Fewer property agents are entering the industry in the midst of a cooling property market.
More are also letting their licences lapse, according to figures from the Council for Estate Agencies.
As at Jan 1, after the latest renewal exercise, there were 30,830 'registered salespersons" or property agents, down from 31,783 from the year before.
Of these, 3,006 were new entrants, down from 3,336 in 2014 and 4,567 in 2013.
More had also left the industry, with 3,959 choosing not to renew their registration this year, compared to 3,382 who left last year.
However, the pool of property agents is still larger than it was in 2012.
That year, there were 30,577, including only 2,733 new entrants.
The number of licensed estate agencies also fell this year to 1,369, from 1,425 the year before.
The licences of property agencies and the registrations of salespersons are renewed annually.
This article was first published on January 23, 2015.
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