Who must register for CPD purposes in 2019?
All estate agents, excluding intern estate agents, who have been issued with a valid fidelity fund certificate by the EAAB, whether as principal or non-principal estate agents, are reminded that they must register for CPD purposes in 2019 and obtain fifteen verifiable and five non-verifiable CPD points during each year of the rolling three-year CPD cycle applicable to them.
Intern estate agents must register for CPD purposes, and participate in the CPD programme, in the calendar year immediately following the year in which full status as an estate agent is achieved (that is to say, once the fidelity fund certificate issued to them by the EAAB is no longer endorsed “Intern”).
The ‘catch-up’ CPD programme
CPD participants who failed to obtain fifteen verifiable CPD points for a particular year of the relevant rolling three-year CPD cycle should ensure that they participate in the EAAB ‘catch-up’ programme. The programme allows non-compliant CPD participants to obtain the outstanding verifiable CPD points needed for any particular year of the rolling three-year CPD cycle. The ‘catch-up’ programme, which takes the form of an e-learning intervention, must be accessed on the “MyCPD” portal of the EAAB website by CPD participants who still need to obtain verifiable CPD points for any particular calendar year.
CPD participants who enrolled for participation in the CPD programme, and who both completed the mandatory Personal Development Plan (“PDP”) and made payment of the CPD fee, should use the ‘catch-up’ programme, where necessary, to obtain any outstanding CPD points. Such participants will receive internet access, depending on their individual completed PDPs, to the relevant CPD presentations. After viewing the CPD presentation concerned participants must answer ten randomly generated multiple-choice questions relating to that presentation. Participants who correctly answer 70% of the multiple-choice questions are awarded the verifiable CPD points for that particular CPD intervention. Participants who do not correctly answer 70% of the multiple-choice questions must review the presentation, and accompanying materials, until they do correctly answer 70% of the multiple-choice questions.
The CPD programme for 2019
The CPD programme for 2019 is now finalised.
Participants in the 2019 CPD programme can obtain the required fifteen verifiable CPD points for the year by:
- attending one-on-one contact sessions; or
- accessing the EAAB’s e-learning platform; or
- using a mixture of both of these methods by electing to attend contact sessions and also utilising available e-learning opportunities.
The prior completion by CPD participants of the necessary PDP for 2019 will determine the nature of the CPD topics to which they will have access when enrolling online for CPD purposes.
Award of verifiable CPD points
- Five (5) verifiable CPD points are awarded for attendance at, or e-learning of, each separate CPD topic excluding, however, the topics to be presented at the Integrated Real Estate Dialogues.
- Five (5) verifiable CPD points are awarded for attendance at an Integrated Real Estate Dialogue session. The Integrated Real Estate Dialogues are, however, not available for e-learning purposes.
E-Learning
It is anticipated that the e-learning component of the 2019 CPD programme will be upload to the MyCPD portal as from 01 April 2019 after which date CPD participants will be able to access e-learning.
CPD topics for 2019
Eight CPD topics will be presented to CPD participants in 2019. Save only for the topic on “Planning to run a successful estate agency enterprise”, which is aimed at principal estate agents, all the other topics are open to principal and non-principal estate agents alike. All the topics, except for those to be presented at the Integrated Real Estate Dialogues, will also be available for e-learning purposes.
The topics are:
“Understanding the importance of emotional intelligence”
Many incredibly bright people often seem to be unable to pull their lives together. Good and conscientious students may drop out while intelligent and diligent workers do not always get ahead in their organisations. Superior intelligence alone, apparently, is not always sufficient to ensure success. Perhaps, indeed, emotional intelligence – or the ability to be aware of one’s own emotions as well as of the emotions of others, use that knowledge to manage the expression of emotions and foster success rather than create roadblocks – is better able to explain the anomaly than cognitive intelligence. The presentation examines the concept of emotional intelligence and indicates how the mastery of emotional intelligence benefits estate agents both in and out of the workplace.
