Our story
We built the tool we wished existed.
Twenty thousand Australian real estate agencies need an AML/CTF program by July 2026. Most can’t afford the consultants. We’re building a different way.
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1.1 — Origins
2000 – 2010
It started with a spreadsheet and a compliance gap
Before AML Simple existed, there was a decade of watching small businesses struggle with compliance frameworks designed for banks. The gap between what regulators expected and what small operators could realistically deliver wasn't just a nuisance — it was an existential threat to good businesses run by good people.
The real estate sector sat squarely in that gap. Agencies with five or ten staff were expected to build the same compliance infrastructure as firms with dedicated compliance departments and six-figure budgets. The result was predictable: consultants charging tens of thousands for templated documents, or agencies simply hoping nobody would ask.
The gap between what regulators expected and what small operators could deliver wasn't just a nuisance — it was an existential threat.
1.2 — Early ventures
2010 – 2018
Building things that work for people who don't have time
A series of businesses across different sectors — each one a lesson in what happens when you make complex things simple. Not dumbed down. Not oversimplified. Just clear, structured, and built for people who have better things to do than fight with software.
The pattern was always the same: find a process that experts had overcomplicated, strip it back to what actually matters, and build a tool that treats users like intelligent adults who happen to be busy.
When Tranche 2 went from rumour to reality
AUSTRAC had been signalling for years that real estate would be brought under the AML/CTF Act. Most of the industry hoped it would stay a signal. When the legislation started moving through parliament, the scramble began.
Twenty thousand agencies. Most with no compliance infrastructure. A deadline that felt impossibly close. And an emerging market of consultants and software vendors positioning themselves to profit from the panic.
Twenty thousand agencies. Most with no compliance infrastructure. A deadline that felt impossibly close.
1.4 — The recognition
2023 – 2024
Someone needed to build this differently
The moment of clarity wasn't dramatic. It was quiet — the kind of recognition that comes from years of pattern-matching finally clicking into place. The compliance tools available to small agencies were either too expensive, too complex, or too generic. Most were all three.
What the market needed wasn't another consultant selling a PDF. It was a tool that could guide an agency principal through the process — step by step, in plain language — and produce a program that actually aligned with what AUSTRAC recommended.
1.5 — Building AML Simple
2024 – 2025
From first line of code to first customer
AML Simple was built with a specific philosophy: the tool should do the heavy lifting, but the human should understand what they're building. Not a black box that spits out a compliance document. A guided process that helps you make informed decisions about your own business.
Every feature was tested against a simple question: would a principal agent with no compliance background be able to use this without calling someone for help? If the answer was no, it went back to the drawing board.
Would a principal agent with no compliance background be able to use this without calling someone for help?
Tool, not advice. Simple, not simplistic.
There's a deliberate line between what AML Simple does and what it doesn't. It structures your compliance workflow, automates your sanctions screening, generates your program document, and stores your records. It doesn't tell you what decisions to make.
That distinction matters. When a tool starts giving advice, it becomes liable. When it stays a tool, the responsibility stays where it belongs — with the reporting entity. We respect that boundary, and we price accordingly.
1.7 — What comes next
2026+
July 2026 is a beginning, not an end
Compliance isn't a project with a finish date. It's an ongoing obligation that requires continuous monitoring, regular reviews, and the discipline to maintain records for seven years. The tools need to reflect that reality.
AML Simple is built for the long run. Not just to help agencies get compliant before the deadline, but to keep them compliant in the years that follow. Because the agencies that survive Tranche 2 will be the ones that treat it as a permanent part of how they operate.
Compliance isn't a project with a finish date. It's an ongoing obligation.
The numbers
Why this matters
20,000+
Agencies affected by Tranche 2
~A$28,650
Typical setup cost (Govt. RIS)
1 July 2026
Compliance deadline
7 years
Record retention required
Principal Officer
Gerben Kuipers
Founder
Twenty-five years of building businesses across multiple sectors, with a focus on making complex processes accessible to small operators. Now applying that experience to AML/CTF compliance for Australian real estate.
Connect on LinkedInData stored in Sydney, Australia
Encrypted at rest and in transit
7-year record retention (as required by law)
30-day money-back guarantee
Your AML program starts here.
Build your AML/CTF program, verify your first client, and see how it all fits together — no credit card required.
AML Simple is a compliance workflow tool, not a provider of legal, financial, or regulatory advice. Using this tool does not guarantee compliance with the AML/CTF Act or any other regulation. You are responsible for ensuring your business meets all regulatory obligations. For professional compliance advice, consider our Expert advice add-on or consult a qualified AML/CTF professional.