How to join NAEA Propertymark: grades, exams and CPD

What NAEA Propertymark is

NAEA Propertymark is the estate agency division of Propertymark, the professional body for property agents. Propertymark was formed in 2017 when four bodies came together: the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), the Institute of Commercial and Business Agents (ICBA) and the National Association of Valuers and Auctioneers (NAVA). The old NAEA name lives on in the division title and in the letters ANAEA, MNAEA and FNAEA after a member's name. Propertymark reports over 19,000 members across its divisions.

You join as an individual. Your grade depends on the sales qualification you hold and how long you have worked in the industry. Every member must follow the Propertymark Conduct and Membership Rules. If you are a principal, partner or director, you must also bring your firm into regulation with Propertymark.

The four membership grades

Student grade has no letters. You can join without a sales qualification, and you don't need to be working in agency yet. It lasts one year, and you must qualify to stay a member. Associate grade (ANAEA) needs the Level 2 sales qualification (Level 5 in Scotland) and at least one year's experience. If you have at least two years' experience but no qualification, you can join as an Associate and have two years to pass it. If you don't pass in that time, your membership ends.

Member grade (MNAEA) needs the Level 3 residential sales qualification (Level 6 in Scotland) and at least one year's experience. Fellow grade (FNAEA) needs a relevant Level 4 qualification and five years' experience. If you join as an employee at Associate, Member or Fellow grade, you must be working in the industry when you apply. Membership costs £295 a year. A second Propertymark division costs £150 a year if you already hold a full grade.

The Level 3 and Level 4 qualifications

The Level 3 Certificate in Property Agency (Sales) is the qualification most agents take to reach MNAEA. There are separate versions for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Scottish version is set at SCQF Level 6. Each pathway has four units. Two shared units cover the role and practice of a property professional (CiPA01 and CiPA02). The third unit covers the law of your nation. The fourth is the sales unit, CiPA10. Enrolment lasts 12 months and you study by distance learning. Each unit ends with a 30-question online exam, taken under remote invigilation. You have 45 minutes and need 60% to pass, or 80% for a distinction. Each exam costs £62.50.

The Level 4 Certificate in Property Agency Management is the route to Fellow grade. It is aimed at people who run or manage an agency. Its four units cover compliance and ethics, business planning, HR, risk, marketing, budgeting and forecasting. Enrolment lasts 24 months. If you are new to agency, the Level 2 Award in Introduction to Sale of Residential Property is a starting point for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It qualifies you for Associate grade.

CPD and what membership tells sellers

Every member must complete and record at least 12 hours of CPD each year. At least four of those hours must come from educational events or courses, and these do not have to be run by Propertymark. The other eight hours can come from private study, such as webinars, newsletters or Propertymark's magazine. If you belong to more than one division, Propertymark's disciplinary decisions show you must log 12 hours for each one.

Use of the logo comes with conditions. You can only use it if you hold a grade above Student and work for a firm that is Propertymark Protected, which means a director of that firm is a member and the firm is regulated through that membership. For a seller choosing between agents, this tells them who they can complain to.

Pay

UK, 25th to 50th percentile

£27,500–32,500

UK, 50th to 75th percentile

£32,500–42,700

London, 25th to 75th percentile

£32,700–50,700

South East, 25th to 75th percentile

£27,600–42,800

North West, 25th to 75th percentile

£25,800–39,900

North East, 25th to 75th percentile

£24,200–37,500

Scotland, 25th to 75th percentile

£27,200–42,200

Wales, 25th to 75th percentile

£24,600–38,100

GBP a year, before tax. Ranges are for estate agency work (ONS SOC 3555), based on the Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, April 2026 (provisional), brought up to the current year with a wage index. Regional figures are modelled. Commission and location move actual earnings. Refer to the Estate Agency salary guide for figures from live adverts.

