Safety Bay Settlements

From 1 July 2026, settlement agents across Australia are legally required to conduct Customer Due Diligence on every client before acting for them.

If you are going through a property settlement with Safety Bay Settlements, here is what that means for you - and why we are asking for it.

💡 What is Customer Due Diligence?

Customer Due Diligence, commonly referred to as CDD, is the process of verifying who our clients are, understanding the nature of their transaction, and assessing whether anything requires further attention.

It is not a reflection on you personally. It is a legal requirement that applies to every client, every transaction, without exception.

📋 What might we ask you for?

As part of the CDD process, we may ask you to provide:
✔️ Identity documents, as you would already expect through our Easy AML verification process
✔️ Information about how you are funding your purchase
✔️ Details about the purchasing entity if buying through a company, trust or SMSF
✔️ Information about the source of your deposit or funds in certain circumstances

The specific requirements depend on the nature of your transaction. Our team will always communicate clearly about what is needed and why.

🔑 Why can we not skip this step?

Under Australia's expanded Anti-Money Laundering laws commencing 1 July 2026, conducting CDD is a legal obligation for settlement agents. We cannot proceed with a settlement without completing it, regardless of how straightforward the transaction may appear or how long we have worked with you.

This is not bureaucracy for its own sake. It exists to protect you and the integrity of your transaction.

We use easyAML, a purpose-built WA based compliance platform from the same developers as Scantek, to manage this process efficiently and securely.

With 48 years of WA settlement experience and more than 20,000 settlements completed, we are fully prepared for these changes and committed to making the process as smooth as possible.

Get in touch via the link in our bio or give us a call.

From 1 July 2026, settlement agents are required to conduct Customer Due Diligence on every client as part of Australia's new Anti-Money Laundering obligations. We have already covered what CDD is and why it exists - this post is about what the actual experience looks like when you work with Safety Bay Settlements.

📱 It starts at onboarding

When you nominate Safety Bay Settlements, the process begins through our digital onboarding platform Conveyancing Concierge - exactly as it always has. The AML requirements are built into this process on our end, so from your perspective the starting point feels familiar.

📋 What happens step by step:

1️⃣ You complete your onboarding through Conveyancing Concierge. The questionnaire collects your information securely based on your specific circumstances. Everything stays within the secure portal.

2️⃣ We complete your identity verification through ScanTek. You receive a secure link, scan your identity documents without downloading an app, and complete a brief face verification. Quick, secure and straightforward.

3️⃣ We may ask a small number of additional questions. Depending on your transaction, we may follow up with a small amount of additional information. Our team will always explain clearly what we need and why.

4️⃣ We handle the rest. Once we have what we need, the compliance requirements are managed entirely by our team. You do not need to think about it again.

🛡️ What stays the same

The settlement experience our clients have always received does not change. The same organised, proactive and communicative process continues - with AML compliance handled professionally behind the scenes.

With 48 years of WA settlement experience and more than 20,000 settlements completed, we have built these requirements seamlessly into the way we work.
Get in touch via the link in our bio or give us a call.