2024 in Review

 

As we approach the Christmas and New Year season, marking the end of another fantastic, yet intense, year, it’s common to hear people wondering, “Where has the year gone?” It feels like it was just yesterday that we were celebrating Easter. After the challenges of recent years, it feels like everyone is pushing harder, attempting to balance work and play, while the property market has experienced constant shifts. This is 2024 in Review.

Just as it was last year, the first couple of months of this year for the property industry in NSW meant a mad scramble to the deadline of 22nd March and agents attempting to get their CPD requirements completed and Assistant Agents working towards completing their modules for their licensing needs. For us here at ACOP, this meant guiding countless students through their training and assessment journeys, helping them achieve their goals in real estate, stock & station, and strata management. But this year was different from the one before with new changes to the CPD requirements.

Throughout the year, ACOP Assessors conducted numerous Compliance Audits and worked closely with agencies to help them meet their supervision and compliance obligations, particularly in developing tailored Supervision Guidelines and Policy & Procedures documents. What we’ve found across many agencies is that most agents genuinely want to be compliant but simply need some guidance to get there. With so much focus on running their businesses, the finer details of compliance often get overlooked. It’s been a true pleasure to partner with these agents and their teams, helping them understand that compliance is not just a requirement, but a key component of delivering high-quality service and achieving success in their day-to-day operations.

In 2024, the CPD year timeframe was pushed to follow the financial year, moving it from March to March to now 1 July to 30 June of the following year. This gave us plenty of time to prepare material and content for students and we kicked off again in July with CPD courses. The requirements also change in that instead of the 4 hours we ran in 2023, we now have 5-hour CPD courses. Also, like last year, CPD still depends on the categories of licence that an agent holds. If you have a real estate licence, no matter whether it is a Class 1 or 2 licence, this is a 5-hour course, but if you hold Real Estate and Stock & Station OR Real Estate and Strata Management – then you are required to do additional CPD training for each additional category of licence. For those agents who are not licensed and hold a Certificate of Registration, there have been no changes – you still need to complete 3 Units of Competency towards your licence qualification. Simply get in touch with us, and we’ll help you navigate the right pathway to achieve it.

As we did last year, we’ve continued to offer a mix of online, interactive webinars and face-to-face sessions for CPD training. However, NSW Fair Trading now requires that anyone opting for the online training option must complete 10 hours of online learning, compared to the 5 hours required for those choosing interactive webinars or face-to-face sessions. While many of our students enjoy the flexibility of interactive webinars, we’ve seen a strong return to our face-to-face classes, where they can connect with like-minded colleagues, share experiences, and learn from each other.

Without restrictions on how we live, the challenge of decision-making, which became more pronounced in recent times, hasn’t eased. Many people are still struggling to make clear decisions, which means that, as agents, you need to work harder than ever to guide your clients through the complexities of property sales and management. It’s been a significant challenge for workplaces across all industries to reconnect with colleagues, listen, and contribute to creating supportive environments. If we are to prioritise good mental health, we must take it seriously as an industry. We need to actively connect with those around us and offer support. This is easier said than done, and it will take time, energy, and a conscious effort to rely on one another. Rebuilding strong, successful working relationships with our teams and colleagues requires patience and commitment.

ACOP turned 21 on 30 November 2024 and as we have done now for many years, we had a month of celebrations where our students received a 15% discount on all ACOP courses and services for a 15-day period to mark our 21 years in business. And who doesn’t love a good excuse for a cake – and we must say, in addition to a monster cake for our birthday, we had quite a few this past year.

We have had many other celebrations this year at the College with staff members passing university exams, our Qualification Team Leader Chanelle started a new life in Queensland and continues to work remotely for ACOP from there, and naturally the many birthdays and work anniversaries throughout the year. Through the good and bad of people’s personal lives, the team supports each other which makes me a very proud business owner.

And it’s a wrap for 2024. It’s our last fortnightly College Chronicle for the year so I thought a summary of the major topics that we have covered this year would be a great idea – just to show how much ground we have crossed. Remember that all past editions of the Chronicle are available on our website. In 2024, our topics have included:

• When being qualified is not a good thing 
• Drug Labs in Rental properties – what you need to look for 
• Changes to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) 
• Who needs a Stock & Station Agents Licence? 
• Assistant Agent – Certificate of Registration Extensions 
• Property reports – Keeping Records 
• The New Supervision Guidelines 
• The Role of Finance in Property Sales 
• Cyber Insurance 
• To knock……. or not to knock……. that is the question 
• Protect your staff from unforeseen dangers 
• Order on the Agent 
• Changes are coming to Strata Laws in NSW
• Changes to Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) 
• Supervision Guidelines 
• Is auctioning a property the best sales method? 
• Changes to Rental Laws in NSW 
• Compliance with Habitability Standards 
• Residential Tenancy Law Reforms: No Grounds Evictions… it is not in the legislation – not yet 
• Service of Documents… get it right 
• Providing copies of signed documents to clients 
• The Real Estate Industry Award

