MLR 2017 for Estate and Letting Agents: Foundation

Property & Real Estate - Regulatory compliance
This course gives everyone in an estate or letting agency branch - negotiators, viewings staff, valuers, administrators, and branch managers - the practical anti-money-laundering instincts they need to work safely under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017. You'll learn why property is a priority laundering target, what MLR 2017 actually requires of a branch, the basic shape of customer due diligence, the eight red flags that should stop a deal, and the one phone call every agent must know how to make.

By the end, you'll be able to name the four obligations MLR 2017 places on your firm, tell estate agency scope from letting agency scope, work the three steps of customer due diligence, read the eight red flags of property laundering, and escalate a suspicious transaction correctly to your firm's Nominated Officer - without ever tipping off.

Access

Self-Paced Learning

Lessons

9 Lessons

Certification

Certificate of Completion

Price

€150
Learning Objectives
Course Benefits
Modules
By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Recognise why estate and letting agency work is a priority money-laundering target in the UK, and name HMRC as your AML supervisor
  • Recall the four core obligations MLR 2017 places on every property firm: register, assess risk, run customer due diligence, and report suspicion
  • Tell the difference between estate agency business and letting agency business, and know when each one triggers a due diligence duty
  • Work the three steps of customer due diligence - identify, verify, and understand - and recognise the documents that satisfy each
  • Read the eight red-flag patterns that should stop a property transaction at the front door
  • Escalate a suspicious transaction the right way - to your firm's Nominated Officer, and without tipping off
Benefits for the Organisation

• Reduce the most common HMRC inspection findings - no risk assessment, weak CDD, late registration, untrained staff - before they become a penalty
• Shorten the runway for every branch member to spot money-laundering risk and escalate it correctly
• Evidence completed MLR 2017 training to HMRC, auditors, lenders, and clients with timestamped records
• Standardise the language and escalation procedure the whole branch uses, with no improvised handling of suspicion
• Save your Nominated Officer and principals the time spent rescuing staff from missed red flags and tipping-off mistakes

Benefits for Learners

• Recognise when a routine property transaction is showing the signs of money laundering before the deal completes
• Build a reusable red-flag checklist you apply consistently to every buyer, seller, landlord, and tenant
• Handle a suspicious transaction with the confidence to pause, record what you saw, and walk it to the Nominated Officer
• Tell estate agency scope from letting agency scope correctly before you take on a customer
• Pass the assessment knowing every answer traces to MLR 2017, POCA 2002, or HMRC guidance, not a study guide

Lesson 1: Welcome to the front line of property AML

Lesson 2: £215,000 and the empty cabinet

Start with the £215,000 HMRC penalty against Countrywide and the first Unexplained Wealth Order against Zamira Hajiyeva. See why property is a priority laundering route, who launderers target, and meet the four obligations MLR 2017 places on every branch: register, assess, verify, report.

Lesson 3: Estate, letting, or neither? The scope test

Learn the difference between estate agency business and letting agency business under the regulations, when each one triggers a customer due diligence duty, and why letting agents come into scope only at lettings of €10,000 a month or more.

Lesson 4: Identify, verify, understand

Master the three steps of customer due diligence - identify the customer's claim, verify it independently, and understand the purpose of the transaction - and recognise the documents and the answers that satisfy each step.

Lesson 5: Eight red flags at the front door

Apply the eight red-flag categories - cash, structure, distance, speed, secrecy, source, story, and sanctions - to real property scenarios, and learn the one-flag, two-flag, three-flag rule for when to note, when to inquire, and when to stop and escalate.

Lesson 6: From feeling to filing - the escalation moment

Turn a feeling that something is wrong into a proper internal report. Learn the suspicion threshold - reasonable grounds for suspicion, not certainty - the POCA 2002 section 330 duty to disclose, and how to escalate to your firm's Nominated Officer without tipping off the buyer or seller. Pause the transaction, report first, and decide second.

Lesson 7: Your MLR toolkit - resources and references

Take away a working toolkit: the HMRC registration and guidance links, the NCA Suspicious Activity Report route, your firm's internal reporting line, and a quick-reference summary of everything the course has covered.

Lesson 8: Final assessment 

Lesson 9: Conclusion: Provide Feedback & Claim Certificate.

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Course FAQ's

Who is this course for?

Everyone who works in an estate agency or letting agency business that is in scope of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 - sales and lettings negotiators, viewings staff, valuers, branch administrators, and branch managers. It is also a useful refresher for experienced staff and a sound baseline before any role-specific AML training.

No prior knowledge of anti-money-laundering law is required.

Where and when can I take this course?

The course can be taken at any time and from any internet-connected device.

Do I need prior knowledge or experience?

This is a foundation-level course, and all concepts are explained in a clear, simple, and practical way. Learners, do not require any previous training or background knowledge.

Can this course be used for company-wide training?

Absolutely. This course is designed to be rolled out across the whole firm, making it suitable for every member of branch and back-office staff who is in scope of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017.

Do I get a discount if I buy multiple seats for this course?

Yes. Please contact us and we will issue a quote according to your needs.

Will managers be able to track progress and completion?

Yes. Branch managers and administrators can track learner progress, completion rates, and assessment performance across the course.

This gives clear visibility on engagement and outcomes, making it easier to monitor participation, support staff where needed, and evidence completed AML training to your HMRC supervisor.

Is this course part of a larger anti-money-laundering programme?

Yes. This is Course 1 of the Auren MLR 2017 for Estate and Letting Agents bundle - the Foundations course, the awareness floor that every person in the branch sits on. It is followed by Course 2 (Intermediate), for the staff who actively conduct due diligence and write internal reports, and Course 3 (Advanced), for the principals and Nominated Officers who own the firm's AML programme.

All three courses in the bundle can be taken as stand-alone courses.