In this guide
1. Who needs to enrol 2. Key dates you can't miss 3. What you'll need before you start 4. Step-by-step enrolment process 5. What the AUSTRAC form asks for 6. What happens after you enrol 7. Common mistakes to avoid 8. Frequently asked questions 9. Pre-enrolment checklistWho needs to enrol with AUSTRAC
If your business provides any of the following services from 1 July 2026, you are a reporting entity and must enrol with AUSTRAC:
1 Selling agents
Brokering, planning, or executing the sale of real estate on behalf of a seller. This is the core activity of most real estate agencies.
2 Buyer's agents
Acting on behalf of a buyer to find, negotiate, or purchase real estate. Buyer's agents are squarely in scope.
3 Property developers
Selling house-and-land packages, apartments off the plan, or subdivision lots — including through in-house sales teams.
4 Conveyancers
Assisting in planning or executing the sale, purchase, or transfer of real estate — including preparing contracts and conducting settlements.
⚠ Not sure if you're in scope?
AUSTRAC has published an eligibility checker tool that helps you determine whether your services are captured. If in doubt, assume you are — the penalties for getting it wrong are severe.
Some activities are not captured: general property advice before a client decides to buy or sell, simple referrals to other agents, short-term leases, property management (rent collection, tenancy management), and court-ordered property transfers.
Key dates: where things stand
📅 Enrolment timeline
Our advice: if you have not enrolled, do it this week. Enrolment is a legal requirement under the AML/CTF Act, the form is still open, and it takes under an hour if you have your details prepared.
Missed the 29 July deadline?
The deadline passing does not close enrolment. AUSTRAC's current guidance still sets out the same process and states: "You must apply to enrol no later than 28 days after the day you start providing a designated service." The same page says AUSTRAC is "continuing to support businesses preparing for their new AML/CTF obligations" and publishes enrolment progress figures that it updates regularly. See AUSTRAC's enrolment guidance.
Three things follow from AUSTRAC's published guidance:
- Check whether you are actually late. The 29 July 2026 date applied to businesses providing designated services on 1 July 2026. If your business first provided a designated service after 1 July, your deadline is 28 days after that first service.
- If you are late, enrol now. The AUSTRAC Online form remains available and the process in this guide is unchanged. Enrolment remains a legal requirement for reporting entities.
- Enrolment alone is not compliance. Your AML/CTF program, customer due diligence, screening and reporting obligations have applied since 1 July 2026 regardless of your enrolment status.
AUSTRAC's published enrolment counts as of 30 July 2026: real estate 17,460; accounting and professional services 13,010; lawyers 6,360; conveyancers 1,580; jewellers and dealers in precious metals 250 (source: AUSTRAC). If your business is not among them, you are not alone, but the obligation applies now.
What you'll need before you start
Gather these details before you start. The AUSTRAC Business Profile Form (ABPF) allows you to save your progress for up to 14 days, but having everything ready means you can complete it in one sitting.
📋 Information you'll need
Business details: ABN, ACN (if applicable), business name, legal structure (sole trader, partnership, company, trust), physical business address, contact details.
Designated services: Which real estate services you provide (selling, buying, development, conveyancing) and a description of those services.
Key personnel: Full legal names, dates of birth, and contact details for directors, partners, trustees, and beneficial owners of the business.
AML/CTF Compliance Officer: Name and contact details of the person you've appointed to oversee your AML/CTF program. This can be the principal, an office manager, or a senior agent. They must have sufficient authority and independence to manage compliance.
Revenue information: You'll need to provide information about your earnings over a 12-month period if your business earns $100 million or more (unlikely for most agencies, but the question will appear).
Step-by-step enrolment process
1 Create your AUSTRAC user account
Go to AUSTRAC Online. Create a user account using your email address and a secure password. This personal account will be linked to your business enrolment.
If your business already has an AUSTRAC account (e.g., from providing remittance services), log in with your existing credentials instead.
2 Start the Business Profile Form (ABPF)
Once logged in, select "Enrol a new business" from the Business menu. This opens the AUSTRAC Business Profile Form (ABPF). The form is divided into sections with a navigation menu on the left side.
You can save your progress and return within 14 days. After 14 days, your draft expires and you'll need to start again.
3 Complete business information
Enter your business structure, ABN, legal name, trading name, physical address, and contact details. If your business operates from multiple offices, include the main location where decisions are made or records are kept.
4 Describe your designated services
Select which real estate designated services your business provides. Be specific — for example, if you act as both a selling agent and a buyer's agent, select both. AUSTRAC uses this information to understand your risk profile and determine your reporting obligations.
5 Provide key personnel details
Enter the full legal names (as they appear on official documents — all given names, not initials), dates of birth, and contact details for every director, partner, trustee, and beneficial owner. Also provide details of your appointed AML/CTF Compliance Officer, including their postal address and phone number.
6 Review and submit
The form will show a summary of everything you've entered. Review each section carefully — once submitted, you'll need to submit a separate update form to make changes. Select "Submit" when you're satisfied.
