Company buyer: directors versus beneficial owners versus the signer
When a company buys, the customer is the company. The person who signs, the directors, and the beneficial owners are three different questions; one name does not answer all three.
Quick answer
Do KYB on the company. Then identify the individuals your program names. A director is an officeholder, not automatically a beneficial owner. The signer may be one director or an employee with authority; the person at the open home with a pen is often only the signer; the firm emails the links; the client pays each check the program requires.
People search “company buyer CDD real estate” when a suburban agency has a company as purchaser and only the person who attended the inspection on the file. Checked against AUSTRAC’s initial CDD guide for a body corporate on 4 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. This page does not reproduce that guidance. Who counts as a beneficial owner of a company is on beneficial owner of a company. Who the customer is at an agency is on who is the customer in real estate. The sector map is /tranche-2.
Three roles on the contract
The contract names a company as buyer. That company is the customer. Someone still signs. That person needs authority, and your program may require them to be identified as the representative.
Directors are the officeholders on the register: they run the company, and they may own nothing. Beneficial owners are the individuals who own or control, which is a different test, and this page does not apply the percentage. Agencies collapse the three because one human came to the open home, so put three lines on the cover sheet even if the same human appears twice. A sole director who also owns the shares can be all three, and you still tick three lines so the next file does not copy a shortcut.
- Customer line: the company. KYB, not a personal check with the company name typed into it.
- Signer line: who has authority. One director, or an employee. Authority is not ownership.
- Director line: officeholders. Collect what the program says about them. Do not assume each is a beneficial owner.
- Beneficial owner line: individuals behind ownership or control. A holding company is a step, not the answer.
A cover sheet for a company purchaser
The sales agent can fill the names. The compliance officer decides which of those names the program requires you to verify. An empty owner line is a stop, not a blank you settle around.
Roles when a company buys property. This table does not reproduce AUSTRAC’s body corporate CDD guide.
| Role | Who it usually is | The mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | The company on the contract | Checking only the human who inspected |
| Signer | A director or an authorised employee | Treating the signer as the owner |
| Director | An officeholder on the register | Verifying every director as a beneficial owner without the test |
| Beneficial owner | Individuals who own or control | Stopping at the company in the middle |
Where the company-buyer page stops
This page is the three roles on an agency file. It is not the beneficial-owner test and it is not the general customer question. Those are beneficial owner of a company and who is the customer in real estate. FreeAML does not decide who owns the company.
The firm suite is A$0. The company check and each required personal check are client-pays, and they are not one fee.
What the client pays
On FreeAML the firm suite is A$0. The firm emails the client a link. Verification is client-pays. On the public list a personal KYC check is A$20 and a company or trust KYB check is A$40. Use KYB when the customer is a company or a trust. The firm suite does not include the company check and the individuals inside one price. Confirm the live amounts on FreeAML pricing. FreeAML does not decide which directors are beneficial owners or which person may sign.
📚 Related Resources
Real Estate AML Toolkit →
Complete compliance toolkit for property agents.
Real Estate AML Guide →
Everything agents need to know about Tranche 2.
Free KYC Check →
Verify customer identity in 60 seconds. Government ID + AML screening.
Free AML Program →
Board-ready AML/CTF Program template. All 10 AUSTRAC sections included.
Risk Assessment Generator →
AI-powered ML/TF risk assessment. 20-page compliant report in 5 minutes.
Free AML Training →
Online courses for staff. CPD-certified certificates included.
Frequently Asked Questions
KYB the company. Then the people the program names.
The firm suite is A$0. The client pays. Company KYB is A$40. Each personal KYC check is A$20.
Start an AML checkQuestions: team@freeaml.com.au