Nov 4th 2021 How do I become a real estate agent?

Anyone can sell houses? It's not that easy. The profession of real estate agent is a regulated trade. This means: Anyone who wants to do this job on a self-employed basis must be able to demonstrate appropriate skills and qualifications.

Variant A: Training + practical year

Have you completed a relevant university degree or a technical college course? Then you only need to provide proof of one year of practical work in a technically relevant activity in order to be able to apply for a trade license from the Chamber of Commerce. In this case, a qualification test is not necessary.

Variant B: Training + practical year(s) + qualification test

But there are also options for those who only later become interested in this career. The number of years of practice that must be demonstrated depends on the type of training completed:

• Economics or law studies + one year of professional work
• Completion of a vocational secondary school + one and a half years of professional work
• Completion of a general secondary school + two years of professional work
• Completion of at least three years of vocational school with a specific focus + two years of professional work
• Successful final apprenticeship examination in the real estate or office clerk apprenticeship + two years of professional work

In addition, a qualification test must then be completed. The real estate agent exam covers areas of law in which agents must be well versed: tenancy law, housing law, fundamental law, commercial law, zoning and development regulations and much more.

Technical terms such as “property valuation” or “energy certificate” are part of a real estate agent’s daily bread. But economic knowledge also plays a central role in the preparation course. The amount of learning required for the real estate agent exam should not be underestimated.

The proficiency test consists of four modules that are assessed separately and can be taken in any order. The master’s examination centers of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce are responsible for this. There you will also receive detailed information about the exam content and exam modalities.

What else you should know: Successfully completing real estate agent training is just the first step. It makes sense, especially for those starting out in their careers, to start in a well-known company in order to learn the necessary know-how and make the contacts that are so important for this profession. We are always looking for new team members. You can find our job advertisements here.