Real estate agents have until September 17 to apply for their licence if they want to ensure they are licensed to practice as of next year, parliamentary secretary for construction Chris Agius has warned. 

Applications submitted after that date may not be processed in time for the January 1, 2022 deadline when licensing rules included in the Real Estate Agents, Property Brokers and Property Consultants Act of 2020 come into force. Licences are valid for a five-year period. 

Around 1,500 real estate agents had signalled their intention to register themselves as of March of this year and authorities are therefore bracing themselves for a flurry of licensing applications over the next months. 

According to the law, any real estate agent or property broker operating without a licence as of next year can be fined €20,000. 

Parliamentary Secretary Chris Agius said that many agents have already undertaken licensing courses to ensure they are in line with the law as of next year. 

He warned others not to delay in submitting paperwork to the licensing board through its online portal. 

Agius also paid tribute to Katrina Borg Cardona, a lawyer who led the licensing board as its chair. Borg Cardona, who died last week, was a great asset to the sector, he said as he offered her family his condolences.