You'll receive a submission receipt number and a confirmation email from contact@austrac.gov.au with a link to download a PDF copy of your submitted form. Save this receipt — you'll need it for your records.
7 Wait for confirmation
AUSTRAC will process your enrolment and notify you by email when it's finalised. You'll receive a unique AUSTRAC Account Number (AAN) — keep this safe. Once enrolled, you'll be added to the Reporting Entities Roll.
What the AUSTRAC form asks for
The AUSTRAC Business Profile Form (ABPF) has eight main sections. Here's what to expect:
1 Applicant details
Your business type, ABN, ACN, legal name, and primary contact person.
2 Business address
Physical location where the business operates, makes decisions, or keeps records.
3 Designated services
Which services you provide (real estate, conveyancing, etc.) and descriptions of each.
4 Business operations
Where you operate, whether you have branches, and your revenue information.
5 Compliance Officer
Name, postal address, phone number, and email of your AML/CTF Compliance Officer.
6 Key personnel
Directors, partners, trustees, and beneficial owners — full names, DOB, and contact details.
7 Declaration
Confirm the information is true and correct. The person submitting must have authority to do so.
8 Review & submit
Review all sections, then submit. You'll receive a receipt number and confirmation email.
AUSTRAC has published a detailed ABPF explanatory guide with screenshots and field-by-field instructions. We recommend downloading it before you start.
What happens after you enrol
Enrolment is just the first step. Once enrolled, you become a reporting entity under the AML/CTF Act, which means you must:
📜 Your ongoing obligations (in force since 1 July 2026)
Have your AML/CTF program in place — a written program tailored to your business that covers customer identification, risk assessment, transaction monitoring, and reporting procedures. This must be operational before you provide any designated services.
Conduct customer due diligence (CDD) — verify the identity of every customer before providing a designated service. This includes collecting ID, screening against the DFAT sanctions list, and checking for politically exposed persons.
File suspicious matter reports (SMRs) — if you suspect a customer or transaction is related to money laundering or terrorism financing, you must report to AUSTRAC within 3 business days (24 hours for terrorism financing).
File threshold transaction reports (TTRs) — report any cash transactions of $10,000 or more within 10 business days.
Keep records for 7 years — all CDD records, transaction records, and compliance documentation must be retained for at least 7 years.
Train your staff — everyone involved in providing designated services must understand their AML/CTF obligations and know how to identify red flags.
Common mistakes to avoid
⚠ Don't make these errors
Frequently asked questions
What if I missed the 29 July 2026 deadline?
The form is still open. AUSTRAC's guidance sets out the same enrolment process and states you must apply no later than 28 days after you start providing a designated service. If you were required to enrol by 29 July and have not, apply as soon as possible. Enrolment remains a legal requirement, and your other AML/CTF obligations apply regardless of enrolment status.
Do I need my AML/CTF program ready before I enrol?
No — you can enrol before your program is finalised. However, your program must be in place before you provide any designated services from 1 July 2026. We recommend starting your program now so it's ready well before obligations commence.
I'm a sole agent / sole trader. Do I still need to enrol?
Yes. If you provide a designated service (such as acting as a selling agent or buyer's agent), you must enrol regardless of business size. Even one-person agencies are captured. You can appoint yourself as the AML/CTF Compliance Officer.
We have multiple offices. Do I enrol each one separately?
No. You enrol the business entity (the ABN holder) once. If you have multiple offices under the same ABN, it's a single enrolment. If each office has a different ABN, each needs its own enrolment.
What if I'm already enrolled with AUSTRAC for another service?
If your business already has an AUSTRAC account, you'll need to update your existing enrolment to include the new real estate designated services from 31 March 2026. Log into AUSTRAC Online and select "Update Business Profile."
What's the penalty for not enrolling?
Providing a designated service without being enrolled is a contravention of the AML/CTF Act. AUSTRAC states that civil penalty orders for the most serious contraventions can be up to 100,000 penalty units, and criminal offences apply to certain contraventions under the Act (for example, the tipping off offence in section 123 carries a maximum of imprisonment for 2 years or 120 penalty units, or both). For full details see AUSTRAC's Consequences of not complying page. Enrolment is not optional.
I only do property management. Do I need to enrol?
Property management (rent collection, tenancy management, maintenance coordination) is generally not a designated service. However, if you also assist with property sales or purchases, those activities are captured. Use AUSTRAC's eligibility checker to confirm.
Is there a fee to enrol with AUSTRAC?
Enrolment itself is free. However, AUSTRAC charges an annual Industry Contribution to reporting entities to fund its operations. The amount depends on your business size and designated services. Details are available on the AUSTRAC website.
Pre-enrolment checklist
Work through these steps so you can complete the form in one sitting:
✅ Get ready to enrol
Disclaimer: This guide provides general information about the AUSTRAC enrolment process and does not constitute legal advice. While we've referenced official AUSTRAC guidance and the AML/CTF Act, the enrolment form and process may change. Always refer to austrac.gov.au for the most current information. AMLTranche helps streamline your compliance workflows alongside your professional advisers.