How we verify
We only list a provider once we have checked them against the official register that governs their profession — and we keep checking. Here is exactly what that means, where a real register does not exist, and how you can confirm any of it yourself.
1. Every listing starts with the official register
For each regulated category we verify the provider against the government or regulator register that actually licenses them, and we record the source. What we check varies by profession:
| Category | Register we check | What we confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Migration agents | OMARA — the government Register of Migration Agents | MARN is current; not cancelled or barred |
| Mortgage brokers | ASIC — credit licence / credit representative registers | ACL or credit-rep authorisation is current; not banned |
| Financial advisers | ASIC — the Financial Advisers Register | Adviser is currently authorised; not banned or disqualified |
| NDIS providers | NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission register | Registration is current; no banning order |
| Buyer's agents | State real-estate licensing (and REBAA membership where claimed) | Holds a current state licence; independence claims checked |
| Conveyancers | State conveyancer / settlement-agent licensing | Holds a current state licence |
| Education consultants | No government register exists in Australia | We verify website, offices and any PIER accreditation — and say so |
Education consultants are the honest exception. Australia does not license education agents, so there is no government register to check them against — anyone claiming otherwise is overstating it. We verify what genuinely exists (website, offices, and PIER accreditation where held) and label each data point for what it is.
2. We re-check every month — and remove anyone sanctioned
A registration that was valid when we listed a firm can be cancelled or barred later. So we run a monthly automated re-check of every listed provider against its register. Migration agents (OMARA) are live now; the other regulated categories are rolling out.
If a provider’s registration is cancelled or they are barred, their profile is removed from the site — before you would ever find them here. When a regulator publishes a formal action, we record it, sourced to the official decision, on our regulatory actions page.
3. What we do not verify
We are just as clear about the limits. Descriptions, specialisations, fees and other self-reported details are provided by the firm or drawn from public sources and are not independently audited — we label them so you know. The full data-source breakdown is in our editorial policy.
4. Check it yourself
You never have to take our word for it. Every regulated profile links straight to that provider’s entry on the official register, so you can confirm their status in a few clicks. If something looks off, our scam alerts page shows how to spot unlicensed operators across every category.