23 May 2019

Make your experience work for you: Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

With all the hype (and subsequent frustration) surrounding the industry reforms over the last two years, you must have by now considered how you’ll transition to your Real Estate Licence.

If you haven’t, you’d better get on to it! And one of the simplest ways to complete the qualification required to apply for your licence is Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

The program, as the name suggests, recognises your skills, knowledge and experience in the real estate industry and applies it to the achievement of your qualification.

Some gap training may be required (real estate is a big beast and you can’t be expected to know everything!), but in recognising your industry experience, you can reduce the time it takes to complete your qualification.

If you’re considering RPL (which you should be), REINSW Training Manager, Nerida Wood, says you should ask yourself these six questions…

Question 1: Have you worked confidently in the real estate industry for more than 12 months?

Obviously, the longer you’ve worked in real estate, the more experience you’ll have. But that shouldn’t deter agents with one to two years of experience from applying for RPL.

“It’s about knowing your industry and the legislation and regulation that governs it,” says Wood. “And this takes some agents longer than others.

“If you can confidently operate in the real estate industry, and you have done so for more than one year, you are eligible to apply for RPL. It’s definitely not just a program for seasoned agents.”

Question 2: What knowledge do you have (including other courses you’ve completed)?

Wood says all experience can support your RPL eligibility.

“The only mandatory qualification is a Certificate of Registration,” she says. “All other knowledge and courses you have completed throughout your career can also work in your favour when applying for RPL.

“You might have experience in either sales or property management – and feel more confident in that area. However, that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be eligible for partial recognition. You’d just then need to complete gap training in those areas in which you lack experience.”

Question 3: Do you have stories to tell to demonstrate your experience?

The best way to illustrate a point is by using examples, and Wood says it’s no different for RPL.

“To understand and assess your eligibility, we want to know that you not only know your stuff but have applied it in different working scenarios,” she says.

“So when completing the self-assessment questionnaire, we ask you to provide examples that can relate to the units of competence. For example, for Client Relationships, your story should demonstrate a difficult situation with a client and detail the steps taken to achieve a workable outcome.”

Question 4: Can you provide documentation to support what you do on a daily basis?

Wood says telling your story is important, but you must have the documentation to support your statements.

“Documentation could include agency agreements you have completed, file notes on conversations had or actions taken, or samples of marketing materials you have contributed to,” she says.

“What we require for RPL is information you are already collecting as part of your role as an agent, and we supply a checklist of suitable documentation to help you through the application process.”

Question 5: Would your supervisor /Licensee-in-charge support your application?

The final part of the RPL process requires a third party to confirm your story.

“A third-party report is required from your supervisor or Licensee-in-charge,” says Wood. “Having confirmation that you are capable and competent in your role provides substantiation to your application.”

Question 6: What happens if I do not meet all the requirements for RPL?

Wood says it’s uncommon for an agent to achieve full recognition and not have to undertake gap training.

“Rarely does anyone achieve full ,” she says. “We are focused on two major risk areas in real estate – legislation and compliance – and there will always be some assessment required in these areas.

“RPL is an assessment process and the result will be a recommendation on gap training needed to satisfy the requirements of the qualification. Our assessors provide this information and can connect you with the required training.”

So, as you can see, RPL isn’t just for industry veterans. It’s for every professional agent who is working hard to build a successful career in real estate.

“It really is a practical way to set you on the path to achieving your licence,” says Wood. “You have the experience, so have it recognised.

“With so many changes arising in the real estate industry daily, and workloads growing every year, you shouldn’t be wasting time learning things you already know. Savvy agents are letting their experience work for them.”

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