Which agencies need to enrol
Agencies that act in the buying or selling of real estate are in scope. That covers vendor-side, buyer-side and dual-agency sales work. Agencies that only do property management (no sales) are not currently in scope. Mixed agencies enrol on the basis of the sales line.
Enrolment is per legal entity. A single-ABN agency operating multiple offices enrols once. A franchise group where each office is a separate legal entity sees each office enrol separately.
What the enrolment form requires
Legal entity details (legal name, ABN, ACN if any), trading name, principal place of business, contact officer, named AML/CTF Compliance Officer, designated services provided, estimated customer volume, key personnel. The Compliance Officer for a real estate agency is typically the licensee or principal.
Caltury's enrolment wizard collects each field once and produces an output ready for transcription into AUSTRAC Online. AUSTRAC Online is the lodgement channel; there is no third-party submission API for enrolment.
- Entity legal name, ABN, ACN
- Trading name and principal place of business
- Contact officer details
- Named AML/CTF Compliance Officer (usually the licensee)
- Designated services provided (sales side)
- Estimated customer / transaction volume
Recommended timeline for agencies
Working back from 1 July 2026 commencement: complete the readiness assessment by March, sign up for Caltury and configure the agency details by April, prepare the enrolment data in May, lodge in AUSTRAC Online in mid-June. Have the Program signed, the customer onboarding live and the staff training completed before 1 July.
Common questions
Our principal is also the AML/CTF Compliance Officer. Can the same person hold both roles?
Yes. The Act does not require role separation. For a small agency it is typical and acceptable for the licensee or principal to be the named Compliance Officer.
What about a multi-office agency under one ABN?
Enrol once. The Program covers all offices. Customers and reports are unified at the agency level in Caltury. Each named user gets their own login regardless of which office they sit in.
What if we are a franchise where each office is a separate ABN?
Each franchise office is a separate reporting entity and enrols separately. The corporate franchisor does not enrol on behalf of the offices unless the franchisor itself provides designated services.
What happens if we miss the enrolment deadline?
Late enrolment is a civil-penalty offence. Maximum penalties under the Act are very large, but the realistic risk is being non-enrolled when AUSTRAC writes to ask for the practice's Program later in 2026. The mitigation is straightforward: enrol before commencement.
This page is general information about Australian AML/CTF obligations. It is not legal advice. AUSTRAC has not reviewed this content. For situations specific to your practice consult an Australian-qualified lawyer or AML/CTF adviser.