Find a Conveyancer in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs

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What does a conveyancer do?

A licensed NSW conveyancer reviews your contract for sale, runs the title and planning searches, handles the exchange of contracts, prepares settlement figures, and represents you on settlement day through PEXA. They confirm the section 10.7 planning certificate, check for caveats and registered easements, review the strata or community management statement where applicable, and liaise with your lender so funds are ready for the agreed settlement date. They are not solicitors — for property disputes or complex matters you may need legal advice — but for a standard residential transfer in the Eastern Suburbs, a conveyancer is the cost-effective specialist.

What does conveyancing cost in NSW?

Fixed-fee conveyancing in NSW typically runs $1,099 to $1,600 for a standard residential transaction, plus $300 to $600 in disbursements for searches, PEXA fees, and title registration. Fees are fixed, not value-based — the same price applies whether you are buying a Bondi apartment or a Vaucluse house. The disbursement total varies a little depending on how many third-party searches your lender or your conveyancer recommends; an older strata building or a heritage-listed Paddington terrace may add a planning, drainage, or strata-records search that lifts the disbursement subtotal by $100 to $200. Always confirm in writing what is included before engaging.

Conveyancer or solicitor — which do you need?

Both are licensed to act on a NSW property transfer. Solicitors handle legal disputes; conveyancers are faster and cheaper for routine purchases and sales. For a typical Eastern Suburbs transaction a conveyancer is sufficient. If your contract involves caveats, an unresolved estate, complex shared-driveway easements common in older Bondi semis, or a contested matter, a solicitor is the better fit. The same applies if you are buying through a company or trust structure, or if the property is subject to a current building defect dispute under the Design and Building Practitioners Act.

Common Eastern Suburbs contract issues to watch

Eastern Suburbs stock skews toward strata apartments through Bondi, Coogee and Randwick, with higher-value torrens-titled houses through Paddington, Woollahra, Vaucluse and Bellevue Hill. The most common contract issues your conveyancer should flag include: short strata reports that omit recent special levies, undisclosed building defect notices in 1970s and 1980s apartment stock, heritage conservation area overlays in Paddington and Surry Hills that restrict alterations, and section 10.7 planning certificates revealing future road widening or stormwater easements. For waterfront and clifftop properties through Vaucluse and Tamarama, ask whether the contract includes recent geotechnical or coastal hazard reports — councils have been tightening disclosure requirements over the past five years.

Settlement day in the Eastern Suburbs

Every NSW settlement now happens electronically through PEXA, so settlement day is largely a coordinated digital handshake between your conveyancer, the vendor's representative, both lenders, and NSW Land Registry Services. Funds are released, the title is transferred, and the certificate of title is updated within the same workspace — usually completed within a couple of hours on the agreed date. Your conveyancer will run a pre-settlement inspection list with your agent in the days beforehand: keys, garage remotes, security fobs, swimming-pool compliance certificate where applicable, and signed strata transfer documents for apartment purchases. You will be notified the same day once funds clear.

How to choose a conveyancer in the Eastern Suburbs

Look for four signals: a current licence with NSW Fair Trading, fixed-fee pricing in writing, clear communication (you should be able to reach a real person within a day), and active PEXA access — every settlement in NSW is now electronic. Ask how many transactions the firm completes per year in your suburb cluster — local experience matters at exchange and settlement, particularly with the strata-heavy stock around Bondi, Coogee and Randwick. A good Eastern Suburbs conveyancer will have working relationships with the major local sales agents and lender mortgage processors, which smooths communication when timing slips.

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