This year, we’ve placed a strong emphasis on training around compliance requirements and how to navigate a constantly evolving environment. We firmly believe that if agents embrace and apply the principles behind these legislatively mandated rules, our industry will not only improve but also create a more professional and level playing field. This belief is at the heart of everything we do here at ACOP and drives our commitment to supporting agents in their professional growth.

As we celebrate our twenty-first year, ACOP continues to be one of the few Registered Training Organisations granted the ability to offer government funding in the property, finance, and management sectors. This means we remain under the careful scrutiny of Training Services NSW to ensure we consistently meet the highest standards of training. With fee-free traineeships available for students who sign up with approved providers like ACOP and subsidised training for experienced workers it’s an exciting time to be involved in the training sector. We’re looking forward to what 2025 holds.

There have been comings and goings at ACOP this year.  We said sad farewells to Chanelle who is no longer in the office with us but working from Queensland. We also introduced some new team members – Jo and Georgie who work part time while they complete their university degrees.

As the year winds down, many of us are looking forward to spending quality time with family and loved ones, enjoying the festivities, and indulging in plenty of delicious food. This year, ACOP’s Christmas celebration with current and former team members took place in late November at a bowls club in North Sydney. The evening was filled with fun games of bowls, amazing food, and even better company—a perfect way to celebrate the year that has been.

As you plan your work and family celebrations, please remember to be mindful of everyone’s safety. Make sure you and your friends have a safe way to travel to and from the festivities, especially if you plan to enjoy a few drinks at the parties.

As we enter December, it’s a time to reflect on the year that has passed. Every day, we’re confronted with news, articles, and online updates about the challenges facing our world – negative shifts in people’s behaviour, the impact on mental health, and the strain on communication. We’re also grappling with the cost of living crisis, the rental shortage, and the growing lack of affordable housing. Conversations with businesses across all sectors reveal an increase in stress levels and heightened pressures.

As Christmas approaches, it’s a time to pause and reflect on the year’s journey, and to think about how we can make our lives – and the lives of those we can influence – better moving forward. It’s important to find gratitude for the good in our lives, no matter how big or small. So, please be kind to yourself and to others. We all need it now more than ever.

My loyal partner in business and life, John has organised for the two of us (and a couple of our family) to travel to Cambodia to rest and relax and see our beautiful sponsor children in Phnom Penh at the Cambodian Child’s Fund (CCF). This is definitely a happy place for us both and defines our purpose in life.

John and I were immensely honoured this year, when in recognition of our work with the children of Cambodia through CCF that we were awarded the Royal Order of Sahametrei Maha Sirivudha (Royal Order of Cambodia), which was bestowed on us personally by His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni, on the 28th of May in Phnom Penh.  The Award comes with the official titles of His and Her Excellency – which is super fancy.  However, the ACOP team have unfortunately NOT embraced our titles as their new way of addressing us. 

ACOP remains committed to supporting the Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter through my role as Board Chair. We also continue to back CCF, with our team actively involved in planning major fundraising events and contributing to the vital work of both organisations. This year, both of these charities held significant events that successfully raised crucial funds to support their ongoing efforts to help women, children, and promote education. As we head into the Christmas and New Year season, let’s make an effort to show extra kindness and care to those around us – whenever and wherever we can. It will make everyone’s holiday season that much brighter.

ACOP will close its doors and telephone lines at 3.00pm on Wednesday 18 December and reopen on Monday 6 January at 8.30am.  Naturally, you will still be able to login online and enrol and complete CPD training and licensing modules if required.  Any of your questions will be addressed as soon as we are back at our desks fully refreshed from our break on the 6 January.

On behalf of John, myself, and the entire incredible ACOP team, we send our warmest festive wishes to you. May you have a joyful Christmas and a safe, healthy, and prosperous 2025. Let’s take this time to appreciate all the good in our lives and embrace the chance to start fresh, bringing new ideas and renewed energy into the exciting new year ahead.

Don’t forget to leave out some beer and cookies for Santa, and a couple of carrots for the reindeer. And perhaps take a moment to raise a glass – whether it be champagne, Coke No Sugar, or your drink of choice – to those you love and hold dear, as well as to those who are no longer with us. Stay safe, stay happy, and we look forward to seeing you all in the new year.

Complete your property training with ACOP.