How to Choose a Conveyancer in Sydney: 7 Questions to Ask

Reviewed by Brenda Gately, Licensed Conveyancer (NSW Licence No. 05006556, AIC member) — 36 years' experience.

Choose a conveyancer on four things: a current NSW licence you have verified yourself, a fixed fee in writing that lists what is included, direct access to the person doing the work, and a contract review before you sign rather than after. Price alone is a poor guide — the cheapest quote is often the one with the most exclusions.

Most "how to choose a conveyancer" articles are written by conveyancers, and the criteria have a way of describing the author. So here are seven questions you can ask any firm in Sydney, including this one, with an explanation of what a good answer sounds like.

1. Are you licensed, and can I verify it?

In NSW, conveyancing must be carried out by a licensed conveyancer or a solicitor. Licences are issued and published by NSW Fair Trading, and you can check one yourself — you do not have to take anyone's word for it.

A firm should give you its licence number without hesitation and without asking why you want it. Gately Conveyancing holds NSW Licence No. 05006556. Look it up. Then look up whoever else you are considering.

What a bad answer sounds like: vagueness, a company registration number offered instead of a licence number, or "we work with licensed conveyancers" — which tells you the person you are speaking to may not be one.

2. Who will actually do my work, and will I speak to them?

This is the question that separates practices more than any other. In higher-volume operations, the person who quotes you is not the person who handles your file, and your matter passes between several people — sometimes offshore processing teams — none of whom know your transaction.

That model is not automatically bad, but you should know it is the model before you engage, not at settlement when you cannot get anyone on the phone.

What a good answer sounds like: a named person, and a direct way to reach them.

3. Is the fee fixed, and what is excluded?

Ask for the fee in writing, and ask specifically what is not included. The common exclusions are the ones that arrive later: additional contract reviews if you miss out on the first property, extra searches, mortgage documents, a delayed settlement, an off-the-plan matter that stretches over a year.

Separately, understand that disbursements — the third-party costs of searches and certificates — are genuinely additional and vary by property. A quote that appears to include them may simply have estimated them, and the estimate can move.

Our fixed-fee conveyancing page sets out what a NSW transfer typically costs and what sits inside the fee.

What a bad answer sounds like: a headline price well below the market with no written scope.

4. Will you review the contract before I sign?

The contract review is the highest-value thing a conveyancer does, and it is only valuable beforehand. Once contracts are exchanged your ability to negotiate is largely gone.

Some firms treat a pre-purchase contract review as a chargeable extra; some include one; some include several. Any of those is defensible. What is not defensible is a firm that does not offer to look at the contract until after you have committed. Read more on contract review.

5. Are you a member of the AIC?

The Australian Institute of Conveyancers is the professional body for conveyancers. Membership is voluntary, so it is not a licence check — but it indicates a practice that participates in continuing professional development and is accountable to a professional standard beyond the statutory minimum.

Treat it as a positive signal, not a requirement. A licensed non-member may be perfectly good; an AIC member without a current licence would be a serious problem.

6. How much property work do you actually do?

For a licensed conveyancer the answer is "all of it" — that is the scope of the licence. For a solicitor's practice, it is worth asking, because property may be one of several areas the firm covers. Neither answer is wrong, but experience with your specific type of matter is worth more than general experience.

If you are buying an apartment, ask how often they deal with strata. If you are buying off the plan, ask how many off-the-plan contracts they reviewed last year. Specific questions get specific answers.

Not sure what you should be getting for the fee at all? See what does a conveyancer do.

7. What happens if my matter turns out to need a solicitor?

Some matters do — a dispute heading to court, a deceased estate, a family law settlement. A conveyancer should be able to tell you where that boundary sits and should refer you when you reach it.

A practice that claims it can handle anything is either not being straight with you or does not know where its own limits are. Our guide to conveyancer or solicitor sets out which matters belong with which.

Warning signs

• No licence number offered. The single biggest red flag.
• A quote well below everyone else. Look for what has been excluded.
• Pressure to sign before the contract is reviewed. Sometimes from the agent rather than the conveyancer — the answer is still no.
• No written scope of work. If it is not in writing, it is not in the fee.
• You cannot reach a person. Test this before you engage, not after.

Does location within Sydney matter?

Less than it used to. NSW settlements happen electronically through PEXA, so your conveyancer does not need to be physically near the property or near you, and nobody needs to attend a settlement room. What matters is that they know the NSW market and are reachable when you need them.

If you are comparing conveyancers in Sydney, weigh responsiveness and scope well above postcode.

Getting help

Brenda Gately handles every matter personally, quotes a fixed fee upfront, and reviews the contract before you sign. Ask her the seven questions above — she would rather you asked them of everyone you are considering.

Request a Free Quote or call (02) 8815 8148.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if a conveyancer is licensed in NSW?

Licences are issued by NSW Fair Trading and are publicly searchable. Ask the firm for its licence number and verify it yourself before you engage — a legitimate practice will provide it immediately.

How much should conveyancing cost in Sydney?

Fees vary with the complexity of the matter, and disbursements vary with the property. What matters more than the headline number is whether the fee is fixed and what it excludes. See our guide to conveyancing costs in NSW.

Does my conveyancer need to be in my suburb?

No. NSW settlements are completed electronically through PEXA, so physical proximity is no longer relevant. Responsiveness and experience with your type of property matter far more.

What is the AIC, and does membership matter?

The Australian Institute of Conveyancers is the profession's voluntary body. Membership signals ongoing professional development, but it is not a substitute for a current NSW licence, which is the thing you must verify.

When should I engage a conveyancer?

Before you sign anything. The contract review is the most valuable step, and it only has value while you can still negotiate or walk away.