AML compliance readiness check: what the quiz tells you (and why to run it first)

Most agency principals who ask "where do I start with AML compliance?" expect a long answer. The honest answer is: start with the readiness check.

The AUSTRAC Readiness Check in AML Simple takes around 5 minutes. It asks about the five areas AUSTRAC will expect you to have covered by 1 July 2026, shows you exactly where your agency stands, and points you toward what to fix first. You don't need a compliance background to use it, that's the point.

Here's what it covers and what your results mean.

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What the readiness check assesses

The quiz steps through five compliance areas. Each one maps to an obligation under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006.

1. Enrolment

AUSTRAC enrolment is the first step. Real estate agencies that broker property sales are required to enrol with AUSTRAC before they can legally provide a designated service. The check confirms whether your agency is enrolled (or is in the process) and flags if this is still outstanding.

2. AML/CTF program

You are required to have a documented AML/CTF program, a written record of how your agency identifies, manages, and mitigates money laundering and terrorism financing risks. The check asks whether you have a program in place and whether it covers the required elements: risk assessment, customer acceptance procedures, staff training schedule, and ongoing compliance obligations.

If you don't have a program yet, AML Simple's AML/CTF Program Generator builds one for you in around 15 minutes, consistent with AUSTRAC's Program Starter Kit structure.

3. Customer due diligence (CDD)

CDD is the process of verifying who your clients are before you act for them. The check asks whether your agency has a procedure for collecting and verifying client identity, for vendors, purchasers, and any beneficial owners behind a company or trust.

For a full explanation of what CDD requires, see our customer due diligence complete guide.

4. Staff training

Your whole agency needs to understand their AML obligations, not just the compliance officer. The check asks whether your staff have completed AML/CTF training and whether you have a documented training schedule for new starters and refreshers.

5. Ongoing obligations

AML compliance doesn't stop once you have a program. The ongoing obligations include sanctions screening before acting for a client, suspicious matter reporting (SMR) when something triggers concern, and, for agencies that deal in cash transactions above the threshold, threshold transaction reporting (TTR). The check asks whether you have procedures in place for each.

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What your score means

At the end of the check you receive a score across all five areas.

• Green (ready): You have this area covered. Nothing to do.
• Amber (in progress): Something is partially in place but needs completing before 1 July 2026.
• Red (not started): This area has no coverage yet. Prioritise it.

The score is a readiness assessment, not a compliance determination. It tells you what to work on, in what order. Agencies with multiple red areas should focus on enrolment and the AML/CTF program first, as those are the foundation everything else builds on.

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Why run the check before anything else?

Because it saves you time. Skipping the check and diving straight into research means you might spend hours reading about obligations your agency already has covered, or miss something important because you didn't know to look for it.

Five minutes of assessment now means you spend the next few weeks fixing the right things, not all the things.

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Run the check now

If you want to understand the CDD obligations in depth before you run the check, start with the customer due diligence complete guide.

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