AML Simple Blog
Practical guides on AML/CTF obligations for Australian real estate agencies.
Real estate agencies have until 29 July 2026 to notify AUSTRAC of their compliance officer. This is the practical step-by-step guide: what information you need, how to submit it, and what to do if your officer changes.
Both buyer's agents and sales agents are regulated under AUSTRAC Tranche 2 from 1 July 2026. The obligations are identical. But the practical workflows are different — and buyer's agents face some specific risk factors worth understanding.
Real estate agents must verify client identities under AUSTRAC Tranche 2. The OAIC's AML/CTF privacy guidance (updated April 2026) is clear: you do not need to keep photocopies or scans of identity documents.
Your AML/CTF program must include background checks on staff who perform AML-relevant duties. Here is what employee due diligence requires and how to build it into your agency before 1 July 2026.
The AML/CTF Act 2006 requires all real estate staff to complete AML risk awareness training before they perform their first AML-relevant duty. Here is what training must cover, who needs it, and how to keep records.
Property transactions involving physical cash of A$10,000 or more must be reported to AUSTRAC within 10 business days. Here is what real estate agents need to know about TTRs — including the structuring risk that changes the calculus.
Your ML/TF risk assessment is the foundation of your AML/CTF program — without it, your client risk ratings have no documented basis. Here is how to complete one for a typical real estate agency.
Every staff member who performs AML-relevant duties must be trained before they start — and training records must be kept for 7 years. Here is what AUSTRAC requires for real estate agency staff training under Tranche 2.
Your AML/CTF program is the written document AUSTRAC will ask for if they audit your agency. Here is exactly what it must cover — and what the 2026 reforms changed about how it should be structured.
With 1 July 2026 approaching, here is a week-by-week action plan for real estate agencies to get their AML/CTF compliance in place — enrolment, program, staff training, and CDD systems.
Non-compliance with AUSTRAC Tranche 2 carries penalties of up to $33 million per contravention for a body corporate. Here is how the enforcement framework works and what real estate agencies face for specific failures.
Every real estate agency that brokers property sales must comply with AUSTRAC Tranche 2 by 1 July 2026. This complete guide covers all seven obligations, the key deadlines, and how to build your program from scratch.
AUSTRAC Tranche 2 introduces seven core obligations for real estate agencies from 1 July 2026. Here is a plain-English breakdown of each one and what it means for a typical agency.
When a company or trust buys a property, you must identify the real humans behind it — the beneficial owners. Here is what the AML/CTF rules require and how to do it in practice.
If you suspect a client or transaction may be linked to money laundering or terrorism financing, you must file a Suspicious Matter Report. Here is what triggers an SMR, how to file one, and what the law says about tipping off.
Australia has two compliance regimes that apply to real estate agents from 1 July 2026. AUSTRAC covers AML/CTF obligations. DFAT covers sanctions. Both are mandatory. Most agents only know about one.
Australia has two compliance regimes that apply to real estate agents from 1 July 2026. AUSTRAC covers AML/CTF obligations. DFAT covers sanctions. Both are mandatory. Most agents only know about one.
Two pricing models dominate the AML compliance tool market: per-check and flat-rate subscription. Here's how to compare them, run the break-even maths, and decide which works for your agency.
AUSTRAC directed a compulsory audit of a payment platform in April 2026. The enforcement tools it used apply to every regulated entity — including real estate agencies from 1 July 2026.
A new pricing model lets buyers and sellers pay for their own identity checks. The legal obligation under the AML/CTF Act stays with your agency regardless.
Just been appointed as your agency's AML/CTF compliance officer? Here's a practical week-by-week plan for your first 30 days — what to understand, build, and put in place.
New AML compliance services are entering the Australian market, from fractional compliance managers to full-service platforms. Here is how real estate principals can work out what they actually need.
From 1 July 2026, Australian real estate agents must screen every client against sanctions lists and check for Politically Exposed Persons. This plain-English guide explains what that means in practice.
A practical walkthrough of customer due diligence and client screening for real estate agencies — what to collect, how to verify identity, what to do with the results.
Woodards Group and Barry Plant are building centralised AML compliance structures. But central coordination does not change each office's legal obligations under the AML/CTF Act.
What triggers an AUSTRAC audit, what auditors look for, and how a real estate agency with good records and a documented program can get through one. A plain-English explainer.
AUSTRAC enrolment opened on 31 March 2026. If your agency brokers property sales, you must enrol by 29 July. Here is what enrolment involves, what it does not cover, and what to do next.
