eXp Australia Strengthens Professional Standards for a Changing Industry

eXp Realty Australia has announced a decisive shift in its professional direction, strengthening its network around fully licensed real estate professionals as regulation, compliance obligations and consumer expectations continue to reshape the Australian property industry. 

Australia's real estate industry is experiencing one of its most significant periods of regulatory change. New legislation, increasing compliance obligations and greater expectations around consumer protection are changing the way agents and real estate businesses operate, and the pace of that change is unlikely to slow. 

eXp Realty Australia is not waiting for the industry to force this change. It is taking deliberate steps now to position its agents, their businesses and their clients for the future,building a network centred on fully licensed professionals who understand the responsibilities that come with running a real estate business today. 

As part of this shift, eXp Realty Australia is moving to a model in which agents operate on a fully licensed (Class 1) basis. Class 2 agents are being supported through the transition with two clear pathways: complete their Class 1 licensing, or sit within a team under the supervision of a fully licensed eXp Licensee, keeping both the agent and their clients protected throughout. 

"This isn't about closing the door on agents, it's about being upfront with them on where the industry is heading and making sure they're supported through it," said Mindy Powell-Hodges, Country Leader of eXp Realty Australia. "Whether that's working toward their own licence or operating under the supervision of one of our teams, every agent in our network has a clear, protected path forward, for them and for their clients." 

Real estate regulation has changed significantly over the past decade. The responsibilities sitting around an agent and their business are greater, the expectations are clearer, and the consequences of failing to keep pace are more serious than they once were. 

"There was a time when compliance could largely sit in the background of a real estate business. Those days are behind our industry," Powell-Hodges said. "Doing good business today means understanding the regulatory environment, keeping pace with legislative change, and having the professional capability to meet the responsibilities that come with representing a client. We want to partner with agents who

embrace that, and give them the guidance, support and structure to get there, not just tell them the standard has changed." 

For consumers, the outcome is greater confidence. Selling a home is one of the most significant financial transactions most Australians will undertake, and consumers should have confidence not only in the individual agent they appoint, but in the professional standards and environment surrounding that agent. 

For agents, it means being part of a network where professionalism is valued, development is actively supported, and there is a defined route to full licensing and greater independence rather than a deadline with no plan behind it. 

"We want to partner with some of the best professionals in Australian real estate, and help good agents become even stronger," Powell-Hodges said. "That means encouraging professional growth, supporting a path to greater independence, and helping agents lead change rather than simply reacting to it. Doing right by the consumer and operating in line with legislation shouldn't be viewed as a burden, that's simply what professional real estate should look like today." 

Alongside this shift, eXp Realty Australia has also launched Enterprise, a new program aimed at attracting established franchised real estate businesses into the eXp network. Enterprise offers businesses territory freedom and brand freedom, backed by the systems and referral network of a truly global company operating across 29 countries, with eXp Australia estimating businesses could save up to 40% on franchise fees by making the switch, with larger businesses standing to save the most. "We're serious about attracting some of Australia's top-performing real estate businesses, and Enterprise is how we're doing it," Powell-Hodges said. 

eXp Realty Australia's direction is clear: build a network of highly capable, fully licensed real estate professionals, supported by a business that takes compliance, legislation and consumer protection seriously, and that backs its agents with a real plan to get there, not just an expectation.