We Know Each Other, So Why Do I Need an ID Check to Buy a House?

By Mildwaters Byrth Team

Yes, you now need to complete an identity check before we can act for you on any property sale or purchase, even if we’ve known you for years.

From 1 July 2026, new federal anti-money laundering laws require every conveyancer and lawyer in Australia to formally verify a client’s identity before starting work on a real estate transaction.

It doesn’t matter if you were born in Kadina, have banked at the same branch for thirty years, or everyone in the office already knows your name. The law applies the same way to every client, everywhere in the country.

“You know me. Why am I being treated like a stranger?”

It’s a fair question, and one we’ve heard more than once since 1 July.

In towns like Kadina or Minlaton, your word has always been good enough. We might have gone to school with your kids, done business with your family for years, or seen you at the footy every Saturday. Being asked for photo ID and a quick selfie to sell your own farmhouse can feel like we’ve stopped trusting you.

We haven’t.

This isn’t us questioning you personally. It’s a federal law that treats every client the same, everywhere in the country, because criminals have used real estate to launder money in every part of Australia, not just the cities. We don’t get a choice about running the check. Refusing isn’t an option for us, city firm or country firm.

What we do get a choice about is how it feels for you. And that’s where being a local firm actually matters, not as a slogan, but as the thing that makes this bearable.

What being local actually changes

In practice, most clients complete this themselves. We send a secure link to your phone or email, you complete the verification in a few minutes wherever suits you, and it comes straight back to us. For most people, that’s simpler and faster than making a special trip into the office.

Being local changes what happens if that doesn’t suit you. If you’d rather sit down with someone and go through it face to face, our team is in Kadina and Minlaton, not on the other end of a call centre queue in another state, and we’re happy to help you complete it in person.

It also means that if your sale or purchase involves a family trust, a farming partnership, or anything more complicated than a straightforward private sale, our in-house legal team can resolve it on the spot. You’re not referred out to a city firm and left waiting on someone who’s never heard of the Yorke Peninsula.

What the process actually involves

We use a secure verification app to handle this.

We send you a secure link. It arrives by SMS or email, and you can complete it in your own time, wherever you are.
You work through the prompts. This may include reading and signing any other documents electronically, and downloading the app if you’re asked to.
You provide both your driver’s licence and passport. This is a higher bar than a real estate agent will ask of you, who typically only needs one or the other. You’ll photograph both, plus a quick selfie, so the app can confirm the ID belongs to you.
It’s sent back to us securely. Once your verification comes through, we check it against AML requirements and let you know if anything further is needed. Otherwise, your file moves straight ahead.

If you’d rather have someone walk you through it in person, or you don’t have both documents, or a smartphone, or standard photo ID, you’re not stuck. There’s a formal alternative pathway using documents like a Medicare card or birth certificate, supported by a statement from someone in the community who knows you, such as your doctor or a local police officer. We’ll cover that pathway properly in a separate post, because it deserves its own explanation rather than a footnote.

And if anything about the process feels unclear at any point, contact us before you start. That’s what we’re here for.

What this means for your settlement timeline

For most clients, verification adds a short conversation, not a delay.

Auction buyers and anyone mid-negotiation can complete the check slightly after exchange, provided it’s finished well before settlement, so a fast-moving sale doesn’t grind to a halt while you wait on paperwork.

Talk to us before you list or make an offer

If you’re planning to buy or sell in Kadina, Minlaton, or anywhere across the Yorke Peninsula, get your verification sorted early with us so nothing holds up your settlement later.