On the market to settlement · NSW

From first open home to your new front door.

What happens once your home is on the market, how a sale becomes binding in New South Wales, and what Alan does at every step until the keys change hands, and you’re settled in your next home.

Call Alan · 0412 176 074 See the eight stages
Watch the video walkthrough Before you list Preparing your home for sale
Launch Open homes Offers Exchange Settlement Next home SOLD The journey Six milestones, one agent. Hover or tap any of them.

One agent

From launch to keys

Every open

Run by Alan himself

Every offer

To you, in writing

Every weekend

A written report

Watch first

From listing to settlement, in one short video.

Every stage in a few minutes: the opens, the offers, exchange and cooling-off, settlement day, and the move to your next home. Captions are on, so it works with the sound off.

  1. 01Launch
  2. 02Open homes
  3. 03Offers
  4. 04Exchange
  5. 05Cooling-off
  6. 06To settlement
  7. 07Settlement day
  8. 08Your next home

The eight stages

On the market, step by step.

Each stage below shows what happens, what Alan does for you, what’s needed from you, and the NSW rule that applies. Most homes move from launch to settlement in ten to twelve weeks.

01
Week 1

Live, and in front of the right buyers first

The listing goes live, the signboard goes up, and the campaign starts working.

What happens

  • Your home goes live on realestate.com.au and Domain.
  • Signboard, brochures and mail cards go out.
  • Social advertising reaches the suburbs your likely buyer lives in now.

What Alan does

  • Checks every photo, word and figure before anything goes live.
  • Calls the buyers he already knows are looking, often before the portals.
  • Sets the open home and private appointment calendar with you.
NSW

Alan’s estimated selling price is written into your agency agreement, with the comparable sales behind it. The advertised price can’t sit below it. New NSW rules, being phased in from late 2026, will also require a price or price range in every advertisement.

Your partKeep the home ready to show. Put valuables, medication and personal papers away.

02
Weeks 1–4

Long opens, and every buyer followed up

Most of the selling happens at the inspection. So it isn’t rushed.

What happens

  • Long open homes on the weekend.
  • Private appointments on dates set with you before launch.
  • Second inspections, and visits from builders and building and pest inspectors.

What Alan does

  • Runs every open home and every appointment himself.
  • Speaks with every buyer, and follows each one up within a day.
  • Sends you a written report after each weekend: who came, what they said, where the price feedback sits.
  • Tells you straight if the market’s message changes.
NSW

The contract of sale must be available for buyers to inspect whenever your home is offered for sale. Alan brings it to every inspection, so a serious buyer never waits for it.

Your partStep out during opens. Keep the home ready on the set days. Pass any direct approach to Alan.

03
Weeks 3–5

Every offer to you. Every negotiation by Alan.

Price matters. So do the terms behind it: the deposit, the settlement date, and whether the buyer is ready to proceed.

What happens

  • Buyers make offers, or bid at auction.
  • Terms are negotiated alongside the price: deposit, settlement date, inclusions.

What Alan does

  • Brings you every offer, in writing, the day it’s made.
  • Checks the buyer behind it: finance approval, conditions, timing.
  • Negotiates himself. Nobody else speaks for your home.
  • Tells you when to hold, and when the best buyer is in front of you.
  1. Offers come inIn writing, to Alan, then straight to you.
  2. Alan negotiatesPrice and terms, until both sides agree.
  3. ExchangeBoth sign. The deposit is paid.
  4. Cooling-off5 business days, unless the buyer waives it with a 66W certificate.
  1. Bidders registerWith photo ID, before they can bid. No registration, no bidding.
  2. Your reserveGiven to the auctioneer in writing before the auction starts.
  3. One vendor bidAllowed, and it must be announced. Dummy bidding is illegal.
  4. The hammer fallsThe buyer signs and pays the deposit on the spot. No cooling-off. If it passes in, the highest bidder usually negotiates first.
NSW

Under the new rules expected from late 2026, if you reject a written offer only because it’s too low, or your home passes in at auction, the advertised price can’t then sit below that figure.

Your partKeep your phone close in this window. Have your solicitor ready to move quickly.

04
Exchange day

Signed, swapped and binding

Until contracts are exchanged, nothing binds either side. Exchange is the moment the sale becomes real.

What happens

  • You and the buyer each sign an identical copy of the contract.
  • The copies are exchanged, and the buyer pays the deposit, usually 10% of the price.
  • The deposit is held in trust until settlement.

What Alan does

  • Brings both solicitors together so exchange happens the day terms are agreed.
  • Confirms the deposit has been paid.
  • Gives signed copies to both sides within two business days, as NSW law requires when the agent arranges exchange.
  • Marks the home sold and takes it off the market.

