The AAP Practical Workshops Series - Trust Accounting - Commercial

Trust Accounting in Commercial Property

A Practical Workshop for Commercial Property Professionals

Trust accounting is one of the highest-risk areas in commercial property practice and one of the most common sources of audit issues, complaints and professional indemnity exposure. Risk often arises not from deliberate misuse, but from misunderstanding when trust obligations apply and how trust money moves through sales, leasing and property management workflows.

This practical workshop focuses on trust accounting from an operational perspective - not a bookkeeping or accounting one. It is designed to help participants understand how trust obligations arise in commercial transactions, where agencies commonly get caught out, and how to reduce risk through clearer processes and role awareness.

Participants will gain a practical understanding of how trust money is handled across commercial sales, leasing and property management, and where individual responsibility sits within the agency structure.

What this workshop covers

• What constitutes trust money in commercial property
• Trust obligations across sales, leasing and property management
• Rent, outgoings, deposits and incentives - where trust applies
• Cash deposits vs bank guarantees and trust implications
• Conditional vs unconditional deposits
• Common trust risk points during file handovers
• Managing arrears without contaminating trust
• Red flags auditors and insurers focus on
• Practical controls to reduce trust exposure

Who should attend

• Commercial property managers
• Commercial sales and leasing agents
• Residential agencies handling commercial transactions
• Agency principals, directors and compliance managers
• Assistants and emerging commercial property professionals

This is a practical, working session designed to improve trust risk awareness and strengthen compliance across commercial property operations.

Participants will leave with greater clarity around trust obligations, clearer role boundaries, and practical insight into where trust risk commonly arises.

Delivered by the Australian Academy of Property as part of its practical upskilling program for commercial property professionals.

This workshop focuses on practical process and professional practice, not legal advice, and is designed to support agencies in operating within their documented authorities.

Registration Fees

Individual Registration – $150 + GST (per workshop)
Includes: 75-minute live online workshop, digital resource, templates, checklists and replay access (where applicable).

Group Licence (same organisation) – $350 + GST (per workshop)
Covers up to 3 attendees from the same organisation.
Includes: 75-minute live online workshop, digital resource, templates, checklists and replay access (where applicable).

Agency / Tailored Delivery – Available on request
Custom pricing based on session length, content requirements and attendee numbers.

Please note: Program content, session timing and presenters are subject to change without notice.