least one director who holds the relevant licence.
• WA and NT: individuals, partnerships and companies can all be licensed.

So a sole trader does not need a corporate licence as well. But if your agreement names a company rather than the person you met, search for the company too.

How to check a buyer's agent's licence in five minutes

1. Get the details in writing. Full name, business name, ABN and licence or registration number. A legitimate agent sends these immediately.
2. Search the register for the state where the property is, not where the agency is based.
3. Match the entity. Check that the company or person named on the agreement is the one on the register, and whether the person you deal with is a licensee or a representative working under one.
4. Read the status line. It should say current, not expired, suspended or cancelled. Note the expiry date, the licence class and any conditions that would rule out what they are doing for you. If they hold a representative or assistant registration, ask who supervises them.
5. Look for discipline. Use the history in Verify NSW or the orders on Victoria's register; elsewhere, ask the regulator.
6. Screenshot it with the date. If something goes wrong later, you have proof of what the register showed.
7. Ask for the professional indemnity certificate. NSW Fair Trading's own list of questions for buyers asks whether the agent holds professional indemnity insurance "as required by law".

REBAA membership is useful, but it is not a licence

The Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia was established in 2000. It is a professional association, not a regulator: joining is voluntary, and leaving or being expelled does not touch anyone's licence. Membership tells you the agency signed up to the association's standards. Check the claim in REBAA's own directory, and read our guide to the industry associations for what each badge does and does not mean.

The agreement: where buyers actually lose money

You will sign an agency agreement (called an agency authority in Victoria and an appointment in Queensland). NSW requires agency agreements in writing, signed by the licence holder, with a copy served on you within 48 hours. NSW's one-day cooling-off on agency agreements is written for agreements to sell residential property or rural land, so do not assume your buying agreement has one.

Retainer and success fee

Most agreements combine an upfront retainer or engagement fee with a success fee on purchase, either fixed or a percentage of the price. Red flags: a non-refundable retainer with no defined deliverables, and a percentage fee with no cap. Our buyer's agent fees guide sets out typical structures.

A worked example (hypothetical)

Say you sign with a $2,200 non-refundable retainer and a success fee of 2% of the purchase price. The agreement runs 90 days, with a six-month "introduction" clause after it ends.

• You buy at $900,000. Fee: $18,000 plus the $2,200 retainer, so $20,200.
• The agent negotiates the vendor down by $25,000. Their fee falls by $500. On a percentage fee, every dollar they save you costs them two cents.
• You end the agreement at day 60, then four months later buy a house the agent emailed you in week three. Under that introduction clause, the full $18,000 may still be payable.
• If the agreement is exclusive across your whole search area, a house you find yourself during the term can trigger the fee too.

Each of these terms is negotiable before you sign, and expensive after.

Termination, sunset and tail clauses

Look for a firm end date (the sunset), the notice needed to terminate, any fee on termination, and how long the tail or introduction clause runs. Victoria's regulator tells buyers to check the period the authority covers, whether they can terminate if unhappy, and whether they will be charged for doing so. In Queensland, many agent appointments can be revoked on 30 days' written notice, though not every type, so ask how yours ends.

Exclusive periods

Exclusivity is reasonable: the agent is investing time. What is not reasonable is exclusivity with no end date, or a fee on properties you were already looking at. List those addresses in the agreement as exclusions.

Commissions and referral fees from the other side

This is the one that matters most. A buyer's agent paid by a developer or a selling agent has two masters.

• NSW: the agent must not accept any payment for referring you to a selling agent and must declare any conflict of interest. The agreement must disclose rebates, discounts and commissions the agent may receive on expenses you pay, and the regulator tells buyers to ask about benefits from any third party or service provider the agent refers them to.
• Victoria: an agent cannot act as your buyer's agent and for the seller on the same transaction. Keeping a rebate is illegal; it must be paid to you. Commission shared outside the agency must be disclosed before you sign.
• Queensland: an agent must not act for more than one party to a transaction. Your appointment must state the source and estimated value of any rebate, discount, commission or benefit the agent may receive on expenses, and the selling agent must disclose to buyers, on an approved form, benefits anyone receives for promoting the sale.
• WA: an agent must not act for more than one client in a transaction without fully informed written consent, must disclose referral commissions in writing, and cannot take more than the commission agreed with you in writing.

Be most wary of a buyer's agent service sold as free. Someone is paying for it, and if it is not you, the agent works for them.

Questions to ask before you sign

1. Which licence or registration covers work in the state where I am buying?
2. Is the company named on this agreement licensed too?
3. How many properties have you bought in my target suburbs in the past 12 months?
4. What is the total fee including GST, in writing, and what happens to any engagement fee if I don't buy?
5. Do you or any related business list or sell property?
6. Will you receive any payment, rebate or benefit from a seller, developer, selling agent or service provider? Put the answer in writing.
7. When does the agreement end, and how long does any tail clause run?
8. Does exclusivity cover properties I find myself?
9. Can I see your professional indemnity certificate?

