NQF Qualifications

The National Qualifications Framework - of NQF, as it is referred to - is the system that records the credits assigned to each level of learning achievement in a formal way, to ensure that the skills and knowledge that have been learnt are recognised throughout the country. NQF Qualifications are approved by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and they are then developed by one of of the 21 Sector Education & Training Authorities (SETA’s). From there, they are adapted and offered to you by an accredited training provider, such as BrainTrust.

Back in the day, there were little to no rules regulating the Real Estate industry, dictating who could and who could not operate as an Estate Agent, and effectively negotiate the terms of one of the biggest purchases or sales that a person is likely to make in their lifetime. Because of the utter importance and inevitable value of such a transaction, the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB) was created, through the Estate Agency Affairs Act, No. 112 of 1976. The Act was created to regulate the industry, and allowed for the introduction of the EAAB, as well as for the Estate Agents’ Fidelity Fund. But further to this, it was realised that the standard of education was not up to par, and that Estate Agents simply required more training in order to qualify. Here enters a very important amendment to the Act, in the form of Regulation 633, introduced in 2008.

This new Regulation detailed the new minimum educational requirements for any new Agents looking to enter the field. These educational requirements included a twelve-month Internship, with proof in the form of a Logbook of Evidence; as well as the completion of the NQF 4: FETC Real Estate Qualification. The candidate is then required to write and pass the EAAB’s Professional Designation Examination at Level 4, and should they then wish to not operate under the umbrella of an already existing Agency and a Principal Agent, they are then required to complete the NQF 5 NC Real Estate Qualification, as well as the Professional Designation Examination at Level 5, in order to qualify as a Principal and operate their own Estate Agency business.

So, now that you have the background on what the NQF is, and why it is required, here’s how it works. Since every service provider is different, we are naturally going to focus on how BrainTrust Business Training dispenses these Qualifications.

Anyone completing one of these two NQF Qualifications will receive twelve months to do so. These Qualifications are both to be provided through facilitated contact sessions, and so Agents are required to attend classes during this time. This being said, we know that majority of our students have full-time commitments in terms of work, family, and so on; so we provide these workshops over a 5 month period, and during this time, you are only required to attend one class every second week. In these classes, our expert facilitators guide you through the Unit Standards that you are required to complete to achieve competence against these Qualifications. If you are completing the NQF 4, you are required to achieve a minimum of 150 credits, and if you are completing the NQF 5, you are required to achieve a minimum 135 credits. Credits are broken down into Unit Standards, three Core Units for the NQF 4, and four Core Units for the NQF 5. You are also given the opportunity to select an Elective Unit Standard of your choice. For the NQF 4, you may choose between Mortgage Bonds and Property Valuation & Facilities Management, and for the NQF 5, you may choose between Valuations, Real Estate Practice, or Property Management. It all depends on where you want to specialise.

Throughout these five months, deadlines are set in which you have to hand in your Units. Competence is achieved through an integrated assessment process, meaning that your work is assessed by an independent Services SETA Accredited Assessor, and you are given the opportunity to remediate any work that is not up to standard. What this means is that you essentially cannot fail the NQF Qualifications, you are simply marked as not yet competent, until such time as you are able to submit the correct answer.

Once you are declared competent on all of the Core Unit Standards, as well as on the Elective Unit Standard of your choice, your work undergoes two separate moderation processes. Internal moderation takes place on 25% of your classes files by an independent SETA Accredited Moderator. From there, external moderation takes place with a Services SETA Moderator, who examines all files and makes a final call on whether or not you are competent. As soon as you are declared competent by the SETA Moderator, Services SETA begins the process of certification, and you will receive your SETA Further Education & Training Certificate or National Certificate within 30 to 60 days.

More than just a compliance issue with the EAAB, the NQF Qualifications provide Agents entering the field, as well as existing Agents furthering their education with the necessary knowledge to operate within the industry. You learn to incorporate the theory into your day-to-day business practices, and furnish yourself with information on the Code of Conduct, the laws and legislation governing Real Estate, you learn integral knowledge on how to sell, lease and market property, how to manage your own business operations, as well as some great methods of interacting and communicating with your clients.

BrainTrust Business Training is currently offering the NQF 4 Qualification in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, and the NQF 5 Qualification in Johannesburg and Pretoria. If you are interested in signing up to complete either your NQF 4 or 5, follow the buttons below to register.