Network & Industry

In This Edition… 

📚 FN Academy: The fastest path to compliance and CPD success

🏆 Put property management in the spotlight – awards now open

⚖️ AML rules finalised – what every principal must know

🤖 How AI is affecting Google search – what to do next

🌴 Queensland leaders set the pace for what’s next

🏘️  Victorian PMs tackle compliance, VCAT delays and arrears head-on

🎨 FN Latrobe’s Traralgon office gets a fresh new look

🚀 FN Candappa expands with Warragul launch

🌟 Talent on the rise – Nitschke Scholar heads to REA Ready

🐾 WA rental reforms tilt balance toward tenants

📝 Seller Disclosure Statements: risk traps agents must avoid

Time to revisit FN Academy

👓 1.2 minute read

Are your team members getting full value from FN Academy on FN Central? It’s found within the Learning Hub.

The WH&S modules have been releasing every two weeks, with the target of network-wide compliance by 31 December 2025. Some offices are behind. That carries risk. It also misses a key upside. Completing these modules gives your people the foundation they need to meet CPD obligations. It is included in membership, so you do not need to pay an external provider.

For skills development, point your team to the Accelerator Series. It delivers deeper training for salespeople, property managers and administrators. New on-demand recordings mean staff can learn when it suits them.

A quick note on compliance. 

WH&S modules are a national requirement and do not carry CPD points. They do, however, act as the essential gateway that ensures staff are eligible for CPD accreditation. Skipping them puts compliance and accreditation at risk.

We are building towards a full FN Academy that lifts performance, cuts training costs and safeguards your business.

Will your office be fully compliant and CPD-ready on time?

Log in today: FN Central › FN Academy.

Put your team on the podium

👓 1.1 minute read

Property management is the engine room of our businesses. It keeps revenue steady, protects landlords, and builds lifetime clients. Yet too often, it flies under the radar. Here’s your chance to change that.

REB has launched the first-ever Property Management Excellence Awards, recognising outstanding individuals, offices and networks across Australia. Entry is free. Submissions are a simple audio or video recording – filmed on your phone is fine – and production quality is not assessed. What matters is the story of your results, innovation and service. Ensure your recording environment is quiet and you’re set.

Why enter? Awards boost trust with landlords, help with AI search when advertised on your website, strengthen recruitment and retention, and differentiate your pitch. They also shine a light on the people who hold our client relationships together. Which PM, BDM or team in your office deserves that spotlight?

Key details:

• Deadline: 5:30 pm AEST, Thursday 2 October 2025
• Categories: Individuals, offices and networks
• How to enter: Submit via the awards portal (audio or video)
• Need help? Contact Lizzie Whitlock on 0480 841 024.

Let’s show the industry what First National property managers deliver every day. Make time this week to record and submit. Who will you put forward?

Anti Money Laundering rules finalised, REIA recommendations adopted 

👓 1.1 minute read

The final version of Anti Money Laundering/Counter Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) rules for Tranche 2 entities was tabled in Parliament on Friday 29 August, following consultation with AUSTRAC by the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA). This marks the final piece in the legislative framework puzzle.

Thanks to the REIA’s advocacy:

• Customer Due Diligence (CDD) on buyers can be delayed

• A more practical approach to reliance  will allow estate agencies to rely on conveyancer due diligence in certain circumstances

This will significantly reduce administrative burdens and AML compliance costs for sellers and ease the compliance load on agents.

To help the industry navigate the introduction of AML/CTF, REIA has partnered with First AML, a leading provider of regulatory technology solutions. This collaboration aims to provide real estate agents with the tools needed to meet compliance requirements seamlessly. 

Over the coming months, both the REIA and State Institutes will work towards a communications campaign that will assist agents with helping customers understand the industry’s new obligations, which begin on July 1st, 2026.

What’s next?

• AUSTRAC will release its Core Guidance in October 2025 (300+ pages)

• AUSTRAC will release industry specific guidance including Small Business Starter Kits in December 2025

First National Real Estate has been conducting its due diligence on potential supporting partners throughout 2025 an anticipates making an announcement shortly.

Queensland principals align on what’s next

👓 40 second read

Queensland principals pressed pause at their recent Retreat to align on AML/CTF readiness, the network’s rebrand, and our shift to a learning organisation. Sessions focused on what to do next, not theory.

