By Talk to a Lawyer · Published 19 September 2026 · 5 minute read
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The best time to organise a property enquiry is when there is still room to understand the documents and the work you are asking someone to do. Buyers often focus on the inspection, finance and offer, then discover that a contract review or settlement arrangement needs attention too. This guide helps you brief a solicitor or conveyancer and compare their proposed service. It does not assess a contract or tell you whether to proceed with a purchase.
Explain your buying stage in the first sentence
Say whether you are browsing, preparing an offer, considering an auction, reviewing a contract already received or dealing with an agreement you have signed. Give the property’s state or territory and any dates communicated to you. If someone is asking for a quick decision, explain exactly what they asked you to do and by when. Let the adviser assess what the timing means.
An enquiry such as ‘I have a contract for a unit in NSW and an auction date next week; can you review it beforehand?’ gives the office a concrete request. Do not assume a general conveyancing quote confirms a review can happen within your timeframe. Ask who will do it, when you will receive an explanation and what happens if more information is needed.
Check the provider and the type of work
Ask whether the office handles purchases in the property’s jurisdiction and the kind of property you are considering. A house, strata unit, off-the-plan purchase or property involving a business may raise different questions. You do not have to identify the legal complexity yourself; describe the situation so the provider can explain whether it falls within its work.
The NSW Government explains conveyancing as the legal work associated with a property transaction and describes using a licensed conveyancer or solicitor. That is a NSW reference, not a universal statement about every provider’s authority throughout Australia. Check the relevant professional registration and ask what the proposed engagement covers in the state where the property is located.
Send the complete version the adviser requests
Ask the office how it wants the contract and attachments provided. Keep the version you received intact and note when and from whom it arrived. If another version follows, label it clearly rather than replacing the earlier file without explanation. An adviser needs to know which document is current and whether the seller or agent has proposed changes.
List other material you have, such as inspection reports, strata information, finance correspondence or proposed special conditions, and ask what is relevant to the review. Do not assume legal review includes assessing building condition, obtaining finance or verifying every statement made in marketing. Identify the different professionals involved and ask where their responsibilities begin and end.
Compare the whole proposed service
Ask for a breakdown between an initial contract review and later transaction work. Find out whether the quote includes questions after the review, negotiating changes, searches, settlement work and any third-party expenses. Ask what happens to fees if you review several properties before buying one. A low headline quote is hard to assess without those boundaries.
Discuss how the provider would handle an unexpected issue or a change in the transaction. Ask when it would tell you that extra work is needed, whether you would receive an updated estimate and how approval would be recorded. These questions make the comparison more useful than asking several offices for a price without describing the same property and buying stage.
Turn the review into questions you can understand
Before the review conversation, write down what you are unsure about: obligations in the contract, a proposed condition, dates, included items or what happens between agreement and settlement. Ask the adviser to explain the practical significance of anything it flags and what information it still needs. You should be able to identify which decisions are yours and which tasks the provider is proposing to undertake.
Do not infer a cooling-off right, an extension or a way to withdraw from general information about another state or another sale method. Ask about your actual transaction before relying on an assumption. If you have already signed or paid money, tell the adviser promptly and provide the relevant documents so the advice starts from the correct stage.
Know who is responsible after you engage
Confirm the main contact, how you will receive requests and what you need to supply. Keep a simple list of outstanding items and who is handling each one. If the lender, broker, agent and legal provider give you different information about timing, raise the mismatch rather than assuming it will resolve itself.
Ask the provider to explain its process for confirming payment instructions and unusual changes. Treat a message requesting a different destination for funds as something to verify through an independently checked channel. This guide does not approve a transfer or validate bank details. Your provider should explain how its own verification process works before funds are due.
Keep this checklist beside you
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A preparation aid, not confirmation that a legal requirement is complete.
Common questions
Should I contact someone before signing?
Arrange advice early enough for the provider to assess the documents before a decision is required. If you have already signed, explain that immediately rather than relying on general information about cancellation rights.
Does conveyancing include a building inspection?
Ask which work the provider performs and which checks need another professional. Do not assume an inspection, valuation, loan approval or specialist report is part of a legal service quote.
Can I use a provider based in another state?
Ask about authority, experience and availability for the property’s jurisdiction. Remote communication may be practical, but an office address alone does not answer those questions.
Sources and scope
General appointment preparation, not advice about your individual circumstances. Examples are illustrative, not client case studies. Official references checked 19 September 2026; confirm current requirements with the relevant service or adviser.
- NSW Government: conveyancing for property buyers and sellers
NSW conveyancing guidance. Confirm requirements for property elsewhere with the relevant adviser.
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