Fact sheet: Money Laundering Regulations

Head of Policy and Campaigns, Timothy Douglas, met senior officials at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) on 8 December to discuss how economic crime affects the property sector, particularly the role of real estate in laundering illicit wealth and the regulatory gaps that can facilitate this activity. Meanwhile, the UK Government published its Anti-Corruption Strategy 2025, setting out plans to strengthen the UK’s defences against illicit finance.

Propertymark shared member survey data to illustrate the challenges faced by agents when the UK Government requested evidence on how the UK Money Laundering Regulations could be improved. Ministers have listened, and regulations expected to take effect in early 2026 will have sensible changes to Customer Due Diligence and improve access to compliant business banking services for agencies.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will become the Single Professional Services Supervisor (SPSS) overseeing Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) compliance for the legal, accountancy, and trust and company service sectors. HMRC will continue to supervise agents under the Money Laundering Regulations, and firms that are already compliant do not need to make any changes to their existing AML procedures.

Following major changes in global sanctions since 2018, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has sought views on how to update its penalty, disclosure, and settlement frameworks. Reforms should both strengthen deterrence and make it easier for businesses, including property agents, to comply and report breaches confidently.