Real estate businesses that do this work
Each of these is a designated service. If your business provides even one, AML/CTF obligations apply. See both services
Leasing: leases of 30 years or less sit outside AUSTRAC's definition of real estate.
- Sell property for a client as their agent
- Find and buy property for a client as their buyer's agent
- Sell house and land, off-the-plan or new lots without an independent agent
- Broker a property transfer, even when no money changes hands
Five obligations, and where Chekbox fits
These apply from the day your business provides a designated service. Whether it does is your business's decision, and AUSTRAC's "check if you'll be regulated" tool can help.
Enrol with AUSTRAC
Within 28 days of first providing a designated service. Update your details within 14 days of any change.
Chekbox is itself AUSTRAC enrolled and registered. Book a consult to talk through what enrolment involves.
Run an AML/CTF program
A written risk assessment, plus the policies and controls that manage those risks. Senior management approves it and a compliance officer oversees it. In a small business, one person can hold all three roles.
Chekbox runs and records the client checks your program sets out, and can verify your own staff when they join.
Know your client
Verify who your client is before you act, keep monitoring through the relationship, and apply enhanced checks when the risk is high.
Biometric identity checks, beneficial ownership checks and sanctions screening, with every result saved to the client's file.
Report to AUSTRAC
Suspicious matters within 3 business days, or 24 hours for terrorism financing. Cash transactions of A$10,000 or more within 10 business days. Plus an annual compliance report.
Every check is logged with who, when and the result: the evidence behind each report.
Keep records for 7 years
Your program, client checks, transactions and staff training, kept accurate and complete.
Checks, signatures and key document actions are recorded in a tamper-proof audit trail kept for 7 years. Each document's audit trail downloads as a PDF.
Two real estate services that bring AML/CTF obligations
Obligations come from the work you do, not your job title. If your business provides either of these designated services, they apply. Whether it does is your business's decision.
Brokering
Acting for a buyer or a seller- Brokering a sale, purchase or transferBrokering the sale, purchase or transfer of real estate for a buyer, seller, transferee or transferor, as part of a business.For example: Listing and selling a client's home as their agent.
- Your customersBoth the seller and the buyer. You have obligations to each of them, not only to the person you act for.
- When it startsFor the person you act for, when your agreement with them is signed. For the other side, when the sale is reasonably expected to go ahead, usually when the contract is signed.
Selling direct
Developers and others selling without an independent agent- Selling or transferring real estateSelling or transferring real estate as part of a business that sells real estate, where no independent agent brokers the sale.For example: Selling off-the-plan apartments or house and land packages through in-house sales staff.
- Your customerThe buyer.
- When it startsWhen there is a commitment to sell, usually when an agreement is entered into.
Not sure if your work is covered? AUSTRAC's "check if you'll be regulated" tool can help. Private sales, a business selling its own premises, and leases of 30 years or less are not covered. These services apply when they have a geographical link to Australia.
Schedule a consultOne login for the whole client file
A new listing, start to finish.
- 1Verify the sellerThe seller gets their own identity check link before you start acting for them, with beneficial ownership checks for a company or trust.
- 2Sign the agency agreementSend it for signing with an identity check on the signer, so you know who signed.
- 3Verify the buyerSend the buyer their own identity check link once the sale is going ahead.
- 4Keep it all in one FileDocuments, checks and fees for the sale sit together in one File.
- 5Keep the recordChecks, signatures and key document actions are logged and kept for 7 years.
Verify sellers and buyers properly
People photograph their ID and take a selfie on their phone. Biometric facial matching, liveness detection and document authenticity checks do the rest. No client account needed.
See who controls the entity
Entity and beneficial ownership checks confirm who controls a company or trust, not just who signs for it.
Title searches, built in
Run title searches without leaving Chekbox, where your plan includes them. Each search is kept with its result and cost.
Keep trust money in order
Trust accounting connected to Xero to support your annual independent trust account auditor.
Signing that follows your process
Signing in order or any order, witnesses invited after their signatory signs, an optional identity check on the signer, and reminders before the deadline.
Smart intake forms
Standard or custom forms shared by link, so sellers and buyers can send their details before their identity check. Every submission is recorded.
