How to Become an Estate Agent in Hong Kong

Since 1 January 1999, anyone doing estate agency work in Hong Kong must hold a licence from the Estate Agents Authority (EAA). Working without one is an offence under the Estate Agents Ordinance (Cap. 511): up to HK$500,000 and 2 years’ imprisonment on indictment for carrying on an estate agency business unlicensed (section 55(1)(a)). To become a property agent, as most people call it, you pass an EAA qualifying exam and then apply for a licence. This guide walks through the requirements, the application, fees, validity, renewal and the new mandatory CPD rules, using EAA pages checked on 11 October 2026.

Choosing the right licence

Companies need an estate agent’s licence (company) as well, with at least one director who holds an estate agent’s licence (individual), and a Statement of Particulars of Business (SPOB) for each place of business and business name. Not sure which exam to sit? Read SQE vs EAQE.

The four requirements

Under the Estate Agents Ordinance and the Estate Agents (Licensing) Regulation (Cap. 511A), an individual applicant must:

• be at least 18 on the date of application;
• have completed Form 5 secondary education or its equivalent;
• have passed the relevant qualifying examination in the 12 months immediately before the application; and
• be a fit and proper person to hold a licence.

Source: EAA, Licensing requirements, checked 11 Oct 2026. Former licensees who apply for the same type of licence within 24 months of their old licence ending can be exempt from the education and exam requirements (EAA, Licence expiry and renewal page).

What “fit and proper” covers

The EAA looks at whether the applicant:

• is an undischarged bankrupt, or made a composition or scheme with creditors in the last 5 years;
• is a mentally disordered person or patient under the Mental Health Ordinance;
• has criminal convictions. Dishonesty, fraud and corruption convictions, and Estate Agents Ordinance convictions with imprisonment, must be considered. Other convictions are also considered;
• was a director or officer of a company disqualified under the Ordinance.

Source: EAA, A Study Guide to Estate Agency Law and Practice, Part 2, paras 24–29. The statutory basis is sections 19 (estate agent’s licence, individuals) and 21 (salesperson’s licence) of Cap. 511.

How to apply, step by step

• 1. Pass the exam. Keep your result slip. See the SQE guide or EAQE guide.
• 2. Complete the form. Form 4 for a salesperson’s licence, Form 2 for an estate agent’s licence (individual). Affix a photograph measuring 40 mm x 50 mm.
• 3. Attach the documents: proof of your educational qualifications, proof that you passed the qualifying exam within the past 12 months, and your original Hong Kong Identity Card or travel document.
• 4. Submit the form and documents in person at, or by mail to, the EAA office, with the licence fee for the term you choose.
• 5. Wait for the grant. The EAA’s performance pledge for a new grant is within 10 working days. The licence takes effect on the day it is granted, without prior notice. The EAA then updates the public register and licence list, issues your estate agent card and publishes a notice in the Gazette.

Sources: EAA, Guide to completing licence application form and Application procedure, checked 11 Oct 2026. Online e-applications are open to current licensees and former licensees within 24 months; a first-time applicant uses the paper form.

Licence fees

You choose a 12-month or 24-month licence by the fee you pay. The 24-month fee is slightly less than two 12-month fees.

After you are licensed

• Tell clients you are licensed. Before doing estate agency work for a client, a salesperson must say they are licensed and give the licence number (Practice Regulation, Cap. 511C, section 5).
• Your employer notifies the EAA. An estate agent must give notice within 31 days of employing, or ceasing to employ, a salesperson (Cap. 511, section 40; Form 9).
• Hand over client money forthwith. A salesperson who receives money for a client must pay it to the employer or the employer’s trust account immediately (section 43).

Renewal

Apply to renew not earlier than 3 months and not later than 1 month before your licence expires (Cap. 511A, section 13; EAA, Licence expiry and renewal). The EAA’s pledge for renewals is within 20 working days. A late application may not be processed before expiry, and you must then stop estate agency work until the renewal is granted.

If your licence lapses, you can reapply for the same type of licence without re-sitting the exam only if the EAA receives your application and fee within 24 months of expiry. After that, you must pass the exam again within the 12 months before applying.

Mandatory CPD (Phase 1)

The EAA launched Phase 1 of its Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Scheme on 1 January 2025. It covers individuals licensed on the result of a qualifying exam held after 1 January 2025. Existing licensees and holders of earlier results are excluded.

Failing to meet the requirement can affect your eligibility to renew (Examination Handbook, August 2026, para 1.3). If you sit in late 2026 and are licensed on that pass, this applies to you. The EAA has not published details of a Phase 2.

More: registering for the exam and the Code of Ethics. Official pages: EAA licence fees and Mandatory CPD Scheme.