“Engaging in effective communication”
Communication refers to the giving, receiving or exchanging of information, and interacting with others to promote understanding, achieve a desired result and enable the receiver of the information to initiate some kind of required action. There is no doubt that life in general, and working life in particular, would be so much easier if, on the one hand, an estate agent always knew precisely what others were trying to communicate and, on the other hand, was equally able to communicate as efficiently and effectively with stakeholders and potential clients. Estate agents will undoubtedly benefit significantly when they communicate effectively. The presentation examines some of the important factors and pitfalls impacting on effective communication while emphasising the benefits to be derived from sound and effective communication strategies within the estate agency sector.
“Planning to run a successful estate agency enterprise” [for principal estate agents]
The management team of an estate agency enterprise comprises the people who are responsible for achieving the enterprise objectives. It is the principals of the enterprise as well as, in many cases, the management team which establishes targets, makes plans, provides resources and strives to ensure the attainment of enterprise objectives. To do so successfully inevitably requires continuous planning, monitoring and feedback. Thorough planning determines the basic goals and objectives of the enterprise, ensures that appropriate courses of action are adopted and allocates the necessary resources for this purpose. The presentation assists principal estate agents better to understand and appreciate the importance of planning to achieve enterprise objectives.
“The transformation imperative in the estate agency sector”
It is self-evident that, for historical reasons, the estate agency sector still remains almost entirely skewed in favour of the established industry. While a measure of transformation to reflect the demographics of a democratic South Africa is evident, there is no doubt that this advance is totally insufficient if the necessary radical changes that are so urgently required are to be meaningfully and speedily achieved. The presentation cogently addresses these important issues while emphasising the benefits that will accrue to all property practitioners operating in a more transformed sector.
“Understanding the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution”
Today’s world is increasingly characterised by volatility, uncertainty, chaos and ambiguity. The response to the changes brought about by the technological revolution must not only be integrated but also comprehensive. Such responses must involve all stakeholders of the global community, from the public and private sectors to academia and civil society. Estate agents are certainly not excluded from the exponential changes taking place as the digital revolution, characterised by a fusion of technologies, proceeds apace. It is imperative, for their continued success, that estate agents grasp these innovations within the environments in which they operate. The presentation provides clarification, and envisages a way forward, to ensure that the profession remains meaningful and retains its utility in the modern age.
“Ensuring effective legislative compliance by estate agents”
Estate agency, as a regulated sector of the economy, has many compliance obligations to contend with ranging from the Estate Agency Affairs Act, and the various regulations promulgated in terms of that Act, to the Financial Intelligence Centre Act to, for instance, the Rental Housing Act and many other pieces of legislation. It is essential that estate agents keep abreast of their multiple compliance obligations if they are to achieve success, both financially and reputationally, within the sector. The presentation investigates the most important of these compliance obligations to ensure that estate agents continue to operate legally and successfully.
Understanding the Property Practitioners Act [to be presented at the Integrated Real Estate Dialogues]
The Property Practitioners Act, when promulgated into law, will supersede the current Estate Agency Affairs Act. The new Act will, thereafter, regulate the property practitioners’ profession, placing special emphasis on, for instance, the transformation of the property practitioners sector and the continued protection of consumers engaging with property practitioners. Estate agents, as future property practitioners, need to be fully acquainted with the provisions and requirements of the Property Practitioners Act, understand the fundamental changes it will bring to the sector and ensure that they remain compliant. The presentation provides a broad overview of the Act to prepare property practitioners for its probably not too distant implementation.
Ensuring compliance with the Financial Intelligence Centre Act [to be presented at the Integrated Real Estate Dialogues]
Estate agency enterprises must start demonstrating progress towards full compliance with the amended requirements of the FIC Act. While the FIC Act will be enforced as from 1 April 2019, the Financial Intelligence Centre has indicated that the sanctioning of non-compliance might be delayed to allow sufficient time for estate agency enterprises to make the implementation adjustments to accommodate the Act that will be so necessary. The presentation fully apprises estate agents of their new anti-money laundering and terrorist financing duties and obligations pursuant to the FIC Act so as to ensure that they understand the Act and comply therewith.
