AML & ID checks for agents.
Now completely free.
Verify any buyer or seller in minutes with bank-grade ID, document and PEP/sanctions checks — and an MLR 2017-compliant certificate generated automatically. We absorb the cost for agents who treat compliance as a cost of doing business, not another way to make money from movers. Prefer to charge your client instead? You can do that too, and keep the majority of the fee.
AML checks for estate agents are a legal requirement under the UK Money Laundering Regulations 2017: before acting for a buyer or seller you must verify their identity, screen them against sanctions and PEP lists, and keep an auditable record. Home.co.uk builds that whole process into the platform you already list on — a five-minute, bank-grade check that produces a branded compliance certificate, costs you nothing, and is reusable across the network. Prefer to charge your client instead? You can set your own fee and keep the majority of it.
Why it matters
Estate agents are the most-fined AML sector.
HMRC supervises estate agency businesses for money laundering, and enforcement is rising. Getting customer due diligence right isn't optional — and doing it manually is slow, inconsistent and hard to evidence.
Fines levied on estate agency businesses in a single recent HMRC enforcement tranche — the worst-affected sector.
The top end of individual penalties for AML breaches. The average fine sits around £6,200.
Sanctions screening became mandatory for every estate and letting agent, on every client, regardless of value.
Verify identity, screen against PEPs & sanctions, and keep an auditable record. Home.co.uk does all three in one flow.
Figures based on published HMRC money-laundering supervision enforcement data. Penalties vary by case; this is general information, not legal advice.
How it works
Four steps from request to certificate.
No paperwork, no certified copies, no chasing. You send a link; the rest runs itself.
You send a request
Enter your client's name and email from your agent dashboard. They receive a branded email with a secure verification link. Adding both buyers in a joint purchase? Send up to 10 applicants at once and track them as a group.
Your client verifies — in about 5 minutes
On any phone or laptop, they photograph their passport or driving licence and take a short selfie video. If you've enabled client-pay, they pay your fee securely via Stripe first. No app to install.
Verified automatically
Document authentication confirms the ID is genuine, facial matching with liveness detection confirms the person is real and present, and AML screening checks them against PEP, sanctions and adverse-media lists — all in seconds.
You get the result & a branded certificate
An instant result notification lands in your dashboard. A branded PDF AML certificate is generated within ~2 minutes and emailed to both you and your client — your audit-ready evidence of due diligence. Anything that can't auto-approve goes to a "Needs Review" queue for your team to approve or decline with notes.
What's verified
Three checks, one secure flow.
Everything the Money Laundering Regulations expect for customer due diligence — handled in a single client session.
Document authenticity
The passport or driving licence is checked for genuine security features and tampering — confirming the ID itself is real.
Facial match & liveness
A live motion-capture selfie is matched to the document photo, confirming the person presenting the ID is its genuine holder — not a photo or a forgery.
AML screening
The individual is screened against Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), global sanctions lists and adverse media — the screening now mandatory for every client.
Pricing
Free, if you treat it as a cost of doing business.
A consumer can end up paying for the same identity and AML check three times over — once each for their estate agent, mortgage broker and solicitor — for something that costs about £3.50 to run. We think that's nonsensical, so if you don't charge your client, the check is free. Prefer to charge your client instead? You can do that too.
Don't charge your client — it's free
The default, and our recommended option. Run as many AML and ID checks as you need, on every plan. No credits to buy, no monthly cap, no per-check fee — ever.
Cost to you, per check
Unlimited checks, every plan, forever.
- No credits to buy or top up
- No cap on how many you run
- No cost passed on to your client
Pass the cost to your client
Prefer to charge your client instead? Set your own fee, the client pays securely via Stripe before verifying, and you keep the fee minus a tiered platform commission — the more you charge, the smaller our cut.
Earnings calculator
You earn
£4,080 a year
Illustrative. You set your own fee; commission is tiered by fee (see below). Excludes VAT.
| Fee charged | Platform commission | You keep on £40 / £100 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £49.99 | 15% | £34.00 on a £40 fee |
| £50.00–£99.99 | 10% | — |
| £100 and over | 5% | £95.00 on a £100 fee |
- You set the fee — £40 is just the default
- Paid out via Stripe Connect
- The higher the fee, the smaller our cut
Beyond identity
Source of funds & enhanced due diligence.
Customer due diligence is more than an ID check. The regulations expect you to understand who you're dealing with and, where risk is higher, dig deeper. Here's how the pieces fit together.
Standard due diligence (CDD)
Verify identity and screen against sanctions and PEP lists for every client. This is the baseline Home.co.uk automates in a single five-minute flow, with a certificate on file at the end.
Source of funds
Understand where a buyer's money comes from — savings, a property sale, inheritance, a gift or a mortgage. The completed identity check and its audit trail sit alongside the source-of-funds evidence you gather to evidence a complete file.
