Low barriers to entry damage our professional profile. The ease with which a qualification to work as an Agent’s Representative in Victoria can be earned, in my opinion, significantly impacts the professional esteem in which real estate practitioners are held.

We are an industry beset by damaging public relations issues – from the (slightly) unfair criticism of our tacky suit and tie combos, to the insidious prevalence of underquoting.  The general public have a fascination with the property market that is coupled with a widespread mistrust of the “professionals” operating within it. I contend that much of that sentiment stems from perceptions around our base level qualifications, and the apparent effortlessness with which they’re obtained.

Indisputably some within our industry have achieved outstanding successes with the Agent’s Representative course (three units of Certificate IV in Property Services) as their sole qualification, and well may they argue that no more comprehensive training is necessary. My argument is not that this can’t happen, but that it shouldn’t.

The industry would find immense benefit in developing some form of higher qualification that both exhaustively vets and trains candidates whilst demonstrating to the public that expertise is a fundamental requirement of operating within it. A real estate degree with the option of specialising in residential or commercial is an initiative that would likely provide momentum towards improving the perception, the standards, and professionalism of real estate professionals. Michelangelo said, “If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all”. I believe the opposite could hold true for the real estate industry.