01
Mandate take-on
Verify the seller or authorised representative before accepting the mandate. Where a company, trust or developer is involved, verify the entity and the people acting for it.
Property
Property sales FICA checks that protect the deal
Use VerifyNow to verify sellers, buyers, company parties, directors and bank accounts before signatures or payments move. Your team gets audit-ready reports for mandate take-on, AML/PEP review and payout controls, so deals can move faster with fewer fraud and compliance surprises.
Property sales verification
Protect the deal before signatures and payments move.
Verify buyers, sellers, companies, directors, AML risk and bank accounts across the property-sale file.
- Buyer and seller checks
- Company and AML review
- Deposit and payout controls
Property Sales
Estate agents, developers, conveyancers and agencies handling sale mandates.
Workflow
Move property sales forward with evidence, not screenshots
02
Buyer verification
Verify every buyer or responsible person before the transaction progresses. Add Face Match when the signing or onboarding journey is remote: it compares the submitted selfie or face photo with the ID/reference photo and returns a match result for the file.
03
AML/PEP and sanctions review
Screen parties when your RMCP, risk rating or transaction facts require enhanced due diligence, and keep the result with the property file.
04
Deposit and payout controls
Verify bank account details before deposits, refunds, reservation fees or commission payments move to reduce payment-instruction fraud.
Risk signals
When to add AML/PEP
AML/PEP and sanctions screening is most useful when your risk policy, accountable-institution duties or professional advisor requires enhanced due diligence.
High-value property, unusual pricing or rushed settlement pressure.
Company, trust, nominee or third-party payment structures.
Foreign, remote or politically exposed parties.
Bank details change after mandate, offer or invoice stage.
Cash-heavy, unexplained or fragmented source-of-funds story.
A party appears on a sanctions, watchlist or adverse-media result.
Checks to run
FICA workflow checklist for Property Sales
Use this path when you are taking on a sale mandate, verifying a seller or purchaser, or preparing a transaction file for conveyancing.
Compliance note
Estate agents are listed by the FIC as accountable institutions. This page maps common sale workflows to practical CDD checks and toolkit resources.
Practical onboarding sequence
- 1Identify and verify every client or transaction party before accepting a mandate or concluding a sale.
- 2Run AML/PEP screening for sale parties and escalate hits under your risk policy.
- 3For companies or trusts, verify the entity and relevant directors or representatives.
- 4Verify the payout or deposit bank account before funds move.
- 5Keep mandate, CDD, AML/PEP, bank verification and transaction evidence for the file.
- 6Use the RMCP generator if your agency needs a documented FICA programme.
Toolkit links
Open FICA ToolkitUse the guided toolkit to decide which FICA, POPIA, CDD and RMCP resources apply.
CDD checklistTrack customer due diligence steps before onboarding or continuing with a customer.
RMCP generatorBuild a starting Risk Management and Compliance Programme where one is required.
KYC workflowMap the legal requirement to a practical onboarding workflow.
Conditional AML pack
Need to screen a customer list?
If your organisation is an accountable institution, or your RMCP calls for a customer-book review, Batch AML lets you upload 10 to 1,000 people or entities and keep one consolidated result file. It is an optional workflow based on your duties and risk controls, not a requirement for every business in this industry.
Educational guidance only. Your accountable-institution status, RMCP, customer risk rating and lawful basis determine the final checks and records you must keep.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Are estate agents accountable institutions for property sales?+
Yes. The FIC lists estate agents as accountable institutions in Schedule 1 of the FIC Act. Property sales teams should identify and verify clients, keep CDD records, apply their RMCP and report suspicious or unusual activity where required.
Which VerifyNow checks are most relevant for a property sale?+
For a typical sale file, start with Home Affairs ID + Photo for natural persons, CIPC Company Match and Director Search for company parties, AML/PEP/Sanctions for risk screening, and Bank Account Verification before deposits, refunds or payouts move.
When should AML/PEP screening be run?+
Run AML/PEP/Sanctions screening when your RMCP or risk assessment requires it, including high-value transactions, politically exposed persons, unusual funding patterns, company or trust structures, cross-border parties or any other higher-risk trigger.
How do VerifyNow reports support a property-sale compliance file?+
VerifyNow provides verification reports and workflow evidence for the property-sale file. The estate agency or legal practice applies its accountable-institution duties, RMCP and legal compliance advice to select the required checks, records and reporting decisions.
Build a cleaner property file
Use the toolkit, run the right checks, and keep a clear report trail before the next signature or payment.