What is FINTRAC in Real Estate BC

by Richard Morrison
March 5, 2020
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What is FINTRAC in real estate in Vancouver BC Canada?

Real estate transactions involve large sums of money changing hands. To prevent money laundering and terrorist financing, Canada has strict regulations around reporting and monitoring these transactions. Enter FINTRAC.

Key Takeaway: FINTRAC (Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada) is the federal body that oversees financial transactions, including real estate, to detect and deter money laundering and terrorist financing activities. Real estate professionals must comply with FINTRAC regulations like verifying identities and reporting suspicious transactions or face significant penalties.

FINTRAC plays a crucial role in keeping real estate transactions above board. Read on to learn all about FINTRAC and how it impacts real estate professionals and transactions in Canada.

Table of Contents show

What is FINTRAC?

FINTRAC stands for Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada
It is Canada’s financial intelligence unit that was created in 2000
Mandated to facilitate detection, prevention, and deterrence of money laundering and terrorist financing
Overseen by the Department of Finance Canada

FINTRAC is an independent Canadian government agency that acts as the regulatory body for monitoring financial transactions. It was established in 2000 under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA).

Its mandate is to detect, prevent, and deter money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities by ensuring reporting entities comply with identification, record-keeping, and reporting requirements.

How Does FINTRAC Work?

FINTRAC collects, analyzes, assesses, and discloses financial transaction information:

Reporting entities like banks, real estate brokers, casinos, etc. must report prescribed transactions to FINTRAC
FINTRAC analyzes transactions and identifies links to potential money laundering or terrorist financing
Discloses these findings to law enforcement, intelligence agencies, etc.
Ensures reporting entities comply with PCMLTFA obligations

Over 1,500 reporting entities like banks, real estate brokers, casinos, and more are legislated to report prescribed financial transactions to FINTRAC.

FINTRAC analyzes these reports along with other information to detect potential money laundering or terrorist financing activities. When warranted, they disclose relevant financial intelligence to law enforcement, national security, tax agencies, and other entities.

FINTRAC also ensures reporting entities are complying with requirements under the PCMLTFA related to client identification, record keeping, reporting of transactions, and training. This is done through compliance assessments.

FINTRAC and Real Estate

The real estate sector has been identified as vulnerable to money laundering. Large cash transactions, opacity around true ownership, and more make it attractive for laundering proceeds of crime.

As such, FINTRAC keeps a close eye on real estate transactions. Real estate developers, brokers, agents, sales representatives and others are considered reporting entities under FINTRAC.

Obligations of Real Estate Professionals

Real estate professionals must comply with FINTRAC regulations including:

Client identification – verifying identity of clients before providing services
Record keeping – keeping detailed records of transactions
Reporting – reporting prescribed transactions like suspicious activities
Risk assessment – assessing and documenting risks of services offered
Training – ensuring employees are trained on obligations

Failure to comply with these obligations can result in significant penalties.

Consequences of Not Complying with FINTRAC

The consequences for not complying with FINTRAC are severe:

Fines – individuals can be fined up to $500,000 and/or imprisoned up to 5 years. Organizations can be fined up to $2 million per violation.
Reputation Damage – non-compliance harms professional reputation and business opportunities
Regulatory Action – can lead to suspended or revoked licenses to operate

Clearly, it is critical that real estate professionals comply with all FINTRAC regulations to avoid these damaging outcomes.

FINTRAC Reporting Requirements

Real estate professionals must report certain transactions to FINTRAC, keep required records, and more. Here are the key reporting requirements:

Large Cash Transactions

Report receipt of $10,000 or more in cash in a single transaction

Suspicious Transactions

Report completed or attempted suspicious transactions
“Reasonable grounds to suspect” money laundering or terrorist financing

Terrorist Property

Report property owned or controlled by or on behalf of a terrorist or terrorist group

Identity Verification

Verify identity of all clients before providing real estate services
Individuals: name, address, date of birth, occupation
Businesses: beneficial ownership, directors, etc.

Records

Keep detailed records of transactions – parties, amounts, dates, purposes, details, etc.
Keep for at least 5 years after end of business relationship

Keep Reading:

Exemptions from FINTRAC Regulations

There are limited exemptions from some FINTRAC regulations:

Infrequent transactions – real estate transacted very infrequently
Small transactions – real estate transacted on small scale
Public bodies – e.g. government agencies, hospitals
Very large corporations – over $75M net assets

Exemptions are uncommon and reporting entities should seek legal advice before relying on them. It’s best to assume FINTRAC regulations apply in most cases.

