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Australia's housing market riddled with fraudulent loans worth hundreds of million of dollars

Australia’s housing market riddled with fraudulent loans worth hundreds of millions of dollars The suspected fraud is not limited to one bank or lender, showing it is potentially widespread.

Changes to buying a property from 1 July 2026

We would like to inform you of important changes to Australian property transactions that will take effect from 1 July 2026.

New Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) legislation will apply to all real estate agencies across Australia, including Queensland Sotheby's.

These reforms introduce new legal obligations requiring real estate agencies to verify the identity of clients and undertake certain due diligence before providing specific real estate services.

While these requirements are new to the property industry, they have been standard practice for many years across banking, finance, accounting and legal services.

Why are these changes being introduced?
The Australian Government has expanded the AML/CTF framework to help protect Australia's financial system and property market by reducing the risk of:
• Money laundering and organised crime
• Fraud and financial misconduct
• Terrorism financing
• The misuse of property transactions for unlawful activities
The inclusion of the real estate industry forms part of a broader national framework designed to strengthen transparency and integrity across regulated industries.

What does this mean for you?
If you are buying or selling property through Queensland, you may be required to verify your identity before you can be provided with certain real estate services.
Depending on your circumstances, this may include requesting:
• Proof of identity
• Confirmation of your residential address
• Information relating to companies, trusts or other ownership structures
Where a property is owned or purchased through a company, trust or similar entity, you may also be required to identify the individuals who ultimately own or control that entity.

Brisbane apartment crisis: Shocking new data reveals supply threat

Brisbane apartment crisis: Shocking new data reveals supply threat - realestate.com.au Brisbane’s apartment crisis has worsened, with existing stock set to run out within a month while 35 per cent of future supply risks never being built.

CBA probes $1b in suspected fraudulent home loans, calls in police

CBA probes $1b in suspected fraudulent home loans, calls in police The country’s largest bank is working to assess how many loans have been secured based on doctored applications, including documents created using AI.

Australian Government Help to Buy Scheme Participating Lenders - 5th of December

What is the Help to Buy Scheme?

Help to Buy is a shared equity scheme which allows customers to purchase a home or construct on vacant land with as little as a
2% deposit. The Australian Government will contribute up to 30% of the purchase price for existing homes, or 40% for newly built homes. This can remove the need for Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). The customer owns the home but shares some of the value with the Australian Government. When the customer sells their home, they will pay the government back their share.

How does the government contribution work?

The contribution from the government is a loan, however it is interest-free and regular repayments are not required. The loan is repaid when the home is sold.

The value of the government’s share is based on the property’s value at the time of sale, not a fixed dollar amount. This ensures that both the customer and the government benefit if the property value rises, and both share the loss if the value falls.

If the customer's circumstances change during the time they own the home (e.g. their income increases), the customer may need or want to make a contribution to reduce the government’s share.

Who is eligible?

Currently, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania have not passed legislation for this scheme.

Spots are limited to call now.

Help to Buy Eligibility Tool To find out if Help to Buy may suit you, answer a few quick questions in the Help to Buy eligibility tool. It only takes a few minutes and helps you check if you meet the key criteria. Please note: this tool is a general guide and a participating lender will confirm your final eligibility.

Home Equity Access Scheme calculator - part two

Centrelink Online

Home Equity Access Scheme - part 1

Eligibility Calculator

Centrelink Online

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