The updated AML/CTF framework commenced 31 March 2026. Banks and casinos are already operating under it. Real estate agents are next — 1 July 2026. Here is what you can learn from sectors that got there first.
PEXA Clear handles identity verification. AML Simple covers your whole AML/CTF program. Here is what each does, what each costs, and why most agencies will need both.
AUSTRAC requires a documented AML/CTF program from 1 July 2026. Here's what the three core sections contain, illustrated using a typical small residential sales agency.
A week-by-week action plan for real estate agencies with roughly 13 weeks until AML/CTF obligations commence on 1 July 2026. What to do each week — in the right order.
A 3-year transition for customer due diligence just became law, but it only applies to existing reporting entities. Real estate agents must comply with full CDD requirements from 1 July 2026.
AUSTRAC's free Program Starter Kit gives you the template. This post shows what it looks like when it's done — a worked example for a typical five-person residential agency.
AUSTRAC enrolment is open. We built a one-page cheat sheet that pulls your pre-filled details — ABN, compliance officer, service descriptions — formatted exactly as AUSTRAC Connect asks for them.
A practical cost breakdown for a typical 3-person real estate agency getting AML-ready before 1 July 2026 — upfront setup, ongoing annual costs, and where a compliance tool changes the numbers.
Enrolment with AUSTRAC opens today. Here's exactly how to do it — what you need, the steps to follow, and the deadlines to keep in mind.
A practical reference checklist covering all 19 AML/CTF obligations for Australian real estate agencies — six preparation tasks before 1 July 2026, and thirteen ongoing obligations from that date.
The government estimates AML compliance setup at A$28,650. Here's what that figure covers, where the real variables are, and what compliance actually costs a small agency that does the work itself.
Nobody shows what a filled-in AML/CTF program actually looks like. This post does - a complete worked example for a typical 5-person residential real estate agency, following the AUSTRAC Program Starter Kit structure.
AML Simple Ask lets you ask compliance questions in plain English and get answers grounded in real AUSTRAC source material. Free to use, no account needed.
Just decided to start getting AML-ready? Here's a practical day-by-day plan for the first week — from confirming your obligations to building your program framework.
The government's estimate for AML compliance setup is up to $28,650. Here's what's in that number — and what a realistic compliance budget looks like for a small residential agency.
New AML compliance tools are entering the Australian market ahead of the July 2026 deadline. Here's a plain-English buyer's guide to help you choose the right one for your agency.
A concrete 13-week action plan for real estate agency principals who need to be compliant before 1 July 2026. What to do each week, in the right order.
Both buyer's agents and sales agents are caught by Tranche 2. But the way your obligations play out in practice differs by role. This post explains what's the same, what's different, and what each type of agent needs to focus on.
The government estimates AML compliance will cost real estate agencies A$28,650 to set up. We break down where that figure comes from, what it actually covers, and what a three-person agency can realistically expect to spend.
A concrete, month-by-month action plan for real estate agency principals who need to be compliant before 1 July 2026. What to do, in what order, and when.
Demystifying the SMR obligation for Australian real estate agents — what triggers it, the filing deadlines, real estate red flags, and what the tipping-off offence means for your team.
The 1 July 2026 deadline is real, and the preparation steps are sequential. Here's a practical phase-by-phase framework for small real estate agencies to get ready without the rush.
A plain-English guide to AML/CTF record keeping obligations for Australian real estate agencies — what records to keep, for how long, and in what format.
Do you need to hire someone new for the AML/CTF compliance officer role? This post explains what the role actually requires — and why most small agency principals can hold it themselves.
What does customer due diligence actually mean in practice? This plain-English guide explains what you must collect, how to verify it, and what initial, ongoing, enhanced and simplified CDD require.
Not every real estate activity triggers AML/CTF obligations. This post works through the main transaction types — buyer's agents, sales agents, rentals, developers, auctioneers — so you know where your agency stands.
A practical framework for Australian real estate agency principals who need to build their AML/CTF program before the 1 July 2026 deadline.
If you've heard the term 'AML/CTF program' and wondered what it actually means, this guide explains exactly what it is, what it must contain, and whether your real estate agency is required to have one.
What does AML non-compliance actually cost an Australian real estate agency? We break down the financial penalties, reputational risks, and why getting started now is far cheaper than waiting.
AUSTRAC Tranche 2 brings new AML/CTF obligations to Australian real estate agents from 1 July 2026. Here's what it means for your agency — in plain English.
AML Simple is now live. A compliance workflow tool built for small Australian real estate agencies — practical, affordable, and consistent with the AUSTRAC Program Starter Kit.
We use cookies for advertising measurement. See our Privacy Policy.