About This Guide LocalAgentFinder has supported Australian homeowners through property transactions since 2007. This guide covers the 10 questions that separate a competent conveyancer from a costly one. For a qualified conveyancer, we recommend Dott & Crossitt — LocalAgentFinder's conveyancing partner.
Buying or selling property is one of the largest financial decisions most Australians ever make — and the conveyancer running your transaction can make or break how smoothly it goes. Before you sign an engagement letter, use these 10 questions to ask a conveyancer to properly compare candidates. Every question below has a good answer, a bad answer, and a red flag. Know all three before you appoint anyone.
This guide is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a qualified conveyancer or solicitor for advice specific to your circumstances.
Want a conveyancer with clear pricing and fast turnaround? Book Dott & Crossitt — LocalAgentFinder's trusted conveyancing partner, familiar with every question in this guide.
Why interview conveyancers before you hire?
Every practising Australian conveyancer holds the same statutory licensing and is bound by the same professional conduct rules. What varies — dramatically — is response time, error rate, fee transparency, and communication clarity. A 15-minute phone call using the questions below tells you more about the working relationship than any online review will. Skipping this step is where most conveyancing complaints originate.
1. What's your fixed fee, and what's included?
The single most important question. A good conveyancer quotes a fixed fee up front and lists exactly what's included — title searches, PEXA lodgement, council certificates, standard settlement work. A bad conveyancer gives you an hourly rate and "we'll see how it goes." Ask specifically: what triggers an additional charge, and how much would it be?
Red flag: any reluctance to put the fee in writing, or a "starting from" quote with no upper bound.
2. How many transactions like mine have you handled in the last 12 months?
Experience matters more than years in practice. A conveyancer who does 200 residential settlements a year in your state will be faster and less error-prone than one who does 20. For unusual transactions — deceased estates, off-the-plan, cross-border, commercial — depth of specific experience matters more than general practice length.
Red flag: vague answers like "we've done plenty" or "we handle everything." Specifics matter.
3. Are you licensed in the state where the property is located?
Conveyancing is regulated at the state level. Confirm your conveyancer holds a current licence in the state the property is located, not just where their office is. Interstate transactions require someone qualified in the destination state. Every state maintains a public register of licensed conveyancers — you can verify the licence number yourself before signing.
Red flag: any hesitation or vague response about licensing.
4. Do you hold professional indemnity insurance?
Professional indemnity insurance protects you if the conveyancer makes a negligent mistake that costs you money. It's a legal requirement for conveyancers and compulsory for solicitors — but ask anyway, and ask for the insurer's name. Legitimate conveyancers will answer instantly.
Red flag: any hesitation, or an inability to name the insurer.
5. If I use a conveyancer (not a solicitor), what happens if a legal issue arises?
A licensed conveyancer can't advise on complex legal disputes that fall outside property law. If something unexpected comes up — a boundary dispute, a caveat, an unusual contract clause — good conveyancing firms have in-house solicitor support or an established referral to a property lawyer. Bad ones tell you to "cross that bridge if we come to it," which is where problems escalate.
Red flag: no backup plan for legal complications.
6. What's your typical response time to client emails and calls?
Conveyancing is time-sensitive. A slow-responding conveyancer can cost you a cooling-off deadline, a finance-approval window, or a settlement date. Ask directly: when I email you with a question, how long before I hear back? Good conveyancers commit to a same-day or next-business-day response. Poor ones dodge the question.
Red flag: any answer that includes "when we can" or "as soon as possible."
7. What's the standard turnaround time for a transaction like mine?
Most Australian residential transactions from contract exchange to settlement take 30–90 days depending on state and complexity. Ask what timeline this conveyancer typically works to, and whether they've hit that timeline in recent transactions. If your contract has a specific settlement date already, ask whether it's realistic.
Red flag: unrealistic promises. A conveyancer promising 14-day settlements on a standard residential transaction is either lying or setting up for delays.
8. Can you show me a fee schedule of standard disbursements?
Disbursements — the third-party costs your conveyancer pays on your behalf — typically add $300–$800 to a residential transaction. Good conveyancers publish an itemised schedule: title search $X, PEXA fee $Y, council certificate $Z. Bad ones lump them into "disbursements approximately $500" with no breakdown, which is where surprises hide.
Red flag: refusal to itemise, or claims that disbursements are "impossible to predict" for standard transactions.
9. Can you provide references from recent clients?
The best sign of a good conveyancer is a client who'd use them again. Ask for two or three references from transactions completed in the last six months — ideally similar to yours (same state, same transaction type). Confident conveyancers provide these without hesitation. Less confident ones will find a reason not to.
Red flag: references only from years ago, or an inability to provide any.
10. Who will actually handle my file — you, or someone else in the firm?
The person you spoke to on the phone might not be the person doing the work. Ask directly: who will manage my file day-to-day, and can I speak with them? Good firms are transparent about this — sometimes a junior handles routine work with senior oversight, which is fine if disclosed. Bad firms bait-and-switch, sending you to a junior after you've engaged them.
Red flag: vague answers about who your point of contact will be.
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What are the warning signs of a poor conveyancer?
Four patterns come up repeatedly in complaints:
- Vague or verbal quotes. If they won't put the fixed fee in writing before you sign, don't sign.
- Slow first response. A conveyancer who takes three days to reply to your initial enquiry will take three days to reply mid-settlement, when it matters most.
- Reluctance to explain terms. Good conveyancers walk you through every clause. Anyone telling you "don't worry about it" is a problem.
- Pressure to sign quickly. Legitimate conveyancers understand you're comparing. Anyone pressuring you is protecting their own interests, not yours.
Key Takeaways
- Interview at least three conveyancers using this list of 10 questions before signing an engagement letter.
- Insist on written fixed-fee quotes with disbursements itemised separately. Never accept hourly-only pricing.
- Response time and communication clarity matter more than years in practice. Test both during the initial phone call.
- Confirm state licensing yourself via the public register. Don't rely on the conveyancer's word.
- Ask specifically who will handle your file day-to-day — not just who you spoke to.
- The best time to compare conveyancers is before you sign a Contract of Sale — not after problems emerge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Three is the practical minimum. Fewer, and you don't have enough comparison data. More than five is diminishing returns unless the transaction is unusually complex. Same-day phone interviews of three candidates using this list of questions takes under an hour and saves far more time later.
Either can handle standard residential transactions. Conveyancers cost less and are appropriate for straightforward transactions. Solicitors cost more but can handle complex legal issues that fall outside property law. For most residential sales and purchases, a licensed conveyancer with solicitor backup is the right balance.
$700–$1,300 for a standard residential transaction, plus $300–$800 in disbursements. Complex transactions like deceased estates, off-the-plan, or commercial property cost more. Fixed-fee quotes are the norm — always confirm what's included and whether disbursements are itemised separately.
Only after comparing them against at least two others. Agent referrals are often reciprocal business arrangements rather than independent recommendations. The referred conveyancer may be excellent, but you won't know without comparing. Use the same 10 questions to test the referral against alternatives.
Before you sign anything. Ideally, engage a conveyancer as soon as you're seriously considering an offer, or before listing if you're selling. They'll review the Contract of Sale, flag risks, and ensure you understand every clause before it becomes binding. Engaging too late is one of the most common expensive mistakes.
Yes, but it's disruptive and may cost extra — the new conveyancer must review everything the previous one did. It's far easier to interview properly upfront using these 10 questions than to switch after problems emerge. Discomfort in the first phone call is a signal, not something to ignore.
