Q&A with Chris Tyler

Licensed Conveyancers in NSW are professionally qualified to advise clients in the legal matters involved in the buying or selling of property or businesses within NSW.

The size of business that employs licensed conveyancers varies from sole practitioner conveyancing or legal firms to large property developers/investors and other property related businesses.

Common to all conveyancers is the process of conveyancing, the major component of which is often the single largest financial commitment or transaction of the client’s life: the acquisition of property. As such, it is often a high value, sensitive and stressful transaction for the client.

A conveyancing business owner, as with any small business enterprise, will also have a multitude of activities to manage including:

• marketing and business development
• premises and staff
• information technology and communications
• finances and insurances.

An employed licensed conveyancer has the usual office environment work challenges (eg demanding boss, peer pressure, career pressures, undertaking study, need to take time off etc).

The amount that a licensed conveyancer can earn depends on their experience, knowledge and capacity to manage a file.

Depending on seniority and firm size, salaries could range from $50,000 to $150,000.

The demand for conveyancers varies according to the dynamics of the property market.

As with many occupations it is much easier to secure a job with experience. The current market for experienced conveyancers is strong.

Conveyancers come from a range of backgrounds.

However, common traits that would assist a conveyancer include:

• strong interpersonal skills
• ability to multitask
• time management skills to meet critical milestones and deadlines
• ability to maintain continuing professional development
• ability to stay up to date with changing requirements of industry stakeholders including Revenue, Title, and other state Government entities.

Conveyancing work can involve:

• the preparation of documents such as leases and contracts
• giving advice on conveyancing documents
• exchanging sale contracts
• organising surveys and building inspections
• arranging registration of title documents
• facilitating settlement.

Depending on the seniority of the role a typical day will be busy and multi-faceted, include a range of tasks and activities, and require self-directed motivation and determination.

The qualifications for a conveyancing license approved by the NSW Minister for Fair Trading are set out in the Conveyancers Licensing Order 2006, which is available on the NSW Legislation website.

In summary, Conveyancing qualifications include both of the following:

1. approved educational qualifications
2. at least two years’ practical experience in conveyancing work, at least one year of which was obtained while employed or otherwise engaged on a full-time basis under the supervision of a licensee whose license was not a restricted license or an Australian legal practitioner with an unrestricted practicing certificate.

The Macquarie University Conveyancing Law and Practice Program is an approved education course.

The Conveyancing Law and Practice Course at Macquarie University is a recognised qualification to progress to achieve a license in conveyancing from NSW Fair Trading.

This course is also ideally structured to include an in-person attendance module which allows students to participate in discussion with academic specialists and fellow students.