What Does a Conveyancer Need in the Sales Advice?
Six things that hold up exchange, and all of them are set by the time the sales advice lands with us. Written for agents, useful for anyone about to sign.
What does a conveyancer need from the agent to get a contract exchanged quickly?
Six things: the full legal names and addresses of both parties, whether anyone is buying in the name of a company, trust or super fund, the agreed settlement date, any special conditions, what’s included or excluded from the sale, and how the deposit is being paid. Get those right in the sales advice and exchange moves. Get one wrong and we’re chasing details instead of exchanging contracts.
At a glance
- Who prepares the contract? The vendor, before listing. In NSW it has to be drafted by a solicitor or conveyancer.
- What slows exchange down most? Missing middle names, wrong entity details, and settlement dates nobody confirmed with the parties.
- What’s the worst case? A contract exchanged with wrong purchaser details may need to be rescinded.
- Which contract edition applies? The 2026 edition, compulsory since 1 June 2026.
Why the sales advice matters so much
The contract sits at the centre of the whole transaction. It lists the names and addresses of the buyer and seller, the conditions of sale and the inclusions, and once signed and dated it’s a legally binding agreement.
The agent is usually the one who negotiates the deal and then passes those details to the conveyancing team. Everything we draft flows from what arrives in the sales advice. That matters even more when something about the deal departs from the standard terms.
When an agent undertakes the exchange themselves, it matters most of all. If a name is misspelt or the purchaser entity is wrong, the contract may need to be rescinded. Small omissions turn into large delays.
In plain English
Nothing in the contract is guesswork on our end. If the detail isn’t in the sales advice, we have to go and find it, and that’s where the days go.
The six sections that most often come through wrong
Full names and addresses
Do you have both parties’ full legal names, middle names included, and their addresses? Basic, and still the most common cause of chasing. Wrong details cost days, and at worst the contract is rescinded.
Are all parties specified correctly?
Ask both the purchaser and the seller whether the property is going in their own name or that of a company, trustee or self managed super fund. It’s a quick question that prevents a rewrite.
The settlement date
Settlement is usually six weeks, but plenty of deals need more time or less. Confirm the completion date with both parties and put it in the sales advice rather than letting the standard period stand by default.
Special conditions
Are there conditions that need to go into the contract? Make sure both parties understand their obligations and that the conveyancer knows about them. Early access is a common one. If the buyer is going in before settlement, is rent payable to the vendor?
Inclusions and exclusions
Everything included or excluded should be listed. Does the sale include the free standing shed? Is the outdoor barbeque or pizza oven staying, or going with the vendor? Some items get negotiated after the fact and move the price. Those need to be confirmed to the conveyancer in writing.
The deposit: when, how much, how paid
The deposit has to be paid before or on the day of exchange, so the sales advice should say when it’s required, how much, and how it’s being paid. If it’s going in instalments or by bond, note that both parties have discussed and agreed to it.
A carefully drafted sales advice is the single biggest thing an agent can do to speed up exchange.
Which edition of the contract applies?
The 2026 edition of the Contract for the Sale and Purchase of Land has been compulsory since 1 June 2026. It replaced the 2022 edition, which was withdrawn from sale on 13 March 2026.
A contract exchanged on or after 1 June carrying the older cooling-off notice does not meet the statutory requirement, so anything drafted before then and still sitting unexchanged needs updating.
Two changes matter when you’re preparing a sales advice. The inclusions list now has a separate tick box for a solar power battery, and TV antenna has been replaced by internet/TV receiver. Both are worth raising with your vendor rather than leaving to assumption.
We cover the full set of changes in the 2026 NSW contract for sale: what changed and why it matters.
The short version
Accurate information from the outset is what makes an exchange fast. Names in full, the right entity, an agreed settlement date, the special conditions, the inclusions, and the deposit arrangements.
If you want RM to draw the contract for a sale, or to act for a prospective purchaser, send it through and we’ll get moving.
Need a contract drawn up?
Send us the sales advice and we’ll take it from there. Justin, Julie, Amanda and Nicole work with agents across the Hunter and Lake Macquarie every day.