What you need

Student gradeNo qualification or industry job needed. Lasts one year, costs £100, and you get no letters or logo until you qualify and upgrade.
Associate (ANAEA)Level 2 sales qualification (Level 5 in Scotland) plus one year's experience. Alternatively, two years' experience, with two years to pass the qualification.
Member (MNAEA)Level 3 residential sales qualification (SCQF Level 6 in Scotland) plus at least one year's experience in the industry.
Fellow (FNAEA)A relevant Level 4 qualification, such as the Level 4 Certificate in Property Agency Management, plus five years' industry experience.
Working in agencyEmployees applying at Associate, Member or Fellow grade must be working in the industry when they apply.
Annual CPDAt least 12 recorded hours a year, with at least four from educational events or courses. The other eight can come from private study.
Directors and partnersPrincipals, partners and directors must regulate their firms with Propertymark within three months and buy a Company Advantage package, which starts at £795 plus VAT.

Across the UK

England	Take the Level 3 Certificate in Property Agency (Sales) – England. The law unit, CiPA03, is shared with Wales. The Level 2 sales award is available as an entry route.
Wales	Take the Level 3 Certificate in Property Agency (Sales) – Wales. It uses the same law unit, CiPA03, as the England version. The Level 2 sales award also covers Wales.
Northern Ireland	Take the Level 3 Certificate in Property Agency (Sales) – Northern Ireland. It has its own law unit, CiPA04. The Level 2 sales award also covers Northern Ireland.
Scotland	Member grade needs the SCQF Level 6 Certificate in Property Agency (Sales), which uses the Scottish law unit CiPA05. Associate grade needs the Level 5 qualification. For Fellow grade, Propertymark treats SCQF Level 7 as comparable to Level 4.

How to get there

Month 0Join at Student gradeEnrol on a sales qualification. The Level 2 Award costs £390 inc VAT, which includes 12 months of Student membership if you have under two years' experience.
Year 1Pass the Level 2 or start Level 3The Level 2 award, together with one year's experience, gets you to Associate (ANAEA). Many agents go straight to Level 3.
Year 1-2Complete Level 3 sales unitsYou sit four online exams within the 12-month enrolment. Each exam costs £62.50.
Year 1-2Upgrade to MNAEAOnce you have the Level 3 qualification and one year's experience, you can use the MNAEA letters. If your firm is Propertymark Protected, you can also use the logo.
Year 3-5Take the Level 4The Level 4 Certificate in Property Agency Management has a 24-month enrolment and costs £770 for members.
Year 5+Apply for FNAEAWith the Level 4 and five years' industry experience, you can join at Fellow grade.

Open now on PropertyRoles.uk

Trainee Sales NegotiatorSpicerhaart · Derby, England

Trainee Sales NegotiatorSpicerhaart · Cardiff, Wales

Trainee Sales NegotiatorSpicerhaart · Colchester, England

Trainee Sales NegotiatorSpicerhaart · Dereham, England

Estate AgentConnells Group · Taunton, England

Estate AgentConnells Group · Yarm, England

See all →

Questions people ask

How much does NAEA Propertymark membership cost?

The annual subscription is £295 at Associate, Member or Fellow grade, and £100 at Student grade. If you already hold a full grade, joining a second Propertymark division costs £150 a year.

Can I join NAEA Propertymark with no qualifications?

Yes, at Student grade. You don't need to be working in agency, but you must qualify within the year to keep your membership. If you already have two years' experience, you can join as an Associate and have two years to pass the Level 2 qualification.

What qualification do I need for MNAEA?

You need the Level 3 residential sales qualification, which is the Level 3 Certificate in Property Agency (Sales), plus at least one year's experience. In Scotland, the equivalent is the SCQF Level 6 version.

How hard are the Propertymark exams?

Each Level 3 unit has one online exam with 30 questions, which you must answer in 45 minutes. The pass mark is 60%, and 80% earns a distinction. Re-sits cost the same £62.50 as the first attempt.

Is NAEA the same as the National Association of Estate Agents?

Yes. The National Association of Estate Agents joined ARLA, ICBA and NAVA in 2017 to form Propertymark. It now operates as NAEA Propertymark, the estate agency division.

Can I put the NAEA Propertymark logo on my marketing?

Only if you hold a grade above Student and work for a firm that is Propertymark Protected. That means a director of the firm is a member and the firm is regulated by Propertymark.

How do you join NAEA Propertymark?