LAB Group has been selected by UrbanX (urbanx.io), the operations and technology partner to a national network of over 100 real estate agencies, to deliver AML/CTF compliance across its growing agent base. The LAB platform will be integrated directly into Autopilot, UrbanX's proprietary in-house property transaction management platform, and made available directly to agents, so every UrbanX-affiliated agency can meet its obligations under Australia's Tranche 2 reforms when they take effect on 1 July 2026.

The partnership follows a competitive market evaluation in which UrbanX assessed multiple AML/CTF solutions targeting the real estate sector. LAB Group was selected on the basis of value, trust, security, flexibility, Regtech expertise, and the institutional pedigree built across its thirteen years as an AML compliance partner to Australia's largest financial institutions.

Two ways agents access compliance

UrbanX agents will access LAB Group through two complementary channels, with full visibility unified in one place:

• Embedded in Autopilot. API integration between Autopilot and LAB Engage automatically initiates the appropriate CDD flow for every vendor and purchaser at the point of listing. LAB Engage then orchestrates LAB Verify to run electronic identity verification, PEP and sanctions screening, ASIC corporate registry extraction and Ultimate Beneficial Owner discovery, ABN and SMSF validation, and biometric checks when required. Compliance happens inside the workflow agents already use, with no additional clicks or context switching.
• Standalone via LAB Engage and LAB Portal. Agents who need to run CDD outside the Autopilot transaction flow, or for ad hoc scenarios, can use the LAB platform directly through a white-labelled environment configured for their brand. The same audit trail, the same case management, and the same identity coverage.
• One omnichannel view. Every CDD flow, whether triggered by Autopilot or initiated directly in LAB Engage, surfaces in LAB Portal as a single, unified record. UrbanX operations and individual agencies see one consistent case list, audit trail, and reporting view regardless of how the flow began.

This dual-channel model means compliance moves with the agent, embedded in the workflow when they need it to be and accessible on demand when they don't, with full UrbanX-level oversight across every flow.

Why UrbanX chose LAB Group

LAB Group brings a depth of regulatory and platform experience that few in the market can match:

• Tranche 1 institutional pedigree. Over thirteen years delivering AML/CTF infrastructure to Australia's major banks, wealth managers, fund managers, and online trading platforms. Millions of CDD procedures processed in production.
• Banking-grade trust and security. Australian data residency, high-availability infrastructure, and security standards built to satisfy major financial institution requirements.
• Single-stack design. LAB Engage and LAB Verify are built and operated by LAB Group as one tightly integrated platform, not a workflow tool plugged into third-party verification engines. That gives UrbanX superior consistency in how identity orchestration, risk assessment logic, and case management interact, with a single point of accountability for outcomes and uptime, and avoids the gaps that emerge when products have been rushed to market and stitched together with external dependencies.
• Continuously refined for the reforms. LAB Group's extensive Tranche 1 client base actively shapes platform evolution as AUSTRAC guidance, OAIC obligations, and market interpretations continue to develop. Reporting entities benefit from compliance infrastructure that is constantly road-tested against live reform requirements, not retrofitted after the fact.
• Regtech specialist, not a side bet. AML/CTF compliance is what LAB Group does, not an adjacency to an unrelated core business. Several larger entrants have launched compliance offerings as side products alongside their primary services, often rushed to market and dependent on third-party engines. UrbanX wanted assurance that the platform underpinning its agents' regulatory obligations would continue to attract the focus, depth and investment required to keep pace with reform complexity, rather than being deprioritised if the parent business shifts its attention elsewhere.
• Real estate banking alignment. Since 2015 LAB Group has been performing CDD and KYC on real estate agency businesses for their banking needs, including the institutional-grade verification required to open trust accounts that hold rental bonds, deposits, and settlement funds. That same standard now extends to the vendor and purchaser side of the transaction.
• Multi-brand configurability at scale. LAB Group was purpose-built to support multi-brand, multi-entity environments. The same model is already proven in production at fund administrators rolling LAB out to dozens of underlying fund manager brands, each with its own configuration, while the parent retains centralised compliance control. Each agency in the UrbanX network operates with its own branded CDD flow, with flexibility and control at the agency level alongside group-wide oversight at the UrbanX level.
• Regtech depth. API-first architecture, a thirteen-year roadmap of feature investment, and a track record of integrating into industry-leading platforms and workflows.

