Key takeaways for sellers
- Not legally required — but practically essential. In most states you can sell DIY, but a compliant contract must be prepared before you advertise, and settlement now runs through PEXA, which unrepresented sellers generally can't access without an approved subscriber.
- DIY carries real personal risk. No professional indemnity cover, and you're personally liable if a disclosure is defective — which can let the buyer rescind.
- Some sales are never a DIY job. Strata, company title, rural properties, off-the-plan, unapproved building work, or anything registered against the title that limits what you can do with it — like an easement or a covenant.
Is a conveyancer legally required to sell?
In most states there's no law forcing you to hire a conveyancer — in theory you can DIY. In practice it's a lot to take on: before you can advertise, a compliant contract of sale — and in some states a seller disclosure statement — has to be prepared, and the rules differ by state.
What does a conveyancer do for a seller?
- Prepares your contract of sale
- Assembles the disclosure documents your state requires — the Section 32 in Victoria, the Form 2 in Queensland
- Reviews what the buyer asks for, including any special conditions
- Handles the deposit and works out the settlement adjustments
- Runs settlement itself: discharging your mortgage, transferring title, and dealing with the bank through PEXA
- Verifies your identity to the standard required before title can change hands — Zettle does this with facial biometrics from your phone, rather than sending you to an office with a folder of documents
Conveyancer or solicitor — which do you need?
Both can handle your sale, and for a standard one the work and the result are the same. A licensed conveyancer specialises in property transfers and does them all day. A solicitor is qualified across law generally, though the ones you'd use for a sale are usually property specialists too.
The distinction only shows up at the edges — licensed conveyancing isn't offered in every state, and if a sale ever turned into a dispute, a solicitor can act in that as well.
Zettle is a law firm built entirely around conveyancing, with licensed conveyancers on the team. From your side, that's the question answered.
When does DIY stop being realistic?
Some sales are harder than others, and a few aren't a DIY proposition at all. Strata and company title bring their own certificates and rules. Rural properties add water rights, licences and access questions. Off-the-plan runs on a different contract entirely. And anything with unapproved building work, a caveat, or an easement in an awkward spot needs someone who's seen it before.
What does a conveyancer cost, and is it worth it?
Generally a fixed professional fee plus disbursements. Set against the cost of a contract a buyer can walk away from, or a settlement that doesn't happen on the day, it's a small line item.
How does Zettle help?
Zettle prepares your contract and disclosures, reviews buyer requests, and runs settlement on a fixed fee. Known before you start, no meter running while you wait for an offer. Get a fixed-fee quote before you list. Just Zettle it.