Understanding the shift in Real Estate Qualifications: NQF4 (59097) vs Occupational Certificate: Real Estate Agent (118714)
With the recent changes in the South African real estate education landscape, industry professionals and aspiring property practitioners must understand the key differences between the legacy qualification NQF4: FETC Real Estate (US ID59097) and the newly introduced Occupational Certificate: Real Estate Agent (ID 118714), as aligned by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO).
This transformation forms part of South Africa’s broader shift towards an occupationally based qualifications framework, ensuring that skills development meets both the regulatory standard and practical demands of the industry.
What is the Difference?
- NQF4 FETC Real Estate (59097)
This qualification, overseen by the Services SETA, being one of the standard entry requirements into the real estate profession. It focuses on theoretical knowledge and competency across unit standards, with learners assessed via Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) and workplace integration.
- Structure is based on unit standard with modular learning
- Assessments are both formative and summative assessments culminating in workplace PoE
- The successful outcome based certificate enables learners to register to write the PPRA – PDE exam
Although this qualification is extended and still currently acceptable, it is being phased out and replaced by the occupational certificate.
- Occupational Certificate: Real Estate Agent (118714)
The new QCTO-aligned qualification reflects a more modern and practical approach to real estate training. It is aimed at producing work-ready candidate property practitioners through integrated learning, simulated practical assessments and an external national summative assessment (EISA exam)
- Structure is over three components:
Knowledge Modules
Practical Skills Modules and
Work Experience Modules - Assessments, internal assessments and the final EISA conducted through an accredited assessment quality partner (AQP) and written at an approved assessment centre
- Duration is typically a one-year programme through an accredited skills development provider [SDP] such as Infinity Academy
- The outcome is the proving of competence through the EISA exam and then the learner can register to write the PDE exam with the PPRA.
Why the change?
The QCTO qualification (118714) aligns more closely with occupational competence and workplace readiness. It responds to feedback from the real estate sector for more practical, consistent and quality assured training that reflects the real challenges of the profession. Property Practitioners are expected to do more than just list and sell properties, the new qualification ensures that learners are holistically prepared from legal compliance to client service and ethical conduct.
Through the extension of the NQF4 FETC Real Estate (59097) Learners now have a choice between the two and have to adhere to the following requirements as set out by the PPRA.
Regulation 33.2.3 & 33.4.5 requires all candidate property practitioners to complete the practical training modules within a period of 180 days calculated from when they were first issued their FFC as candidate property practitioners, these are the work experience modules of the 118714 qualification (this is also the requirement for those who are exempted from the qualification) which replaces the now defunct logbook.
Then they would proceed and conclude the Services Seta qualification.
Or…
The learner can start the OC Real Estate Agent 118714 which comprises of the:
- knowledge,
- practical and
- workplace components
as one, and then write the closed book EISA exam.
After which the learner registers to write the PDE exam with the PPRA.
The choice is now yours!
To find out more, contact Lee Roelofse:
Tele no: (011)425-1627 or
Email: → lee@infinityacademy.co.za