Conveyancing · NSW property
Buying or selling property in NSW? We prepare or review the contract, explain your rights and deadlines before you commit, and complete settlement online.
4.9★
As at October 2026
30+
years in legal service
Supplied by CM Lawyers
$6.7B+
in property settlements and advice
Supplied by CM Lawyers
2024–26
Alex Sapounas — Best 3 Conveyancers in Sydney
ThreeBest Rated 2024, 2025 & 2026
2015
Investors Choice Awards — Conveyancer winner (NSW)
Supplied by CM Lawyers
Google rating as at October 2026. Years, settlement figure and awards supplied by CM Lawyers.
Is this you?
These are the usual points to get in touch. If you are not sure whether you need a conveyancer yet, call and ask.
You want the contract checked before you sign, make an offer or bid at auction.
Your agent needs a contract for sale before the property can be advertised.
You want each step, cost and deadline explained in plain terms, including any first home buyer concessions.
The building is not finished and you want to understand the disclosure statement and sunset dates before you sign.
A strata or company title property needs extra records checked, such as by-laws, levies or the company's constitution.
For example, between family members or co-owners, or as an executor dealing with a deceased estate.
Conveyancing explained
Conveyancing is the legal work involved in buying, selling or transferring property: preparing or reviewing the contract and related documents, making searches, working out the money due at settlement and completing the transfer.
In NSW, a licensed conveyancer or a solicitor can do your conveyancing. You can do it yourself, but most people use one of them, and the NSW Government advises that electronic settlement needs a lawyer or licensed conveyancer who subscribes to an electronic lodgment network.
Building and pest inspections are done by an inspector you engage. We can tell you when to book them so you have the results before you are bound, which matters most if you are buying at auction.
Your situation
Send us the contract as soon as the agent gives it to you. We review it before you sign or bid, explain the special conditions and your cooling-off rights, make searches and enquiries, work with your lender and complete settlement.
More on buying: buying a property, buying a house in NSW and first home buyers.
A residential property cannot be advertised for sale until a contract has been prepared. We prepare the contract with the documents NSW law requires, including a title search, the council's planning certificate and a drainage diagram, then answer the buyer's enquiries, arrange for any mortgage to be paid out and complete settlement. Once contracts are exchanged, the seller is bound to complete; sellers do not have a cooling-off period.
More on selling: selling a property and selling a house in NSW.
Off-the-plan contracts come with extra rules. The seller must attach a disclosure statement with key information such as sunset dates, and the buyer's cooling-off period is 10 business days rather than five. A developer needs your consent, or an order of the Supreme Court of NSW, to end the contract under a sunset clause. We go through the disclosure statement, draft plan and contract with you before you sign.
More: off-the-plan purchases.
When you buy a unit in a strata scheme, the by-laws must be attached to the contract. The NSW Government recommends getting a strata search report before you buy; it shows the scheme's finances, insurance, building defects and planned works, and any legal matters. We go through these with you and check the levies you will be paying.
More: buying a strata unit and selling a strata unit.
Company title is an older form of ownership that pre-dates strata title and is still used in some buildings. Instead of owning a separately registered lot, you hold shares in the company that owns the building, and your right to occupy a unit is subject to the company's constitution. We read the constitution and company records before you commit.
More: company title, buying company title and selling company title.
We also act on transfers between family members or co-owners, and on sales or transfers of property from a deceased estate. Transfer duty can apply even when no money changes hands, so we check the duty position with you first.
More: transferring a property and probate in NSW.
The process
Every transaction is different, but most purchases follow these steps. If you are selling, the same steps apply from the other side, and we prepare the contract before your property goes on the market.
Before you sign or bid
We review the contract and the documents attached to it, explain anything unusual and raise questions with the seller's representative. This is also the time to arrange finance approval and building and pest inspections.
Deposit paid at exchange
You and the seller each sign a copy of the contract and the copies are exchanged. That is when the contract becomes binding. The buyer usually pays a deposit at exchange, often 10% of the price.
5 business days (10 for off the plan)
For most residential purchases, the buyer can withdraw by written notice until 5pm on the fifth business day after exchange (10 business days for an off-the-plan contract). A buyer who withdraws pays the seller 0.25% of the price. There is no cooling-off period if you buy at auction, or on the same day as an auction after the property is passed in, and the seller has no cooling-off period.
Settlement is usually about 6 weeks after exchange
We follow up enquiries, check that the contract's conditions are met, work out adjustments for council and water rates (and strata levies for a unit), and make sure transfer duty is paid to Revenue NSW on time. We also work with your lender on the loan documents. Book a final inspection of the property shortly before settlement.
