Is your real estate agency truly prepared to tackle the diverse risks associated with workplace health and safety, from physical hazards and stress to environmental dangers and client interactions?
Is your real estate agency truly prepared to tackle the diverse risks associated with workplace health and safety, from physical hazards and stress to environmental dangers and client interactions?
Prevent or Minimise Risks Associated with Work
An example is developing and implementing a comprehensive health and safety policy that addresses the risks associated with substances and plants. According to the Act, this policy should include guidelines for handling chemicals, reporting safety concerns, and managing indoor air quality.
Provide fair representation and issue resolution in relation to work health and safety
A way an agency can implement this is through a clear process for reporting addressing safety concerns, ensuring that all staff know that this is available to them and their issues will be handled appropriately.
Encourage unions and employer organisations to take a constructive role in promoting improvements in WHS Practices
Contributing a positive role in advancing improvements in work health and safety procedures, and helping individuals conducting business or undertakings and workers to create a safer and healthier work environment. Agencies can apply this by engaging with unions and industry organisations and participate in safety initiatives.
Promote the provision of advice, information, education and training for WHS
An example of ways Agencies can apply this by providing regular training and keeping employees informed about changes in safety procedures. This will equip staff with the knowledge and skills needed to work safely and respond effectively to WHS issues.
Secure compliance with the Act
According to the Act this can be achieved through effective and appropriate enforcement measures such as conducting regular audits and establishing clear enforcement protocols.
Ensuring appropriate scrutiny and review
Actions taken by persons exercising authority and carrying out duties under the Act are appropriately scrutinised and reviewed to maintain accountability. Agencies can guarantee this by implementing regular reviews of WHS policies and maintaining transparency in actions.
Provide a framework for continuous improvement
To strive for ongoing improvements in WHS standards by encouraging feedback and adopting and adapting practices that enhance safety.
While some roles may not necessitate a license or certificate of registration, it’s crucial to understand the distinctions.
Certain administrative roles within agencies often do not require a license or certificate under the Act. For instance, individuals engaged in administrative support tasks that aid licensed agents or certificate holders typically fall into this category. While the law doesn’t specify all exempt functions, it primarily focuses on regulating specific functions outlined in the Act.
Let’s take a look at some practical examples to better illustrate these concepts:
Andre operates a property management agency where casual employees assist with administrative tasks, such as sending work orders to contractors and managing tenant details. These employees do not require a certificate of registration or license for their duties, but authorization for certain actions must come from a licensed agent.
Tania serves as a receptionist in a real estate agency, handling customer inquiries, issuing keys to tenants, and coordinating appointments. Her administrative functions do not mandate a certificate or license. However, she must refrain from performing tasks reserved for licensed agents, such as providing advice to clients.
Murray works for a stock and station agent in regional NSW, mainly assisting with livestock sales coordination. While his role doesn’t demand a certificate or license, he should avoid tasks requiring specialized licensing, like managing property inspections or providing advice to clients.
Understanding these distinctions ensures compliance and effective support within agency roles.
The agent must pass on any further offers until contracts are exchanged. In NSW, a sale is binding upon exchange, where both parties sign contracts and a deposit is usually paid.
If you’re gazumped, neither the agent nor the seller are obliged to compensate you for expenses like legal advice or inspection reports, but your expression of interest payment should be refunded.
Failure to do so could put their qualifications at risk. Choosing a reliable service like RETSNSW is crucial to safeguard qualifications and ensure compliance.
The approval of agent licenses, covering areas like real estate and strata management, might face issues following an upcoming audit by the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) on training organisations.
This nationwide investigation aims to crack down on poor-quality enrolment, training, and assessment practices that might affect graduates. Those found lacking could be deregistered.
The investigation also aims to uncover whether training organisations are misleading graduates by falsely suggesting that their qualifications can fast-track obtaining a NSW Fair Trading agent license.
Natasha Mann, the NSW Fair Trading Commissioner, and John Minns, the NSW Strata and Property Services Commissioner, alongside other industry leaders, acknowledge concerns about the quality of education leading up to this audit.
People in NSW heavily rely on skilled agents for property services like sales management, business brokering, and strata services.
NSW Fair Trading remains dedicated to collaborating with experts and agencies to uphold consumer protection and elevate industry standards. RETSNSW, as a trusted training services, shares this dedication and prioritises the delivery of top-tier education.
For detailed information regarding licensing requirements and trustworthy training organisations like RETSNSW, visit the Fair Trading website.