Core Points - The Australian real estate industry is set to undergo significant anti-money laundering reforms, with a consensus reached that real estate agents do not need to halt transactions if clients refuse to provide identity information [1][3] - The reforms, known as "Tranche 2," will take effect on July 1, 2025, and aim to address the real estate sector's vulnerability to money laundering [3] Group 1: Regulatory Overview - Approximately 90,000 businesses across various sectors, including real estate companies, will be required to fulfill Know Your Customer (KYC) obligations similar to those of banks [1] - AUSTRAC's national manager for policy rules and guidance, Daniel Mossop, emphasized the need for a balance between strict enforcement and avoiding excessive burdens on the industry [6] - Companies must demonstrate reasonable efforts to understand their clients, even if clients refuse to provide information, and must submit a Suspicious Matter Report (SMR) when necessary [6][3] Group 2: Compliance and Industry Response - The new regulations allow other parties involved in transactions, such as lawyers or title transfer agents, to conduct identity verification, provided there is a written arrangement and information sharing before settlement [7] - The compliance market for identity verification is rapidly growing, with companies like PEXA and ConnectID developing verification services to meet the rising demand [8] - PEXA's strategic and delivery manager, Kate Camilleri, indicated that commercializing identity verification is a direction the company is pursuing, despite opposition from competitors like InfoTrack [8]