On the date set in your contract
Settlement happens online through an electronic lodgment network such as PEXA. The balance of the price is paid, and the transfer (and any new mortgage) is lodged with NSW Land Registry Services. You do not usually need to attend. Once we confirm settlement, the keys can be released.
We confirm that settlement is complete and send you a statement of the money paid and received.
Dates and timeframes are set by your contract and can change. If anything might cause a delay, such as finance, a sale you are relying on or travel, tell us early so we can talk to the other side.
Getting started
You do not need all of this on day one. We will tell you what applies to your matter.
Buying at auction? Talk to us before auction day. A contract signed at auction has no cooling-off period, so the contract review and inspections need to be done first.
Costs
Our fee depends on the transaction: whether you are buying or selling, the type of property (a house, a strata unit, company title or off the plan) and anything unusual in the contract.
The total cost of a transaction is usually made up of:
Before we start work, we give you a written estimate of our costs and the likely disbursements. If anything changes the estimate, we tell you as soon as we can.
Who will help you
Licensed Conveyancer
Alex handles conveyancing at CM Lawyers and has been with the firm since 2003. He works from our Marrickville office and can take you through your contract, your deadlines and the settlement figures before you commit.
Questions
For a typical purchase or sale, settlement is usually about six weeks after exchange. The actual date is set by the contract and can be negotiated. An off-the-plan purchase usually settles after the building is finished and the plan is registered, so it can take much longer.
If the cooling-off period applies, you can withdraw by written notice before it ends, and you pay the seller 0.25% of the price. After that, or if there was no cooling-off period (for example, at auction), you are generally bound to complete. There are some exceptions, such as when documents the law requires were not attached to the contract, so call us straight away if you are worried.
Sometimes a seller asks for this, for example to accept an offer before auction. You waive it by giving the seller a "66W certificate" at or before exchange. Your own solicitor or licensed conveyancer signs it after explaining the contract and the effect of giving the certificate. Once it is given, you cannot withdraw just because you change your mind, so finance, inspections and the contract review should be finished first.
The buyer pays it, by the earlier of settlement or three months after the contract date. If you are buying off the plan to live in, you may be able to defer payment by up to 12 months if you meet Revenue NSW's conditions. Most people pay duty through their conveyancer or solicitor, and we arrange it as part of your purchase.
Since 11 October 2021, land dealings in NSW must be lodged electronically, and paper certificates of title were cancelled. Settlement takes place on an approved electronic lodgment network, an online platform where the money is exchanged and the documents are lodged; PEXA is one of them. You do not need to find or hand over a paper title.
Tell us as soon as you think there may be a delay, whether it is finance, a sale you are relying on or anything else. Missing the settlement date does not usually end the contract straight away, but the other side can then serve a notice to complete with a new deadline. If that deadline is also missed, they may be able to end the contract. We will check what your contract says and talk to the other side about your options.
In NSW, both licensed conveyancers and solicitors can do conveyancing, and both must hold professional indemnity insurance. Licensed conveyancers are licensed by NSW Fair Trading. If your purchase or sale is tied up with another legal issue, such as a deceased estate or a separation, tell us at the start so we can explain who should handle each part.
No. Our office is in the Inner West, but settlement happens online, so we can act on NSW property for clients who live elsewhere. We will explain how identity checks and signing will work for you.
Read more
Guide
Common questions buyers ask about the standard contract.
Guide
Common questions sellers ask about the standard contract.
Guide
Issues to think about before you sign an off-the-plan contract.
Guide
Points to consider when buying a residential investment property in NSW.
Guide
Contract, finance and inspection mistakes, and what to check before you sign.
Service
Changing lenders or refinancing an existing loan.
Conveyancing enquiries
Tell us whether you are buying or selling, the suburb, and any dates coming up, such as an auction or the end of a cooling-off period. We will contact you to explain the next step.
If you are about to exchange contracts or bid at auction, please call us.
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Level 3, Unit 3.07
18–30 Faversham Street
Marrickville NSW 2204
You can drive up to Level 3, and two hours' free parking is available at the Wicks Place car park, 186 Victoria Road.
General information only
This page gives general information about conveyancing in NSW as at October 2026. It is not legal advice about your situation. Laws, fees and duty thresholds change, so please speak with us before you act.
Disclaimer: This website provides general information only. Nothing on this site should be taken to comprise legal advice or used as a substitute for detailed and competent legal advice. While the information contained in this website is believed to be accurate and current, it is provided by CMLawyers in good faith on an “as is” basis. CMLawyers, its directors, officers or employees make no representation or warranty as to the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the information contained on this website, and none of them accept any responsibility arising in any way (including negligence) for errors in, or omissions from, the information contained in this website.