What an ID document check alone leaves out
A government document check confirms an ID number exists. Here is what else Chekbox covers, in the same platform.
| What you get | ID document check on its own | Chekbox |
|---|---|---|
| Checks the ID details against government records | ||
| Matches the person to the photo on their ID* | ||
| Confirms the person is physically present (liveness)* | ||
| Certifies documents as true copies | ||
| Title searches in the same file | ||
| Identity-verified e-signing | ||
| Trust accounting connected to Xero | ||
| Bills each check back to your client |
*Included in biometric checks, from $10 per check. The checks and searches your business can use depend on its plan and industry.
Clear prices, and you can bill them back
Every plan includes unlimited e-signing. Identity checks are charged per check, and most plans include a set number of checks. There's no lock-in contract, and plans are billed monthly.
Up and running in three steps
- 1Book a demo or start a free trialSee the platform with your own workflow in mind.
- 2Choose a plan and get verifiedWhen you subscribe, Chekbox checks your ABN, directors and owners, and a person reviews the application.
- 3Send your first client checkYour client gets a link, verifies on their phone, and the result lands in their file.
Do real estate agents have to comply with AML/CTF laws?
Yes, if your business provides a designated service. Obligations began on 1 July 2026. For real estate, that means brokering the sale, purchase or transfer of real estate for a client, or selling real estate as part of a business without an independent agent. Your business makes that call.
Do we need to check the buyer as well as the seller?
If you broker the sale, yes. AUSTRAC treats both the seller and the buyer as your customers. If you act for the seller, the buyer's checks can be completed later, but no later than 28 days after exchange of contracts or 3 days before the agreed settlement day, whichever comes first.
Is leasing covered?
Leases of 30 years or less are excluded from AUSTRAC's definition of real estate. Whether any of your work is covered is your business's decision, and AUSTRAC's "check if you'll be regulated" tool can help.
Are property developers covered?
They can be. Selling house and land packages, off-the-plan apartments or vacant land in a new subdivision without an independent agent is a designated service. The buyer is the customer.
Do the obligations apply if my client lives overseas?
They can. What matters is whether the service has a geographical link to Australia. AUSTRAC's geographical link guidance explains how this works.
When was the AUSTRAC enrolment deadline?
For businesses already providing a designated service when Tranche 2 began, enrolment was due by 29 July 2026. A business that starts providing one later has 28 days from that date.
Do I need to re-verify my existing clients?
Not straight away. Clients you had before 1 July 2026 are pre-commencement customers. Due diligence applies to them if you need to file a suspicious matter report, or if a significant change raises their risk to medium or high.
What does an AML/CTF program need to include?
A risk assessment covering money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing, plus the policies and controls that manage those risks. Senior management approves it, a compliance officer oversees it, and it is independently evaluated at least every three years.
What happens if we don't comply?
AUSTRAC is the regulator and can take enforcement action against businesses that do not meet their obligations.
How does Chekbox verify a seller or buyer?
They get an email link from your business, with your logo on it. For a biometric check, they photograph their ID and take a selfie on their phone. The result is saved in Chekbox and the cost is added to the File as a disbursement. You can also add an AML credit check, which they consent to on the same page.
How much does a check cost?
Identity checks start at $7 per check and biometric checks with a liveness scan start at $10, both AUD plus GST. Every plan includes unlimited e-signing, and you can bill each check back to your client.
Who in our business can see a client's documents?
Admins see every document. Other staff see the documents they created and the documents in Files they have been given access to. Only Professional and Admin logins can sign or certify documents.
Does Chekbox work with our other software?
Chekbox connects directly to Xero for trust accounting, and client payments are processed through Stripe. Existing clients can be imported from a spreadsheet. To see how it fits with your other software, schedule a consult.
How do we get started?
Book a demo or start a free trial. When you choose a plan, Chekbox verifies your business: your ABN, and the identity of your directors and owners. Import your existing clients from a spreadsheet, then send your first check.
Tranche 2 began on 1 July 2026.
Get your client checks in order, with a platform built by a lawyer and an accountant.