Zettle Conveyancing is a solicitor-led online conveyancing practice for QLD, NSW and VIC, with offices in Maroochydore, Sydney and Melbourne.
At a glance
- 1 July 2026: anti-money laundering (AML/CTF) obligations started for lawyers and conveyancers acting on property sales and purchases, and for real estate agents. Source: AUSTRAC, professional designated services and AUSTRAC, real estate designated services.
- Who gets checked: buyers and sellers both.
- What it involves in our matters: a few questions about how the transaction is structured, then an online identity check.
- What has changed in practice since July: nothing, in our matters.
- What the rules require: explained in our July article, AML checks are coming to your property settlement.
Why has the AML check been the smallest part of buying or selling this year?
We've had very little friction from buyers or sellers since 1 July.
Buyers and sellers have had bigger things to think about this year: interest rates, falling prices and the tax changes from the 2026 to 2027 Budget. The Reserve Bank raised the cash rate at each of its last two meetings, taking the target to 4.85% from 4 November 2026 (RBA). House prices fell in every capital city in the September quarter (Domain House Price Report, September 2026), which hits sellers hardest. The negative gearing and capital gains tax changes are now law (Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Reform No. 1) Act 2026). Next to all that, a short set of questions and an ID check barely registers.
What does the AML check actually involve for a buyer?
If you're buying, you answer a few questions about how the purchase is structured, then complete your verification of identity (VOI) online. Zettle Conveyancing uses Livesign for AML and identity checks. The questions are short, and the identity check is a facial biometric match against your ID, done from your phone.
Sellers verify their identity too. The real estate agent has AML obligations of their own, so you may be asked by the agent as well as by your conveyancer.
Has anything changed since the rules started in July?
No. The process we use for buyers and sellers is the same as it was on 1 July 2026, and we haven't seen a pattern by type of buyer or seller. Companies, trusts and estates go through the same steps, with the extra ownership questions the July article explains.
What is the one thing that still trips people up?
Being away from home without enough ID. Every so often a buyer or seller is travelling interstate when the identity check is due, and the documents they need are sitting in a drawer at home. The check itself takes a few minutes. Finding a passport two states away takes longer.
What should you have ready before you start?
- Your photo ID, with you. Keep the identity documents you'd normally use on hand for the first weeks of your matter, especially if you're travelling. Our VOI explainer lists what's accepted.
- A plain answer on how the purchase is structured. Who is buying, in whose name, and how it's being paid for.
- Your phone. The identity check runs on it, and so does the rest of your matter.
- Five minutes, early. Do the check as soon as the link arrives, so it's finished well before settlement.
Frequently asked questions
Have AML checks slowed down property transactions?
Not in our matters. Since the checks started on 1 July 2026, we've seen very little friction. Done at the start of the matter, the questions and identity check are finished well before settlement.
What questions does a buyer get asked under the AML checks?
In our matters, a buyer answers a few questions about how the purchase is structured, then completes an online identity check. Our July article explains why the questions are asked.
Do sellers have to do AML checks too?
Yes. Sellers verify their identity as well, and the selling agent has AML obligations of their own, so a seller may be asked by both the agent and their conveyancer (AUSTRAC).
What if I'm interstate when my identity check is due?
Take your ID with you. The check runs on your phone, so you can do it from anywhere, as long as the documents are with you. That's the one snag we still see.
Has the AML process changed since July 2026?
No. The steps for buyers and sellers in our matters are the same as when the rules started on 1 July 2026.
Can my real estate agent rely on my conveyancer's AML check?
Sometimes. AUSTRAC allows one regulated business to rely on another's customer checks case by case, under conditions that include considering your consent and privacy (AUSTRAC, reliance case by case). Our article on agent AML requests covers how we handle them.
Get a fixed-fee quote
Fixed professional fees (government charges excluded), known before you start. Send us the contract before you sign and we'll review it free within 4 business hours. Your identity check, contracts and settlement all run from your phone.
Get a fixed-fee quote · Just Zettle it.
General information only, not legal advice.
