Six in 10 estate agencies and property firms expect to increase their anti-money laundering budgets over the next year as compliance workloads continue to grow.
Research from Thirdfort found 61% of senior compliance professionals expect their firm’s AML budget to increase, while just 6% anticipate cuts.
That represents a sharp change from 2025, when 31% expected their budgets to be reduced. Compliance teams are also set to expand, with 51% expecting headcount to increase compared with 26% last year.
The findings are based on a survey of 200 senior compliance professionals working in UK property firms and estate agencies.
WORKLOAD PRESSURES
Some 85% of those surveyed say demands on their compliance function have increased during the past 12 months.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) report working overtime at least once a week to deal with AML-related issues, up from 42% in 2025.
Despite the additional resources expected, confidence in existing compliance processes remains mixed.
Just 52% describe their current processes as extremely or very effective at ensuring compliance.
Larger businesses appear less confident, with 46% of respondents at firms employing more than 150 people rating their processes as effective compared with 59% at firms with 25 employees or fewer.
FRAGMENTED SYSTEMS
Technology and systems also remain a challenge, with 81% of compliance leaders describing fragmented systems as an issue they currently face.
Thirdfort Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Olly Thornton-Berry says: “Compliance teams in estate agencies and property firms face growing pressure, with a clear trend toward stricter regulation and higher compliance standards. As a result, senior compliance professionals expect to expand both their budgets and teams.
“Investment can bolster the expertise needed for complex decision-making and address the fragmented systems that create administrative burdens and potentially hide risks. This is crucial for embedding client due diligence processes and, ultimately, putting compliance professionals in control.”
