Ethics & Regulatory Compliance

In South Australia, what is a land agent's primary fiduciary duty to a client?

What is the ethical position on 'secret commissions' in SA real estate?

An SA land agent discovers that a colleague in the same agency is engaging in trust account fraud. What is the agent's ethical and legal obligation?

Under the Land Agents Act 1994, what is the 'fit and proper person' test for registration as a land agent in SA?

In SA, what is the process when a formal complaint is lodged against a land agent with Consumer and Business Services?

Under SA privacy law, what are a land agent's obligations regarding the collection and use of personal information from clients and prospective buyers?

What ethical obligations does a land agent have when a buyer makes an offer that the agent knows the vendor is likely to reject?

In SA, what are the record-keeping requirements for a registered land agent?

Under the Land Agents Act 1994, what grounds can lead to disciplinary action against a registered land agent?

What is the ethical requirement for a land agent in SA when they become aware of a conflict of interest?

In SA, what is the ethical obligation of a land agent regarding confidential client information?

A Queensland real estate agent discovers that a property they are listing has significant structural issues. The agent's ethical and legal obligation is to:

A Queensland real estate agent is instructed by a seller to not show a property to buyers of a particular ethnic background. The agent's correct course of action is to:

During an examination of a Queensland agent's trust account, the auditor finds a $5,000 shortfall that accounting errors do not explain. Under the Agents Financial Administration Act 2014, which statement is correct?

A Queensland real estate agent becomes aware that their salesperson has been accepting secret commissions from a building inspector for referrals. The agent should:

The Office of Fair Trading starts disciplinary proceedings against a Queensland agent, and QCAT finds grounds for disciplinary action. Which orders can QCAT make?

Under the federal anti-money laundering laws, which apply to real estate agents from 1 July 2026, an agent who suspects a sale involves the proceeds of crime should:

Under the Agents Financial Administration Act 2014 (Qld), a real estate agent's trust account must be:

A real estate agent in Queensland has a fiduciary duty to their client. This means the agent must:

Under Queensland law, a real estate agent who receives a gift or benefit from a third party in connection with a client's transaction must:

Under AUSTRAC's real estate guidance, when does a seller's agent start providing the designated service to the seller, and so need initial customer due diligence on the seller?

A NSW agent acts for the seller of a Chatswood unit and brokers its sale. Under the AML/CTF regime that applies from 1 July 2026, who are the agent's customers?

An agent forms a suspicion on reasonable grounds that a buyer's funds are proceeds of crime. The buyer asks, 'You're not going to report me, are you?' What should the agent do?

A NSW property manager arranges a 12-month residential lease for a landlord. Is this an AUSTRAC real estate designated service?

A buyer approaches an agent with a suitcase containing $50,000 cash for a property deposit. What AML/CTF obligations does this trigger?

An agent is conducting due diligence on a high-value international client under AML/CTF requirements. The client claims to be a Politically Exposed Person (PEP). What additional obligations does this trigger?

A real estate agent discovers that a client has provided false identification documents during a property transaction. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

Under the AML/CTF Act, a reporting entity must report a transfer of physical cash of at least what amount?

An agent suspects a client may be using the property transaction to launder money but is not certain. The client becomes aggressive when asked for additional identification. What is the agent's best course of action?

Which scenario would most likely trigger a suspicious matter report (SMR) under AML/CTF obligations?

Which statement correctly describes an agency's record-keeping obligations under the AML/CTF Act?

What is the consequence if an agent fails to verify the identity of a client as required under AML/CTF legislation?

In a complex money laundering scheme, a real estate agent unknowingly facilitates multiple property transactions using funds from criminal activity. Despite having no knowledge of the illegal source, what could be a potential consequence for the agent?

For a suspicion relating to money laundering (not terrorism financing), when must a reporting entity submit a suspicious matter report?

Under AML/CTF requirements, which of the following customer identification procedures is NOT required when establishing a business relationship with a new client?

A real estate agency discovers that over several months, an employee has been accepting multiple cash deposits of $9,500 each from the same overseas investor client, structured to avoid the $10,000 AML reporting threshold. What are the agency's obligations under the AML/CTF Act?

