However, according to MRI Software’s Adam Campbell, agencies won’t have to navigate these changes alone.
The Federal Government’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) Amendment Bill, introduced in September, makes these checks a legal requirement – with CRM platforms taking center stage in compliance.
“It’s all about identifying dirty money… and it will be the agent’s responsibility to do what will be called an AML check,” Adam explains.
“The key thing is, the CRMs are going to be central to this, to ensure each agency abides by the law.”
For Adam, who heads MRI’s largest CRM platform Vault, the solution is already proven.
“We’ve implemented identical systems in the UK, where AML regulations are already in place,” he says.
“We can bring that expertise directly to the Australian market.”
Beyond AML compliance, Adam also sees artificial intelligence integration as the next frontier for real estate CRM platforms.
While acknowledging that AI isn’t new – “it’s been around since the 1950s in one way or another” – he emphasises that embedding AI directly into CRM systems will drive efficiency by reducing double-handling within an office’s ecosystem.
While he is developing new solutions, his insights come from decades of experience in PropTech innovation.
As co-founder of both the pioneering My Desktop platform in 1997 and its successor, Vault CRM in 2018, he’s witnessed the industry’s digital transformation firsthand.
When My Desktop launched, the internet was still considered by many to be a passing fad, and property listings relied on Sony cameras with floppy disks.
“We were suddenly writing for the web, for the internet, and it’s like, ‘Oh, is this a passing fad?’” he recalls.
“We were writing applications where… it was suddenly over the internet, which was another new world for many.”
Back then, the innovation paid off.
My Desktop became a cornerstone of the industry’s digital evolution, being acquired by Domain 13 ago prior to MRI Software reacquiring it for $14 million in 2020.
Its clients have since transitioned to Vault, which Adam describes as “a clean slate” that combines proven features with modern innovations.
Today, Adam continues to drive innovation at MRI Software, often developing new ideas during his frequent flights across Australia.
He has even been known to take product feedback from a client meeting in Sydney and, on the six-hour flight back to Perth, have written the code and uploaded a new feature by the time the wheels hit the tarmac.
Looking ahead to 2025, he points to what he calls the “convergence of the ecosystem” – MRI Software’s Agora platform, which he describes as “the plumbing between applications.”
For real estate agents facing new compliance requirements and technological change, the message from Adam is clear: the right CRM platform isn’t just about managing customer relationships anymore – it’s about future-proofing your business.
