FinCEN Real Estate
Reporting Requirements
All-cash purchases of residential property by LLCs, corporations, and trusts must now be reported to the federal government. Empire Title is fully compliant and ready to guide you through the process.
What Is the New FinCEN Rule?
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) finalized its Real Estate Reporting Rule in August 2024. Effective March 1, 2026, persons involved in real estate closings and settlements — primarily title companies — must file a Real Estate Report (Form 508C) whenever a qualifying all-cash residential purchase by an entity or trust occurs.
The rule is designed to detect and deter money laundering through the real estate market. The report captures the identity of beneficial owners — the real people behind the LLC or trust — and is submitted to FinCEN's BSA E-Filing system within 30 days of closing.
Empire Title Service has completed full compliance training, implemented internal procedures, and can handle all reporting obligations on your behalf. We encourage all investors and real estate professionals with entity buyers to contact us early in the transaction — collecting the required data before closing is critical.
Transaction Screener & Cascade Calculator
Use these tools — built from the same logic Empire Title staff uses — to determine whether your transaction is reportable and who must file the report.
Answer 4 questions to determine if your transaction requires a FinCEN report.
Question 1 of 4
Commercial properties — office buildings, retail, industrial, multi-family with 5+ units — are NOT covered by this rule.
16 Entity Exemptions
The following types of entities are exempt from FinCEN real estate reporting. Most typical real estate LLCs and private trusts do not qualify for these exemptions.
What Empire Title Collects for Reportable Transactions
The Transaction
- • Property address & legal description
- • Purchase price & closing date
- • Payment method confirmation
- • Seller (transferor) information
- • Reporting person identification
The Entity Buyer
- • Full legal entity name
- • EIN and state of formation
- • Principal business address
- • Entity type (LLC, corp, trust)
- • Signed certification form
Each Beneficial Owner
- • Full legal name
- • Date of birth
- • Residential address
- • Citizenship / nationality
- • Taxpayer ID (TIN/SSN)
Official Resources
Learn More
FinCEN's New Real Estate Reporting Rule: What Indiana & Ohio All-Cash Buyers Must Know
Who is affected, what Empire Title collects, and what to expect at closing.
FinCEN Compliance Checklist for Title Companies: Are You Ready for March 1, 2026?
Step-by-step process: 4-step screening, cascade, data collection, and filing.