New Zealand: changes to real estate CPD enforcement process
Real estate professionals in New Zealand will no longer face an automatic five-year ban from relicensing for failing to pay continuing professional development (CPD) fees on time. The change follows concerns that the previous penalty was disproportionate for an administrative lapse and could unnecessarily remove practitioners from the profession. Under the revised approach, licensees who fail to pay their CPD fees may have their access to CPD services suspended but can restore their standing by paying the outstanding fees and meeting the required obligations, rather than waiting five years to re-enter the profession. The decision reflects a more proportionate approach to regulatory enforcement, distinguishing administrative non-compliance from conduct that raises concerns about professional competence or public protection.