Understanding Enhanced Due Diligence: When It Triggers and What It Requires

1. Core Registration Obligations: All real estate groups operating as corporate entities or sole traders must enroll directly on the AUSTRAC portal before the July 1, 2026 deadline. Failure to register while providing designated services carries significant civil penalty risks.

2. Tracing beneficial ownership: Compliance officers must identify shareholders holding 25% or more of shares. In the webinar, we walk through corporate structures, showing how to trace trusts and SMSF structures back to ultimate individual beneficial owners.

3. Setting up an EDD program: When a PEP or high-risk buyer is flagged, your written program must dictate a clear escalation matrix. This requires placing transactions on temporary hold, conducting enhanced vetting, and securing senior management signoff.