What the integration delivers

LAB Engage, LAB Verify, and LAB Portal combine to deliver a complete CDD capability for every property transaction:

• Customised digital CDD workflows for individual, joint, company, trust, and SMSF parties
• Electronic identity verification with multi-vendor orchestration to maximise pass rates and improve redundancy
• Biometric verification for cases where ID cannot be sighted in person and document upload exceptions
• ASIC corporate register extraction and Ultimate Beneficial Owner discovery for company or corporate trustee purchases
• ABN lookup and Super Fund or SMSF validation for trust transactions
• PEP, sanctions, and adverse media screening on every individual
• Risk assessment with automatic Enhanced Due Diligence escalation
• Centralised case management, audit trail, and reporting via LAB Portal
• Access for AML operations specialists to manage exception cases and SMR preparation
• AUSTRAC-ready record retention and reporting controls

A holistic compliance service, delivered by a network of specialists

Tranche 2 compliance covers far more than technology. Reporting entities need a defensible risk assessment, an AML/CTF Program, the right verification platform, a clean implementation, and ongoing staff training. Some providers in the market claim having a one-stop-shop covering all of this from a single provider. UrbanX preferred a different model, the right specialist matched to each layer of the obligation, with no single firm advising on, building, training and reviewing the same compliance framework.

Through LAB Service, LAB Group has assembled a curated network of independent specialist partners for UrbanX, each market-leading in its domain:

• Risk assessment, AML/CTF Program design, advisory and independent audits. Delivered by OneAML, one of Australia's most established independent AML/CTF specialist firms. OneAML has supported over 1,000 reporting entities with risk assessments, program documentation, ongoing advisory and the independent reviews required under the Act. More at oneaml.io/au.
• Technology and platform implementation. Delivered by LAB Group, including LAB Engage, LAB Verify, and LAB Portal, the Autopilot integration, multi-brand configuration across the agent network, and ongoing platform support.
• Staff and agent training. Delivered by Alpha AML Training, with role-tailored online AML/CTF courses, CPD-certified completion records, and a real estate-specific module that the market has independently rated 4.7 out of 5. More at alphaamltraining.com.
• AML operations resourcing, on demand. Should UrbanX need additional capacity for managing CDD exceptions, case escalations, higher-risk scenarios or Suspicious Matter Report preparation, specialist AML operations resourcing is available on demand through LAB Group's network. The capability sits alongside the platform and is engaged only as required, with no fixed commitment.

The result is a complete service spanning every Tranche 2 requirement, risk assessment, program, technology, implementation, training and on-demand operations, with each layer owned by a specialist that does that one thing exceptionally well. No jack-of-all-trades, no conflicts of interest between advisor, vendor and reviewer, and no single point of failure if a provider falls short.

"We evaluated every major AML compliance solution on the market with one clear objective: to remove as much of the compliance burden as possible from our agency partners and make the process seamless, automated and practical for real estate businesses. What stood out about LAB Group was the maturity and flexibility of their technology. While many newer providers entering the market with Tranche 2 are offering rigid, out-of-the-box solutions that can actually increase administrative workload for agents, LAB Group was the only partner with the agility and experience to accommodate our specific requirements and collaborate with us on a tailored solution. Their 13 years of experience delivering AML solutions to Australia's leading financial institutions, including our own banking partner, Macquarie, gave us enormous confidence in both their platform and their team. That depth of expertise has been invaluable in helping guide and shape our AML technology strategy."

Dan Argent, CEO and Co-founder, UrbanX

"UrbanX did not choose lightly. They ran a thorough evaluation and selected the partner with the deepest Tranche 1 pedigree and most institutionally-trusted AML capability available in Australia today. We're proud that the same platform protecting Australia's major banks and financial institutions will now power Tranche 2 compliance across the UrbanX network, embedded into Autopilot for transactions that flow through the platform and available directly to every agent who needs it."

Nick Boudrie, CEO, LAB Group

What's next

The integration is targeted for production go-live before 1 July 2026, aligned with the Tranche 2 commencement date. LAB Group and UrbanX will continue to onboard new agent brands onto the embedded and standalone compliance flows as the network grows.

For real estate platforms, agency networks, and individual agencies preparing for Tranche 2, LAB Group is ready to help. Talk to LAB Group.