Real estate trust accounting for New Zealand agencies
From Auckland to Christchurch, we run trust accounts for New Zealand real estate agencies to REA audit standard — accurate, reconciled and ready for every one of the three audits a year.
Compliant with NZ requirements
Every NZ real estate agency must run its trust account in line with the Real Estate Agents Act 2008, with oversight from the Real Estate Authority (REA). We configure your accounts correctly, reconcile daily and maintain the documentation that keeps you inspection-ready and makes audit time straightforward.
Daily receipting & reconciliation
Your NZ trust account receipted and reconciled every day, with anything that needs attention flagged before it becomes a problem.
Audit preparation
We keep your accounts configured and documented to satisfy the Real Estate Authority (REA), so audits are a formality rather than a scramble.
EOM & disbursements
End-of-month processing, owner and creditor payments and ad-hoc disbursements handled accurately on your behalf.
What's different about trust accounting in New Zealand
New Zealand runs a different system from the Australian states — different regulator, different balance date, and a different audit rhythm. Here's what NZ asks of you.
| Regulator | the Real Estate Authority (REA) |
|---|---|
| Governing legislation | Real Estate Agents Act 2008 |
| Bonds lodged with | Tenancy Services, part of MBIE |
| Bond lodgement deadline | Within 23 working days of receiving the bond |
| Trust audit year | 31 March balance date, examined in three periods each year |
| Audit lodgement | Signed report to REA within 10 working days of the final audit |
New Zealand does not work like an Australian state, and the biggest difference is cadence. Where every Australian jurisdiction requires a single annual audit, REA requires three examinations a year against a 31 March balance date — a two-month period to 31 May, then five months to 31 October, then five months to 31 March. Your books are never more than five months away from being looked at, and the signed report is due to REA within 10 working days of the final audit being completed.
Three other things catch Australian operators out. Deposit money generally cannot be paid out for 10 working days after it is received, unless every party authorises it in writing or a court orders otherwise. Rental bonds run to a far longer clock than anywhere in Australia — 23 working days to Tenancy Services, against 10 days to a fortnight across the Tasman. And residential property management is not a licensed activity in New Zealand: the Residential Property Managers Bill was dropped in 2024, so REA’s trust account and audit obligations apply where you are carrying out licensed real estate agency work, not simply because you are holding someone else’s money.
General information current as at July 2026, not legal advice — always confirm against the regulator. Source: Real Estate Authority — trust accounts.
Serving agencies across New Zealand
From Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and nationwide, we support NZ agencies of every size — whether you manage under 100 properties or several thousand.
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