With anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) reforms to come into effect on 1 July, Barry Plant has leveraged in-person training and technology to boost the network’s compliance capabilities.

The network announced all of its offices were now enrolled with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), onboarded to a compliance platform, and operating with completed compliance documentation, policies and procedures in place.

Barry Plant head of operations, Kyrstie Nolan, said the network had implemented a comprehensive, group-wide implementation program over several months.

“The program was carefully designed to support our franchisees, agents, and support teams through one of the most significant regulatory reforms ever introduced to the Australian real estate industry,” she said.

As part of its rollout, Barry Plant combined centralised leadership with local office accountability, creating a hybrid model grounded in consistency and practical business outcomes.

Recognising the approach needed to go beyond technology, the group developed a dedicated bootcamp program to train its anti-money laundering compliance officers (AMLCOs).

“The initiative provided practical guidance, peer collaboration, and hands-on education to ensure offices were confident in their obligations and responsibilities,” the network said.

Additionally, it invested in face-to-face training for agents, recognising they were the first point of contact for vendors and buyers and would be most responsible for navigating AML conversations.

With agents being trained on scripts, dialogues and client conversations every day, Nolan said that AML was no different.

“Our agents are the eyes and ears of our business; they are the people answering questions, identifying potential risks and guiding clients through the process,” she said.

“We believed it was critical that they received practical, in-person training rather than simply being directed to complete online modules.”

“We recognised early that our role was not simply to tell offices what needed to be done, but to walk alongside them throughout the process. The result is a network that is not only compliant but genuinely prepared.”

In addition to compliance training, the group created a suite of marketing, communication, and social media resources to help offices educate vendors, buyers and local communities about the upcoming changes.

As a result, Barry Plant said that its offices could now confidently explain the reforms while reinforcing trust and transparency throughout the customer experience.

Nolan said by investing in its people, processes and technology, the network had positioned its offices to deliver a seamless experience for clients while meeting the highest standards of regulatory compliance.

“We knew it was essential to ensure every office was equipped with the knowledge, systems and processes needed to meet the new requirements.”

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Prioritising face-to-face training in AML compliance gear-up