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Estate Agency Internships and RPL Training

Van Deventer & Van Deventer Incorporated provide the highest level of support for Estate Agent interns and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) candidates.

We have decided to launch our very own training program to assist agents in completing their Logbooks, NQF Level 4 Real Estate Course (SAQA QUAL ID 59097) as well as providing guidance on the Professional Designation Examination (PDE).

To assist you with navigating our training information we have provided some frequently asked questions to help you along. 

What will the RPL training cost me? 

  • A single payment for RPL Level 4 Workshop (Includes administration, workshops, assessment fees and certification) will cost you R3500.00

Please note that included in this fee are the following:

  • Study guides R750
  • If you (the agent) do not have a Matric pass, you will need to complete 2 extra modules, Functional Literacy and Functional Mathematics (These have to be done in conjunction with the qualification) which costs R750 (for both)
  • If you have completed Matric but did not take maths, then you must complete a Maths module for only R420

Where is the venue for the classes? 

Learners have to attend classes at the following venue:

Van Deventer & Van Deventer Incorporated
7 Mellis Road
2nd Floor North Block Bradenham Hall
Rivonia

Book your Seat

Once I have registered for the RPL, when will I start? 

Our class sizes will range between 15-25 learners per class. Once you have registered, we will add your name to a waiting list which makes up a class.

We will then contact you with further information regarding the start date and attendance schedule thereafter.

Please click here for a course outline of the RPL course.

Services SETA Funding? Bursaries? Grants? 

  • Bursaries - Unfortunately Services SETA have fallen away since the introduction of the mandatory grant/rebates.
  • Mandatory grants - If the estate agency company you work for is registered for AND paying Skills Development Levy(SDL) via SARS, then you may be able to access mandatory grant funding through Services SETA for all types of accredited training.

We can assist your principal to make the application to Services SETA. Please contact [email protected] should you wish to explore this option.

What if the company is not registered for SDL?

In this case, unfortunately you will have to fund the costs of the RPL yourself.

I have not completed my log-book, do you also offer assistance with this?

Yes, we most certainly do and at NO CHARGE to you, the agent, or their Estate Agency.

An intern estate agent is expected to complete and maintain a logbook in which accomplished activities are recorded and signed-off by the Principal/Mentor/Coach or Supervisor assigned to assist and provide the intern with logistical support during the internship period of 12 months.

How do I enrol for RPL Training?

Download the RPL Application form here

Complete it and submit it to [email protected] 

Your booking will be confirmed and you will be invoiced by RPL Assessment Centre (Pty) Ltd.

Once they have received your payment we will be in contact with you regarding the scheduled times for your classes.
They will also send all the relevant training material to us and it will be handed to you at the first class.

What does it mean to complete a logbook? 

It means showing proof of your workplace experience in a number of practical tasks, such as:

  • Listings completed
  • Inspections done
  • Show houses arranged with registers
  • Mandates negotiated
  • Sales/lease contracts concluded
  • Property values established
  • Agendas for and meetings/training attended
  • Proof of time management and time/log sheets Interns also need proof that they were trained and introduced to the basics of real estate. The prescribed EAAB logbook requires there to be a minimum of one week of real estate industry and office induction

What is covered during the induction and one-year internship?

These workplace sections (as indicated in the logbook) are included:

  1. Compulsory induction: industry and office
  2. Estate Agency Affairs Act and Code of Conduct
  3. Real estate product and services
  4. Legal environment - acts
  5. Legal environment - contracts
  6. Financial process FICA/tax/accounting
  7. Marketing and selling/leasing - immovable property
  8. Estate agency management
  9. Agency administration and systems
  10. Paralegal environment

Who participates in the logbook? 

You (as the intern agent) and your principal. The principal has a significant role in the completion of the logbook. He or she has to take the lead and has the responsibility of being a mentor for you.

The success of this process depends on having an intern and principal who are committed and motivated. They should both believe in and understand the value of the process.

A full-status agent with a minimum of three years of consecutive valid Fidelity Fund Certificates (FFCs) can also fulfil the role as mentor.

What tasks are included for the interns? 

There are 10 recommended projects that tie in with the intern's workplace experience. The intern may take on additional work but may not do less than these 10 projects:

  1. Show product knowledge in a PowerPoint presentation
  2. Develop a business plan
  3. Develop a marketing plan using advertising
  4. Compile an individual plan/goal
  5. Draft an activities schedule
  6. Analyse policies and procedures of real estate
  7. Develop a proposal to enhance team performance
  8. Undertake a research project on understanding financing options
  9. Design a brochure on regulatory registration process and bonds
  10. Complete a research project on Code of Conduct and ethics

What should the Principal do? 

The principal needs to be familiar with the logbook requirements and then meet with the intern to plan activities and provide opportunities for workshops and training.

The principal has to sign off logbooks and weekly and monthly activities. As per the logbook requirements, monthly appraisal reports should be completed to certify the intern's readiness at the end of the internship year.

What happens after the internship year? 

Ideally the intern agent would register with a Services SETA-accredited service provider to start the academic real estate qualification FETC: Real Estate NQF 

The ideal scenario is to complete the academic qualification simultaneously with the practical logbook in the workplace.

The timeframe for completion is one year for the logbook and two years for the academic qualification.

Is there an examination after the qualification? 

Yes. The Professional Designation Examination (PDE) 4 and 5 will be the final examination to prove that an agent is ready to operate in real estate.

This four-hour open-book exam tests the application of knowledge, as well as the academic qualification completed.

Can an intern be exempted from the logbook and the exams?

No. After the introduction of the Estate Agent Training Regulations in July 2008, there was a period where an agent who held an FFC in that capacity (for instance, an agent or principal) could apply for exemption dating five years back until 2003.

But as of June 2015, all new interns must follow the new procedure, keep a logbook and write the required exams (PDE 4 and 5).

Can I be exempted from the FETC and NC Real Estate Academic Qualification? 

Yes, if you have studied at a higher level before. With certain subjects and experience, you might be able to apply for exemption - there is an Exemption Matrix and procedure on the EAAB's website that will give you an indication.

Only the EAAB may grant exemption (if procedures are followed). It will be at the EAAB's discretion to decide if you are eligible.

This will not grant exemption from the logbook or PDE however.

What is the time frame for a newly qualified Agent or Principal to become operational?

For a new agent, it will take between two to three years to complete the whole process and for a principal, three to four years.

An intern agent may sell property in the meantime, but no legal documentation - mandates or contracts - may be signed off without the presence of the principal or full-status agent.

The new process to become a qualified agent is much more costly and takes longer to become fully operative. But it is a step in the right direction, with professional, registered designations as follows:

  • * PPRE - Professional Practitioner in Real Estate (PDE 4)
  • * MPRE - Master Practitioner in Real Estate (PDE 5)

What options exist after the exams? 

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the future in real estate, as it is in most other professional industries.

This happens via road shows and seminars presented by the EAAB across South Africa on relevant topics including new legislation, changes, updates and amendments.

It helps all agents and principals to stay abreast of ever-changing industry regulations relating to real estate, as well as new laws and Acts.

Van Deventer & Van Deventer Incorporated - Conveyancing Attorneys Johannesburg & Cape Town

Contact us, for more information about our training program.

Comments are closed for this post, but if you have spotted an error or have additional info that you think should be in this post, feel free to contact us.


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