This one's a fixer upper: Anti-money laundering policies for Ontario's real estate sector

As British Columbia strengthens its anti-money laundering policy regime, Ontario is poised to become Canada's new centre for money laundering in real estate—a problem which its provincial government is not making sufficient policy efforts to address. Should Ontario neglect to adequately safeguard against money laundering in its real estate market, it risks facing inflated housing prices and a stained legal and economic reputation. Based on a scan of anti-money laundering policies that have been implemented in the United Kingdom and British Columbia, this paper identifies and explores three policy options that may help strengthen Ontario's framework. Ultimately, it recommends that Ontario introduce a beneficial ownership registry for properties, and that it assemble an Expert Panel to prepare a report on money laundering in Ontario real estate.