A career in real estate is appealing for so many reasons. It offers independence, an ever-changing exciting landscape and ways to constantly meet new people. In addition, you can directly reap the rewards of your successes. Many people choose real estate after time in other fields. The skills learned in other businesses can easily be applied to sales so it is a great new professional path to transition to.

Barfoot & Thompson is always looking for people new to the industry who we believe can reach their full potential as part of our company. We can help guide you through the process and prepare you for success in this exciting field.

How it works

Real estate salespeople in New Zealand must first get a qualification from an approved provider and then be licensed by the Real Estate Authority (REA). Real estate salespeople are self-employed independent contractors and are paid on a commission basis. This means you essentially have uncapped earning potential that traditional salaried professions cannot match.

What qualifications do you need to become a salesperson? 

Before you apply for a real estate licence, there are qualifications you will need dependent on the particular role you are seeking:

• Salesperson - National Certificate in Real Estate (Salesperson) Level 4 
• Branch manager - National Certificate in Real Estate Level 5, version 3 or later

Note, if you have a recognised property degree and want to apply for a real estate licence, you will need to complete an assessment.

How do I get qualified?

There are a number of educational organisations that offer real estate qualifications. We recommend the following:

• Open Polytechnic
• TAFE
• Unitec

What does it cost?

Typically, fees run $1,500 - $2,000 to get your National Certificate. After you receive your National Certificate you will need to apply for your licence from the Real Estate Authority (REA).

Our ongoing training and support

Once you’re qualified, licensed and on board with us, we’ll get your real estate career off to a flying start with our Front Runners intensive training programme. This specialised programme is unique to Barfoot & Thompson and was specially designed to provide the best resources and guidance available in the industry for new-comers. 

In order to maintain your real estate licence, you’ll need to do industry training each year as specified by the Real Estate Authority. Barfoot & Thompson facilitates and funds the training for our salespeople, which is another point of difference from other companies. In most cases, we’ll even pay for your annual license renewal and membership of the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ). No other company offers this sort of financial support. We also offer a range of sales and soft skills training programmes and practical training on our systems and tools.