Agent introduced by an unknown intermediary
An unknown intermediary who introduces a buyer is not the customer. The agency still identifies the principal the program names, and records who stood between the agency and that person.
Quick answer
Slow down when a person the agency does not know wants to speak for the buyer. Identify the customer. Write down the intermediary’s name and what they asked you not to ask. Do not let their urgency replace the program; if a suspicion forms, use the suspicious-matter procedure and do not tell the intermediary you have done so; this page does not explain how to keep an introducer comfortable.
People search “intermediary AML red flag real estate” when a suburban agency is offered a buyer by someone it has never met, who wants to handle the questions. Checked against AUSTRAC’s real-estate suspicious activity indicators on 4 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. This page does not reproduce that guidance. Who the customer is on a property file is who the customer is in real estate. The wider agency program is real estate AML compliance. The sector map is /tranche-2.
The introducer is a fact, not a customer
Agencies are introduced to buyers every week. The ordinary case is a known local referrer and a buyer who will answer questions. The case this page is about is the unknown intermediary who wants to be the only voice on the file.
That is a reason to identify the principal, not a reason to take instructions from a stranger. Real-estate indicators exist so staff notice the pattern. This page does not copy the indicator list, and it does not suggest a structure that would make the pattern harder to see.
- Name the customer. The program says who that is. The person who made the introduction is not a substitute.
- Name the intermediary. Record who they are and how they contacted the agency.
- Write the refusal. If they ask you not to ask about identity or source of funds, that request goes on the file.
- Escalate in the procedure. A suspicion uses the suspicious-matter path. It is not a cue to reassure the introducer.
What the sales desk should sort
An unknown introducer on a suburban listing. This table does not reproduce AUSTRAC’s real-estate indicators.
| What happened | What you record | What you do not do |
|---|---|---|
| A known local person introduces a buyer who will speak | The introducer and the customer, ordinary file | Treat every introduction as a report |
| A stranger will not let you speak to the buyer | The request, and that identity is unfinished | Take the stranger as the customer |
| You are asked not to ask about the money | The request, in the firm’s record | Drop the question to keep the deal |
| The pattern meets the suspicion procedure | Escalation inside the firm | A message to the introducer about a report |
Where the introducer page stops
This page is the unknown intermediary on a real-estate file. It is not the full test of who the customer is, and it is not the agency’s whole program. Those are who the customer is in real estate and real estate AML compliance.
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. An introduction is not a customer check, and the firm suite does not include screening the introducer as if that finished the file. Confirm the live amounts on FreeAML pricing. FreeAML does not treat an introducer as the customer, or decide that a file is suspicious.
📚 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
Email the link to the customer, not only to the introducer.
The firm suite is A$0. The client pays the check. The firm emails the customer a link.
Open an AML checkQuestions: team@freeaml.com.au