Contact session venues for 2019
The dates and venues of contact CPD sessions in 2019 are as follows:
| Venue | Dates of contact session |
| Focus Room Events, The Core, Cor. Kikuyu and Leeukop Streets, Sunninghill, Sandton | 12 to 14 March |
| Mount Edgecombe Conference Centre, Gate 2, Mount Edgecombe Country Estate, Durban | 9 to 11 April |
| Dolphins Leap Conference Centre, Shop 14C, Cor. La Roche Drive and Beach Road, Humewood, Port Elizabeth | 7 to 9 May |
| Sports Science Institute, Boundary Road, Newlands, Cape Town | 14 to 16 May
|
| Fortis Hotel Capital, 390 Lillian Ngoyi Street, Pretoria
|
21 to 23 May |
| Premier Hotel OR Tambo, 73 Gladiator Street, Rhodesfield, Kempton Park
|
2 to 4 July |
| Silver Star Casino, Krugersdorp | 23 to 25 July |
| Southern Sun Hotel, 45 New England Road, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg
|
13 to 15 August |
| Bon Hotel, Bloem Plaza, East Burger Street, Bloemfontein
|
20 and 21 August |
| Premier Regent Hotel, Marine Park Complex, 22 Esplanade, East London
|
3 and 4 September |
| Garden Court, Cor. Paul Kruger and Thabo Mbeki Streets, Polokwane
|
17 and 18 September |
| Garden Court, 120 Du Toitspan Road,Kimberley
|
1 and 2 October |
| Protea Hotel, Between Barend and Margaretha Prinsloo Streets, Klerksdorp
|
15 and 16 October |
| Hotel Promenade, Cor. Samora Machel Drive and Henshall Street, Mbombela
|
29 and 30 October |
The dates and venues for the contact CPD sessions in Stellenbosch and George respectively have still to be confirmed and will be announced once available.
Time and duration of contact CPD presentations
CPD participants should ensure that they note the times of the individual presentations at each contact session. Where three topics are to be presented on a given day the relevant times are as follows:
| Registration | Programme |
| 07:00 to 08:00 | 08:00 to 09:30 |
| 10:00 to 11:00 | 11:00 to 12:30 |
| 13:30 to 14:30 | 14:30 to 16:00 |
The Integrated Real Estate Dialogues are presented on the final day of each contact session. On those days registration takes place from 07:00 to 08:00 while the presentations are delivered from 08:00 to 12:30 with a tea break from 10:00 to 10:30.
Registration for CPD
CPD participants must access the “MyEAAB” portal on the EAAB website [www.eaab.org.za] and complete and submit the necessary Personal Development Plan to the EAAB by no later than 31 March 2019. Payment of the applicable CPD fee for 2019 must, similarly, be made by no later than 31 March 2019. Participants who have completed a PDP but have failed to make the required CPD payment will not be registered for CPD purposes.
CPD fees due for 2019
CPD fees payable by estate agents for the 2019 calendar year remain unchanged and are:
- R2 500 for principal estate agents; and
- R2 000 for non-principal estate agents.
Method of payment
Payment must be made to the EAAB by no later than 31 March 2019 whether or not the CPD participant has received an invoice. In the event that participants have not received a CPD invoice they should contact Ms. Nobuhle Mbuyeleni at nobuhle.mbuyeleni@eaab.org.za for further information.
Consequences of non-compliance
Qualifying CPD participants who have not registered for CPD and/or who have failed to achieve the required number of CPD points over the rolling three-year cycle will be rendered disqualified and cannot be issued with a fidelity fund certificate for the following calendar year.
Further information
Additional CPD releases will be issued by the EAAB from time to time.
Issued by: The Estate Agency Affairs Board
Date: 27 February 2019
