Updated: November 2026
A property manager course in Australia usually means completing the units your state or territory regulator accepts — most often from the CPP41419 Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice — through a registered training organisation (RTO), then applying for registration or the equivalent entry credential. The exact units and the type of credential differ by state. In Victoria, property managers work as registered agent’s representatives. The CPP41419 Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice qualifies you to register (from 25 November 2026, through the Business Licensing Authority via myCAV).
Property managers look after rental properties on behalf of owners: listing and showing properties, placing tenants, collecting rent, and making sure tenancy rules are followed. If you like structured work that still involves people and problem-solving, a property manager course is a practical first step into the industry.
Jobs and Skills Australia describes property managers as the people who supervise the leasing of rental properties on behalf of owners. Typical tasks include listing properties, conducting inspections, advising prospective tenants, collecting and remitting rent, and following up when tenancy terms are not met.
In an agency, that work sits between the property owner and the tenant. You may also coordinate repairs, keep records, and help the agency stay within your state’s tenancy and trust-account rules. For a wider look at the role, see What does a property manager do in real estate?.
According to the Jobs and Skills Australia Property Managers occupation profile (ANZSCO 612112), about 39,200 people work in this occupation. Around 67% are women, the median age is 43, and 28% work part-time. The largest shares of the workforce are in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Jobs and Skills Australia notes that figures for this six-digit occupation are based on ABS Census data published on that profile, and that these ANZSCO pages are no longer being updated (new OSCA-based profiles are planned).
We have not used unsourced claims about a “surge” in demand, or employment projections we could not confirm on the official Jobs and Skills Australia projections pages. What the official profile does show is that property management is already a sizeable occupation, and rental properties still need day-to-day management regardless of how busy the sales market is.
The work mixes administration with people management. Useful skills include clear communication, organisation, negotiation (for example at lease renewal or when discussing repairs), problem-solving, staying professional when issues come up, and close attention to legislation, records and trust-account processes. Formal training helps you learn tenancy law, ethical practice and the procedures employers expect, and it is also what most regulators require before you can work.
Licensing and registration are state-based. A property manager course should match the units your regulator lists, not a generic “property management program” that may not be accepted. Always confirm the current unit list and application rules on the official page before you enrol. Fees and processing times change.
Queensland does not issue a separate “property manager licence” for everyday agency work. To work as a salesperson for a licensed real estate agent — including rental work such as showing properties and managing tenancies — you must be registered with the Office of Fair Trading. You must be 18 or older and complete 12 prescribed units from CPP41419. The official unit list is on Register as a real estate salesperson (qld.gov.au). Registered salespeople work as employees; contractors need a full real estate agent licence.
REAA delivers this pathway as the QLD Registration Certificate course. If you later want to run an agency or work as a contractor, see the QLD Full Real Estate Licence pathway.
A QLD Resident Letting Agent Licence is a separate credential for letting lots in a building complex from an on-site office. See the official guide: Apply for a resident letting agent licence (qld.gov.au).
NSW has three levels. You start with a certificate of registration, then you can become a licensed agent, and later a licensee in charge if you want to run an agency. Confirm the current rules on the NSW Government pages for assistant agent certificates of registration and real estate agent licences.
Already registered and adding tenancy skills? REAA also offers the NSW Managing Tenancy Bundle and NSW Leasing Property Bundle.
In Victoria, most people start as an agent’s representative employed by a licensed estate agent. With written authority, an agent’s representative can act as a salesperson or property manager, but cannot operate an estate agency business. Consumer Affairs Victoria sets out the eligibility rules, including 18 prescribed units of CPP41419 completed within the last five years for first-time entrants, on Agents’ representatives (Consumer Affairs Victoria).
In Victoria, property managers work as registered agent’s representatives. The CPP41419 Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice qualifies you to register from 25 November 2026, through the Business Licensing Authority (BLA) via myCAV, and new representatives pay a fee. Existing representatives who appear on the BLA register as at 24 November 2026 are to be registered automatically if they have a myCAV account. Annual continuing professional development (a minimum of five activities a year) applies from 1 April 2027. See New rules: Estate agents and agents’ representatives (Consumer Affairs Victoria).
The CPP51122 Diploma of Property (Agency Management) is the path to a full estate agent’s licence, along with the supervised experience Consumer Affairs Victoria requires. See Apply for an estate agent’s licence – individual (Consumer Affairs Victoria).
REAA offers the VIC Agent Representative Course (CPP41419) and the VIC Diploma of Property for the licence pathway. For a wider overview, read How to Become a Real Estate Agent in Victoria.
In Western Australia you must be registered as a real estate and business sales representative (this includes property managers) under the Real Estate and Business Agents Act 1978. You can apply for an unrestricted registration (sales and property management) or a restricted registration for property management only, or for sales only. Restricted property management registration requires 12 core units from CPP41419, listed on the official guide: Apply for real estate and business sales representatives registration, including property managers (wa.gov.au).
REAA delivers the WA Restricted Property Management Registration course, as well as WA Restricted Salesperson Registration and WA Unrestricted Real Estate Registration.
Other states and territories have their own requirements; check with your local regulator.
Finishing the course is not the last step. You still apply to your state regulator for registration or a licence, then look for an entry-level role — such as a property management assistant, property officer, leasing consultant or tenancy administrator — and build experience under supervision. Keep up with continuing professional development if your state requires it. Most people start in residential property management (houses, apartments and units). With experience, some move into commercial property, such as offices, retail or industrial buildings, or into senior and licensing pathways.
Choose a nationally recognised course from an RTO that maps to your state’s official unit list. Online, self-paced study can help if you are working. Check what credential the course actually leads to — registration, a restricted licence, or a full licence — and whether you will still need to apply to the regulator after you finish.
Real Estate Academy of Australia (REAA) is a registered training organisation (RTO 32426). We deliver the state pathways above online, with trainer support. For career options after training, see Career Paths After Completing a Property Management Program.
Take REAA’s one-minute Course Finder quiz and we’ll point you to the pathway that matches your state and goals.
In most states and territories, yes: you need the training your regulator accepts, then registration, a licence, or employment as an agent’s representative. Administrative tasks alone may not need a credential, but signing agreements, inspections and tenancy work usually do. Check your state regulator.
Not automatically, and not in every state. The course gives you a statement of attainment or qualification. You still apply to the regulator. In Victoria, property managers work as registered agent’s representatives. The CPP41419 Certificate IV in Real Estate Practice qualifies you to register (from 25 November 2026, through the BLA via myCAV). The CPP51122 Diploma is the path to a full estate agent’s licence.
It depends on the pathway and how quickly you study. REAA’s online courses are self-paced within a set maximum timeframe. It is competency-based training with assessments, not a short attendance certificate.
Sometimes. In Queensland, the same 12-unit salesperson registration covers both sales and rental work. In Western Australia you can take a property-management-specific registration. In New South Wales and Victoria, entry training is a shared real estate pathway, with extra property management units in some licence or upgrade options.
Written by the REAA training team, Real Estate Academy of Australia (RTO 32426). This article is general information only. Always check your state or territory regulator for current licensing and registration rules before you enrol or apply.
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