An agency that is a reporting entity under the AML/CTF Act accepts $15,000 in cash from a buyer as part of a deposit. What must it do?

An agent suspects that a series of property transactions they've been asked to facilitate may be part of a money laundering scheme involving layered transfers between related entities. What is their primary legal obligation?

What action should a real estate agent take if they suspect a client is attempting to use their services for money laundering?

How long must real estate agents typically retain customer identification records under AML/CTF requirements?

A real estate agent receives a cash deposit of $15,000 from a buyer who appears nervous and provides inconsistent information about their identity. What should the agent do?

A real estate agent is approached by a client who wants to buy several high-value properties using physical cash payments of just under $10,000 each, withdrawn from different bank accounts. The client refuses to provide identification beyond the minimum required. What is the most appropriate response under AML/CTF obligations?

An assistant agent's sister wants to buy a house that the assistant's employing agency has been retained to sell. How does s 49 of the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 apply?

After a NSW residential auction where the property was passed in, the vendor asks the agent for a copy of the Bidders Record so he can phone the underbidders himself. How should the agent respond?

At an open home, a buyer asks the selling agent whether the roof was replaced when the house was renovated. The agent does not know. What is the appropriate response?

A buyer's agent is bidding at auction for a client whose maximum is fixed. Bidding passes that figure. The client, reached by phone, says 'go a bit higher' but gives nothing in writing. What may the agent do?

After the owner agrees by phone, an agent puts the property on a listing portal the same afternoon, planning to get the agency agreement signed next week. How does this sit with the rules of conduct?

A vendor tells her agent to advertise her home at a price range below the agent's own estimate of its selling price, to draw more buyers to the first open home. What should the agent do?

Which of the following scenarios would most likely constitute a conflict of interest requiring disclosure?

What is the primary purpose of a real estate agent's code of conduct?

An agent discovers their colleague has been misrepresenting property details to potential buyers. What should they do according to professional ethics?

Which of the following best describes a conflict of interest that must be disclosed by a real estate agent?

A real estate agent receives confidential information about a client's financial difficulties during a property sale. The agent later uses this information to purchase the property at a reduced price through a family member. This scenario primarily violates which professional standard?

Which of the following best describes a fundamental principle of professional conduct for real estate agents?

Which of the following best describes a conflict of interest in real estate practice?

An agent tells an elderly owner she must sign an agency agreement tonight or lose every buyer, then phones her repeatedly after 10 pm when she hesitates. Which Schedule 1 rule is most clearly breached?

A buyer asks the vendor's agent for the lowest price the vendor has said she would accept. The vendor has not authorised the agent to reveal it. What should the agent do?

Which of the following best describes a conflict of interest situation for a real estate agent?

An agent is paid a monthly consulting fee by a developer who wants to buy a particular block cheaply. The owner of that block asks the agent to sell it. What should the agent do?

A real estate agent completes their required CPD hours but fails to submit the compliance declaration by the deadline due to an administrative error. Six months later, during a routine audit, this is discovered. What is the most likely regulatory response?

In states that make CPD mandatory for real estate licensees, how often must the CPD requirement typically be met?

An agent realises they have not completed the CPD required for the current period. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

What is the primary purpose of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for real estate agents in Australia?

An agent completes their required CPD hours but attends only seminars on sales techniques, ignoring legal updates and ethics training. This approach to CPD compliance is:

Which of the following CPD activities would typically NOT be accepted by most Australian real estate licensing authorities?

In a complex disciplinary hearing, an agent is found to have engaged in professional misconduct involving multiple breaches of the code of conduct over several years. Which factor would a tribunal be LEAST likely to consider when determining appropriate sanctions?

NSW Fair Trading serves a notice to show cause on an agent over alleged breaches of the rules of conduct. How long must the notice give the agent to respond?

Fair Trading imposes a monetary penalty and a licence condition on an agent after a disciplinary process. The agent thinks the decision is wrong. What is the review pathway?

An agent hands a buyer the agency’s expression of interest statement form to sign before accepting her deposit. When must the agent give the buyer a copy of the signed statement?

An agent asks a vendor to sign an agency agreement with the commission rate and estimated selling price left blank, saying she will fill them in once the campaign is planned. What is the position?