How to find a buyer's agent worth checking

Start with a shortlist of three. The buyer's agent directory shows each agency's Google reviews and services, and GoMatch gives you a free shortlist of up to three buyer's agents matched to your brief. Read the reviews in volume, not just the star average: a profile with Google reviews shows how many exist on Google beside the sample published here, so you can go and read the rest. Then run every name through the register for your state and ask the questions above. Read what a buyer's agent does and how a buyer's agent differs from a real estate agent first, so you can tell whether the agreement matches the service on offer.

Frequently asked questions

Do buyer's agents need a licence in Australia?

Yes. Buying property for someone else for a fee is real estate agency work in every state and territory, so a buyer's agent needs an agent's licence or must work under a licensed agent as a registered representative. Check the register for the state you are buying in.

Does PropertyGo check buyer's agents' licences?

No. PropertyGo shows each agency's Google reviews, service areas and specialties, but doesn't check licences. Use your state regulator's free register before you sign.

Is it free to check a licence?

Yes. Every state and territory register listed here is free to search online. Some offer official extracts for a fee.

How do I check if a buyer's agent is licensed?

Search the public register run by the regulator in the state where you are buying: Verify NSW, Consumer Affairs Victoria's public register, Queensland's Fair Trading Licensing Register, or the equivalent search elsewhere. Search the person and any company named on the agreement. Check the licence is current and read any conditions.

Is there a specific buyer's agent licence in Australia?

No. Buyer's agents hold the same real estate licence or registration as selling agents, issued state by state. Membership of REBAA or a state institute is voluntary and is not a licence.

Can a buyer's agent from another state buy property for me?

It depends on the state. Queensland requires a Queensland licence or registration, and a NSW or ACT Class 2 licence cannot simply be transferred. NSW and Victoria, among others, allow interstate licensees to work under automatic mutual recognition after notifying the regulator. Ask which licence covers the work and check it.

Can a buyer's agent take commission from the seller?

An agent cannot act for both you and the seller on the same deal in Victoria or Queensland, and in WA only with both clients' fully informed written consent. In NSW, an agent must not accept payment for referring you to a selling agent. Ask about any other payment from the seller's side in writing, and get the answer into the agreement.

Before you sign

Run the register check, screenshot it, and read the agreement with the nine questions beside you. If an answer makes you uneasy, it will not improve after you sign.

Licensing rules, registers and regulator names change, and several Victorian changes land in late 2026, so confirm the current position with the regulator before you rely on it. We opened every register link in this guide on 11 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Have a lawyer or conveyancer read any agreement you are unsure about.

Sources

1. NSW Government, "Using a real estate agent to buy a property". Accessed 11 October 2026.
2. NSW Government, "Check a licence for a property agent or conveyancer", "Corporation licence for property agencies" and "Licensee in charge". Accessed 11 October 2026.
3. NSW Government, "Agency agreements" (property professionals). Accessed 6 October 2026.
4. NSW Government, "Automatic mutual recognition: property and real estate". Updated 9 July 2025.
5. Consumer Affairs Victoria, "Seek expert advice on property". Updated 3 May 2021.
6. Consumer Affairs Victoria, "Public register: search for licensed estate agents". Updated 13 February 2025.
7. Consumer Affairs Victoria, "Apply for an estate agent's licence: company". Updated 30 June 2026, and "Interstate and New Zealand licences". Updated 30 June 2026.
8. Consumer Affairs Victoria, "myCAV and registration requirements for agents' representatives". Updated 9 September 2026.
9. Consumer Affairs Victoria, "Authorities, rebates and commission" and "Acting for a client". Updated 12 October 2023.
10. Queensland Government, "Apply for a real estate agent licence" (14 May 2026), "Apply for a corporate real estate agent licence" (1 July 2026), "Register as a real estate salesperson" (22 September 2026), "Check a property licence" (2 October 2025) and "Transfer to a Queensland property licence" (14 May 2026).
11. Queensland Legislation, "Property Occupations Act 2014", sections 26, 99, 102, 104, 114 and 157. Accessed 6 October 2026.
12. Government of Western Australia, "Real estate licensing and registration" (4 August 2026) and "Apply for new real estate and business agents licence" (13 August 2026); Consumer Protection WA, "Consumer Protection licence and registration search". Accessed 11 October 2026.
13. Western Australian Legislation, "Real Estate and Business Agents and Sales Representatives Code of Conduct 2016", clauses 15, 16, 18 and 19. Accessed 6 October 2026.
14. Government of South Australia, "Land agent registration" and "Check occupational licence holders". Accessed 11 October 2026; Legal Services Commission of South Australia, Law Handbook, "Land agents". Updated 23 June 2026.
15. Property Agents Board of Tasmania, "Register of Property Agents". Registers current at 8 October 2026; and Tasmanian Legislation, "Property Agents and Land Transactions Act 2016", sections 3, 25 and 34. Accessed 6 October 2026.
16. Access Canberra, "Licensing for business, real estate and stock and station agents" and the public register list. Accessed 11 October 2026.
17. Northern Territory Government, "Property and business agent licensing" and the NT public register. Accessed 11 October 2026.
18. Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia, "About". Accessed 6 October 2026.