From 1 July 2026, new Australian anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) laws will apply to certain real estate services and transactions. These laws have been introduced by the Australian Government to strengthen Australia’s financial and property sectors against money laundering, terrorism financing and other serious financial crimes.
Under these laws, all regulated businesses must:
Under the new laws we may be required to undertake client due diligence checks on you, even if you have an existing relationship with us. We may have to reach out to you to gather further information, which we will start doing for some clients from late June 2026, if there is an intention to complete the sale of property from 1 July 2026. We ask you to please work with us during this time to avoid any impacts to the advice and services we are providing.
Realmark is committed to making the process as straightforward and efficient as possible, while minimising disruption to the services we provide.
If you have any concerns or need further clarification about the checks we may conduct, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Realmark representative or contact.
Client due diligence involves collecting and verifying information to confirm the identity of our clients and understand the nature of the transaction or service being provided. Our process is designed to be clear, efficient and secure. Most clients complete it quickly once documents are provided.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
The information required will vary depending on the type of client, the services being provided and the complexity of the transaction.
Where possible, Realmark will source information from publicly available records or trusted electronic verification providers. In some situations, we may request additional documentation directly from clients, such as:
We will work closely with clients to resolve any issues or difficulties in providing required information.
However, if we are unable to complete the required AML/CTF checks, Realmark may not be able to provide certain services or proceed with a transaction.
Protecting our clients’ information is a priority for Realmark.
Any personal or business information collected as part of the AML/CTF process will:
Realmark maintains appropriate security measures and privacy practices to help safeguard client information.
For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy.
As part of Australia’s AML laws, we’re required to verify the identity of all clients.
These rules apply to all clients, even if we’ve worked with you in the past.
Under Australia’s anti-money laundering laws, we’re required to complete certain checks before we can start, or continue, working with you. If we’re unable to collect the necessary information, we may not be able to proceed with your transaction. These requirements apply to all clients and help ensure we’re meeting our legal obligations.
Yes. We only use your information for compliance and store it securely. Your data willonly be retained for as long as required by law.
In some transactions, we’re required to confirm where the money is coming from. This helps reduce the risk of money laundering.
We may need documents that show who ultimately owns or controls the structure. This is part of our legal obligation to understand the people behind complex entities.
In general, yes we can’t proceed until we’ve completed our compliance checks.
VOI is one small part of KYC. AML law requires a full understanding of who our client is, how they’re using our services, and whether there are any financial crime risks, especially in complex structures.
If you would like more information about AML/CTF requirements or the verification process, please first speak to a Realmark team member or contact us.