How Real Estate Professionals Can Comply

Here are tips for real estate professionals to comply with FINTRAC:

Develop a compliance program covering identification, reporting, training, risk assessment, etc.
Properly verify identity of all clients and keep detailed records
Report prescribed transactions like suspicious activities
Ensure all employees are trained on FINTRAC regulations
Conduct risk assessments and update compliance program accordingly
Stay updated on new guidelines and regulations from FINTRAC

Following these best practices will help real estate professionals remain compliant and avoid significant penalties down the road.

FAQs about FINTRAC and Real Estate

Q: What is FINTRAC in Real Estate?

A: FINTRAC stands for Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. It is an independent agency established by the Government of Canada to help detect and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. In the real estate industry, FINTRAC imposes certain obligations on real estate professionals and brokerages to ensure compliance with anti-money laundering laws.

Q: Who is a realtor in Vancouver?

A: A realtor in Vancouver is a licensed professional who assists clients in buying or selling real estate in the Vancouver area. They are knowledgeable about the local real estate market and help their clients navigate the process of buying or selling property.

Q: What is the role of a real estate agent?

A: A real estate agent, also known as a realtor, is a professional who helps clients buy or sell real estate. They act as intermediaries between buyers and sellers, provide guidance and advice, facilitate negotiations, and ensure the smooth completion of real estate transactions.

Q: What is a brokerage in real estate?

A: A brokerage in real estate refers to a company or agency that employs real estate agents and provides services related to buying, selling, and managing real estate. Real estate agents often work under the supervision of a brokerage and are registered with the brokerage’s regulatory body.

Q: What are the compliance obligations?

A: In order to comply with FINTRAC regulations, real estate professionals and brokerages are required to establish and implement a compliance program. This includes verifying the identity of clients, keeping records of transactions, reporting suspicious activities, and submitting reports to FINTRAC when applicable.

Q: What is a penalty for non-compliance?

A: Non-compliance with FINTRAC requirements can result in penalties and fines. The amount of the penalty depends on the severity of the non-compliance and can range from thousands to millions of dollars. Additionally, individuals may face criminal charges for knowingly participating in money laundering or terrorist financing activities.

Q: What is the importance of the real estate industry?

A: FINTRAC plays a crucial role in the real estate industry by helping to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illegal activities. By ensuring compliance with FINTRAC regulations, real estate professionals contribute to the integrity and transparency of the real estate market.

Q: What client information is required?

A: Under FINTRAC regulations, real estate professionals are required to collect and verify certain information from clients. This includes full name, date of birth, address, and occupation. In some cases, additional information such as a photo ID may be required.

Q: What is the role of a trust account in real estate transactions?

A: A trust account is a separate bank account used by real estate professionals to hold client funds in trust during the course of a transaction. It ensures that client funds are protected and provides transparency in financial transactions.

Q: What is the process to verify the identity of clients?

A: Real estate professionals are required to verify the identity of their clients by using reliable and independent sources. This can include obtaining government-issued identification documents, such as a driver’s license or passport, and confirming that the information provided matches the documents.

The Bottom Line

As a key player in Canada’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing regime, FINTRAC regulations are mandatory for real estate professionals. Client identification, record-keeping, reporting suspicious transactions, and more must be done to comply.

Non-compliance can lead to massive fines, jail time, and loss of licence to operate. By making compliance a top priority, real estate professionals can avoid penalties and help keep Canada’s financial system secure.

Sources:
https://www.bcrea.bc.ca/advocacy/how-realtors-help-prevent-money-laundering-in-real-estate-identifying-and-reporting-suspicious-transactions/

https://www.bcfsa.ca/industry-resources/real-estate-professional-resources/knowledge-base/guidelines/anti-money-laundering-guidelines

Ready to turn your real estate dreams into reality? Contact Richard Morrison, Vancouver’s top realtor with 20+ years of experience. As a Medallion Club member and RE/MAX Hall of Fame award winning agent, he’s the expert you need on your side. Whether buying, selling, or investing, Richard’s personalized approach and deep market insights ensure a successful transaction. Reach out to Richard today at (778) 900-2235 and make your real estate journey seamless and rewarding.

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