A buyer asks the agent selling a house to also act as her buyer's agent for that same house, for a separate fee. What does the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002 say?

At an open home an agent tells a buyer that an apartment 'is a great investment that will suit you'. The agent will receive a bonus from the developer on sale. What must the agent give the buyer under the Regulation?

After settlement, a delighted vendor drops off a case of good wine for her selling agent to thank him for his work on the sale. May he keep it under the gifts provision, s 53F?

A builder who wants the agency to recommend him to vendors preparing homes for sale offers an agent concert tickets worth several hundred dollars. What should the agent do?

A vendor has instructed her agent in writing not to pass on any offers below $850,000 (invented). Before exchange, a buyer makes a genuine written offer of $800,000. What does NSW law require of the agent?

To hurry a hesitant buyer, a NSW selling agent says another party has already offered more, although no such offer exists. How do the rules of conduct treat this?

To win listings, an agent offers a local café owner a gift card for every customer the café persuades to list with the agent. What does Schedule 1 say about this?

An agent repeats the vendor's claim that an extension was council-approved. It was not. The agent had seen council letters questioning the approval but did not follow them up. Can the agent rely on the s 52 defence?

On a Tuesday evening a selling agent phones the vendor to pass on a new offer. What else does Schedule 2 require the agent to do?

A vendor has told her agent in writing not to pass on any offer below a stated figure. A buyer then makes an offer below that figure. What must the agent do?

As at 2026, a small NSW sales agency with turnover under $3 million provides AUSTRAC designated services. How does the Privacy Act 1988 apply to the ID it collects for AML/CTF?

Which action would most likely constitute a breach of professional conduct for a real estate agent?

In New South Wales, what must an agent give a client before the client signs an agency agreement for the sale of residential property?

An agent discovers that their client has provided false information on a property contract. What should the agent do according to professional standards?

An experienced agent is found to have systematically failed to maintain proper trust account records and client communications over several years, despite completing all required CPD. What does this scenario best illustrate about professional standards?

At general law, an agent who proposes to act for both the vendor and the buyer in the same sale must at least do what? (Some states' conduct rules restrict this further.)

A real estate agent receives a complaint from a client about misleading advertising. What should be the agent's first course of action?

An agent receives a complaint from a consumer alleging misleading conduct during a property sale. The matter is referred to the state regulator for investigation. What is the agent's best course of action?

A licensed real estate agent is found guilty of professional misconduct. Which authority typically has the power to impose disciplinary action?

An agent's licence has been suspended for professional misconduct. During the suspension period, which activity would be legally permissible?

An agent receives a complaint alleging they provided misleading advertising about a property's proximity to public transport. The state regulator is investigating and has requested documentation. What is the agent's primary professional obligation?

A licensed agent is found to have systematically overcharged clients for marketing expenses over several years, despite multiple warnings. Which disciplinary action is most likely to be imposed?

An agent discovers that a property they are marketing has a significant structural defect that the vendor has not disclosed. What is the most appropriate course of action?

Which situation would most likely result in disciplinary action against a real estate agent's license?

An agent recommends a home stylist to a vendor, calling the stylist 'completely independent'. The stylist pays the agent 10% of every fee she earns from referred clients. What does Schedule 1 require?

A buyer asks the selling agent to recommend a conveyancer. The agent knows a local conveyancer is already acting for the vendor, and other conveyancers practise in the area. What does Schedule 1 require?

A seller's agent refers a prospective buyer to a mortgage broker who pays the agent a referral fee on settlement. What must the agent do for the disclosure to be effective under s 47 of the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002?

NSW Fair Trading issues a licensed agent with a show cause notice about possible disciplinary action. How long must the notice give the agent to respond?

As at September 2026, which change made by the Property and Stock Agents Amendment (Underquoting and Other Agent Conduct) Act 2026 is already in force?

To win a listing on her preferred terms, an agent tells the owner that NSW law makes a 90-day exclusive period compulsory in every sale listing. It does not. What has she done?

A licensee in charge learns that one of the sales agents routinely leaves the estimated selling price out of agency agreements. Under Schedule 1, what is the licensee in charge's obligation?