ESTATE AGENTS AND PROPERTY FIRMS

PPRA firm registration and the Fidelity Fund Certificate file

A new agency has to hand the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority ten separate documents from six different sources, and the application does not move until all of them are there and match. We assemble the whole file against the PPRA’s own list, draft the parts that have to be drafted, and lodge it on MyPPRA with the principal’s application alongside.

R1 490our fee · PPRA administration and certificate fees paid to the PPRA on top · file ready within 5 working days

10 documentson the PPRA’s firm registration list, from CIPC, your bank, your auditor, the FIC, SARS and you

R704 + R2 865the firm’s admin fee and the principal’s three-year certificate on the 2026/27 schedule, paid to the PPRA

Section 56no commission on any deal done before the certificate is issued

What actually goes wrong

The form is the easy part. Firm applications stall on four things, and every one of them is a document somebody else issues.

The bank letter without the section 54 wordingA trust account has to carry a reference to section 54(1) of the Act in its name, and the letter must be dated, signed and stamped. A letter for a plain business account, or an unstamped printout, is rejected.
No auditor yetThe Act says the auditor is appointed immediately after the trust account is opened, and the PPRA wants the auditor’s letter with the IRBA practice number in the file. Firms that plan to find an auditor later wait.
Missing FIC registrationEstate agents are accountable institutions under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act. The PPRA asks for proof of registration with the Centre, and most new principals have never heard of it.
Tax clearance or BEE affidavit out of dateSection 50 makes both a condition of the certificate. An expired tax compliance PIN or an affidavit sworn for a different financial year sends the file back.

What you get for R1 490

Name reservation on MyPPRALodged first, because nothing else can be uploaded until the name is approved.
The firm application and the principal applicationBoth completed from your details and cross-checked against the CIPC record so the directors, the address and the entity type agree everywhere.
Trust account or exemptionThe exact wording for your bank’s section 54 letter, or, if the firm will never hold trust money, the sworn exemption affidavit drafted for you to sign before a commissioner of oaths.
The auditor’s appointment letterDrafted for your auditor to sign, with the IRBA practice number, and a short note on what the annual trust audit involves so you can get a quote before you commit.
FIC registrationYour firm registered with the Financial Intelligence Centre as an accountable institution, and the proof for the file.
BEE affidavit and tax clearance PINThe sworn affidavit in the prescribed wording for a firm under R10 million turnover, and the SARS tax compliance PIN requested on your eFiling profile.
The company resolutionNaming the principal, signed by the directors.
Lodged and followed upUploaded to MyPPRA, the fee invoice explained, and the status checked with the PPRA until the certificate is issued.

How it works

1Order and answer the short formCompany details, the principal’s qualifications and PPRA history, whether the firm will hold trust money, and your bank and auditor if you have them.
2We check the principal qualifies and build the fileIf the principal lacks the NQF 5 or PDE 5, we tell you before any work starts. Otherwise we reserve the name, draft the affidavits, letters and resolution, register with the FIC and request the tax PIN.
3You sign, we lodgeYou sign the affidavit before a commissioner of oaths and get the bank and auditor letters signed. We upload the full file to MyPPRA, you pay the PPRA’s fees on its invoice, and we follow the application to the certificate.

Not sure this is the right one for you? Ask us first and you get a written answer within one business day.

What we will need from you

The company’s CIPC documents showing the entity and its directors or members, or your ID if you are a sole proprietor
The principal’s ID, qualification certificates and PDE results, or the PPRA letter granting an equivalency exemption
Your bank’s section 54 trust account letter once the account is open, or your instruction that the firm will never hold trust money
Your auditor’s name and IRBA practice number, or ask us to suggest one
eFiling access or your tax practitioner’s details for the tax compliance PIN
Last financial year’s turnover for the BEE affidavit

Frequently asked questions

What does the PPRA charge on top?

On the PPRA’s 2026/27 schedule the firm pays a R704 administration fee and R330 for the trading name reservation; the firm’s own certificate is free. Each person pays for their own Fidelity Fund Certificate: R2 865 for a principal or full status agent and R2 375 for a new candidate, each for three years. A trust account exemption application is R2 200. These are paid by EFT to the PPRA directly, with your 7-digit reference, and are not included in our R1 490.

Can you register me as a principal if I have no qualification?

No. A principal must have completed the internship, the NQF level 4 and 5 real estate qualifications or equivalency exemptions, and the PDE 4 and PDE 5 examinations. We prepare the file for someone who has those. If you do not, we tell you before you pay and point you to the candidate route.

Do I have to open a trust account before you start?

Either a trust account or an exemption. If the firm will hold deposits or rent, you open the section 54 trust account at your bank; we give you the exact wording the bank letter must carry. If the firm will never hold trust money, we draft the sworn exemption affidavit for you to sign before a commissioner of oaths.

How long does PPRA registration take?

We prepare the file within five working days of receiving your documents. The PPRA’s own processing time varies; section 49 of the Act sets mandatory periods for the Authority, and in practice allow several weeks. Do not take a mandate until the certificate is issued, because section 56 denies commission on any deal done without one.

Fidelity Fund Certificate guide→ Estate agents hub→ Free BEE affidavit builder→ Company registration first→

We prepare and lodge the application under your written authority. The PPRA decides whether to issue a certificate, and its administration and certificate fees, the auditor’s fees and bank charges are separate. Sources: the Property Practitioners Act 22 of 2019, sections 47 to 56; the PPRA registration FAQ, 2026 renewal notice and Schedule of Fees 2026-2027. This is information, not legal advice.