• The path to AML/CTF and potential support partners
• Rebrand timelines and consultation process
• FN Academy pathways that support CPD

Offices compared what is working in recruitment, fee defence and PM growth. Ideas were traded. Problems were tested. Solutions were captured.

Victoria PM Round Table: Shared problems, practical wins

👓 40 second read

Property managers from across Victoria met with National Property Manager Debbie Fletcher for a fast, no-frills round table focused on what is working now. The brief was simple: surface the biggest pain points, compare playbooks, leave with actions.

Top challenges raised:

• Compliance load in Victoria’s rental rules, including safety checks and minimum standards
• VCAT delays and managing landlord expectations
• Trades availability, costs and service levels
• Arrears risk in a tight cost-of-living environment
• Staff onboarding, retention and burnout

FN Latrobe unveils refreshed Traralgon office

👓 40 second read

FN Latrobe (Traralgon, Vic) has completed a full refresh of its office branding and paintwork, aligning the location with First National’s current brand standards. The update improves street visibility, refreshes in-office signage, and creates a clearer customer journey from welcome to appraisal.

If you are passing Church Street, drop in and see the changes. Considering a refresh at your office? What small upgrade would lift your shopfront ahead of next year’s rebrand?

FN Candappa officially launches in Warragul

👓 50 second read

FN Candappa has completed the fit-out of its new premises and formally launched services in Warragul. The opening brought together First National Chair Rob Westwood, CEO David Edwards, the FN Candappa team, and a strong contingent of clients, suppliers and local partners.

Co-Principals Suzy and Shane Candappa joined First National Real Estate in April 2017. Since then they have built a high-performing business, earning multiple network awards. After expanding their original Drouin office into the neighbouring shopfront, the opportunity to establish a Warragul presence became clear.

We congratulate Suzy, Shane and their team on the Warragul launch and look forward to supporting their continued growth.

Backing tomorrow’s leaders today – FN’s Nitschke Scholar heads to REA Ready

👓 1.2 minute read

Harrison Turner’s Nitschke Scholarship win at the National Awards is already paying dividends. As part of his prize, First National flew him to the REA Ready Conference in August, giving him direct access to global business thinkers and elite athletes who spoke candidly about discipline, resilience and goal-setting. It is exactly the kind of exposure that accelerates a young career.

The Nitschke Scholarship exists to identify rising talent and remove barriers to growth. Recipients receive mentoring, national networking opportunities and priority access to learning experiences that lift capability fast. Harrison put all of that to work at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.

“Yesterday was one for the books. I had the chance to soak up wisdom from global leaders and elite athletes, with takeaways that hit hard for both business and life. Big thanks to First National for flying me out. Being recognised within the brand and supported the way I have been is mind-blowing. That kind of support isn’t something you find just anywhere,” Harrison shared on Facebook.

A highlight was a corridor conversation with ultramarathoner Nedd Brockmann. Harrison’s takeaway was simple and sharp – challenge your ceiling, then move it higher. That mindset aligns with how First National invests in its people.

Harrison returned focused, energised and already sharing practical ideas with his team. 

Sydney data breach highlights urgent need for agencies to tighten information practices

👓 2 minute read

A recent cyber-attack on a Sydney real estate agency should serve as a stark warning to every First National office. Hackers claim to have stolen tenant and agent data, including scans of passports, driver licences, credit cards and salary information, and are threatening to publish it online.

The breach underscores the risk of retaining sensitive material longer than is absolutely necessary. While agencies must collect identification and supporting documents to approve tenancies, once the lease is finalised there is no operational need to hold on to copies of items such as:

• Passports

• Driver licences

• Credit card scans

• Salary records and payslips

Storing this information unnecessarily only increases the consequences if systems are compromised. Beyond reputational harm, the misuse of personal information can lead to legal liability, regulatory scrutiny, and loss of trust from landlords and tenants alike.

All First National offices should immediately review their property management data-retention practices. Where possible:

• Dispose of sensitive records once tenancy approval is complete

• Securely delete digital copies from email, shared drives and cloud storage

• Train staff to recognise what must be retained for compliance and what should be destroyed

• Ensure policies are clear, documented and auditable

Cyber incidents are no longer rare. Agencies that act now to minimise the data they hold will be best placed to protect their clients, their staff and the First National brand.

⚠️Agencies must, of course, retain tenancy agreements, bond records and trust accounting records as required by state law. This advice applies specifically to unnecessary supporting documents such as passports, credit cards, driver licences or salary records, which should be destroyed once a tenancy is approved.