Enhanced due diligence (EDD)
Where a client is a PEP, is based in a high-risk country, or the transaction looks unusual, you must apply extra scrutiny. PEP and adverse-media flags surface automatically so you know when to escalate to enhanced checks.
Useful references: the rules come from the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, with sector guidance from HMRC's estate agency business registration guidance and Propertymark's anti-money laundering resources. This page is general information and does not constitute legal or compliance advice — always refer to current regulations and your appointed MLRO.
Why Home.co.uk
Not just another AML subscription.
Standalone AML tools are a cost centre with a monthly contract. Home.co.uk builds compliance into the platform you already list on — free unless you charge your client — and if you do charge, you keep the majority of the fee.
| Feature | Home.co.uk | Typical standalone AML tool |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | None — included with your free listing | Contract / minimum spend common |
| Cost per check to you | £0 — free unless you charge your client | You absorb every check |
| Option to charge clients instead | Built in via Stripe Connect | Rarely supported |
| ID + liveness + PEP/sanctions | All in one flow | Often tiered or add-ons |
| Reusable verification | Instant re-approval across the platform | Re-verify every time |
| Branded certificate | Included, emailed automatically | Varies |
| Lives where you list & manage leads | One login, one dashboard | Separate system |
Comparison reflects typical market offerings and is for general guidance. Powered by bank-grade, FCA-registered identity verification.
Who it's for
Built for every regulated agent.
If you fall under HMRC money-laundering supervision, you need documented due diligence on your clients. We make it a two-minute task.
Sales agents
Verify buyers and sellers at the point of instruction or offer, with a certificate on file before the deal progresses.
Letting agents
Screen landlords and tenants and meet the mandatory sanctions-check requirement on every party — no exceptions.
Sole agents & small firms
Get the compliance throughput of a larger office without the admin or the monthly contract. Pay only when you run a check.
Auctioneers
Verify bidders quickly ahead of fast-moving sales, with a clear record for each successful party.
The network effect
Verified once, recognised everywhere.
When a client has already completed a verified check through any agent on Home.co.uk, your check on the same person is auto-approved instantly — no repeat upload for them, and no cost to you. As the UK's longest-running property platform, that network gets more valuable with every check run.
- Instant approval for already-verified clients
- A smoother experience for movers dealing with multiple agents
- Backed by 30 years of trusted property data
Plain-English glossary
AML jargon, decoded.
The acronyms that come up most often in estate agency compliance — in one place.
- AML — Anti-Money Laundering
- The framework of laws and checks designed to stop criminals disguising illegally obtained money as legitimate funds. Estate agents are supervised for AML by HMRC.
- KYC — Know Your Customer
- The process of confirming a client really is who they say they are — the identity-verification part of your wider AML obligations.
- CDD — Customer Due Diligence
- The standard checks you must run on every client: verify identity, screen against sanctions and PEP lists, and understand the purpose of the transaction.
- EDD — Enhanced Due Diligence
- Extra scrutiny applied in higher-risk situations — for example a PEP, a high-risk jurisdiction, or an unusual transaction.
- PEP — Politically Exposed Person
- Someone in a prominent public position (or a close associate) who presents a higher bribery and corruption risk, triggering enhanced due diligence.
- Sanctions screening
- Checking a person against official sanctions lists. Mandatory for all UK estate and letting agents on every client since May 2025.
- MLRO — Money Laundering Reporting Officer
- The person each firm must appoint to oversee AML compliance and submit Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) where needed.
- Source of funds
- Evidence of where a buyer's money has come from — such as savings, a property sale, inheritance or a mortgage — and that it is legitimate.
Common questions
AML checks, answered.
Do estate agents need to do AML checks?
What does an AML check for an estate agent include?
Are sanctions checks now mandatory for estate agents?
How much does an AML check cost on Home.co.uk?
How long does an AML check take?
Is this compliant with UK AML regulations?
Can I verify both buyers in a joint purchase at once?
What happens if a client was already verified?
What happens if verification fails or needs a closer look?
Do I have to pay to list on Home.co.uk to use AML checks?
Who pays for AML checks — the buyer, seller or agent?
What ID documents are accepted for an estate agent AML check?
How long do estate agents need to keep AML records?
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Last reviewed · Powered by bank-grade, FCA-registered identity verification · General information, not legal advice.
List free, and make compliance free too.
Claim your branch on Home.co.uk — free since 1995 — and start running MLR 2017-compliant AML and ID checks today, at no cost to you. No subscription, no setup fee, no catch. Prefer to charge your client instead? That option's there too.
Identity verification is processed by an FCA-registered provider used by leading financial institutions. Home.co.uk facilitates the check on behalf of the requesting agent. Data is processed in accordance with UK GDPR and data protection law. This page is general information, not legal advice.