Your numbers

$2,500,000

$250,000

Deposit paid on exchange usually 10%

$6,250

Paid to you if the buyer withdraws in cooling-off 0.25%

$375,000

Withheld by the buyer if there’s no clearance certificate 15%

Illustration only. Your contract and your solicitor set the actual figures.

NSW

A real estate agent can’t change your contract. Any change is agreed between your solicitor and the buyer’s.

Your partSign promptly once your solicitor has checked any changes the buyer asked for.

05
5 business days

Five business days, then it’s firm

On a private sale, the buyer can still withdraw for five business days. After that, they’re bound.

What happens

  • Cooling-off starts at exchange and ends at 5pm on the fifth business day.
  • A buyer who withdraws pays you 0.25% of the price: $250 for every $100,000.
  • There is no cooling-off at auction, on the same day after a pass-in, or when the buyer waives it with a section 66W certificate.

What Alan does

  • Stays in close contact with the buyer through the period.
  • Arranges any access they need: building inspector, valuer.
  • Calls you the moment cooling-off ends.
Exchange
1Business day
2Business day
3Business day
4Business day
5Ends 5pm
Firm

Weekends and public holidays don’t count. Exchange at 10am on a Tuesday, and cooling-off ends at 5pm the following Tuesday.

NSW

The cooling-off period can be shortened or extended, but only by written agreement between you and the buyer.

Your partNothing to do. Don’t remove inclusions or make changes to the home.

06
About 6 weeks

Six weeks of quiet, careful work

Most NSW contracts settle about six weeks (42 days) after exchange. A shorter or longer settlement can be agreed before exchange.

What happens

  • The buyer finalises the loan. Their bank may send a valuer.
  • Your solicitor arranges the payout of your mortgage, and works out council, water and strata adjustments.
  • Every property sale needs an ATO clearance certificate, whatever the price. Without one, the buyer must withhold 15% of the price and send it to the ATO.
  • The buyer is usually entitled to a final inspection in the last days before settlement.

What Alan does

  • Arranges access for valuers and the buyer, and is there for each visit.
  • Keeps both solicitors to the timetable, and flags anything that slips.
  • Attends the final inspection, and checks the home and inclusions are as agreed.
  • Helps you time the move: removalists, keys, final readings.
NSW

The ATO clearance certificate is free, can take up to 28 days to issue, and lasts 12 months. Apply early. Your solicitor usually lodges it for you.

Your partKeep the home insured until settlement. Tell your lender early that you’re paying out the mortgage. Book removalists.

07
Settlement day

Funds move. Keys change hands.

Settlement in New South Wales is electronic. Nobody meets in an office. The solicitors and banks complete it online, and the title passes to the buyer.

What happens

  • At the booked time, funds move through the electronic settlement platform.
  • Your mortgage is paid out, and the balance goes to your nominated account.
  • The deposit is released from trust.

What Alan does

  • Waits for your solicitor’s confirmation, then hands the buyer the keys.
  • Releases the deposit as your contract and instructions direct.
  • Calls you to say it’s done.
  1. Day beforeFinal inspection. Alan attends.
  2. Booked timeFunds move electronically.
  3. Minutes laterYour solicitor confirms it’s done.
  4. ThenAlan hands the buyer the keys.
  5. Same dayThe balance reaches your account.
NSW

Every NSW property transfer has been lodged electronically since October 2021, through platforms such as PEXA and Sympli.

Your partHand all keys, remotes and codes to Alan beforehand. Leave the home clean, with manuals and warranties for the buyer.

08
Moving week

Settled in, not just sold

Selling is half the move. The other half is buying or renting, and getting both dates to line up.

What happens

  • Your sale and your next home need to settle in the right order.
  • Some sellers buy first, some sell first, and some settle both on the same day.

What Alan does

  • Plans your settlement date around your next home from the first meeting.
  • Negotiates a longer settlement, or a stay after settlement, when it helps.
  • Can act for you on the purchase too: selling and buying in one move.
Sell first, buy first, or both on one day?See how the two dates fit together

Your partTalk to your lender early about timing, and about bridging finance if you might buy first.

Moving to your next home

Sell first, buy first, or both on one day.

The order you sell and buy in decides whether you rent in between, carry two loans for a while, or move once. Choose an option to see how the dates fit together.

Sell first

Sell and settle, then buy with a known amount in hand.

Suits you when
You want certainty about the money before you commit.
Watch for
You may need to rent, or stay with family, between homes.
How Alan helps
Negotiates a longer settlement on your sale, so there’s time to find the right next home.

Buy first

Secure the next home, then sell this one.

Suits you when
The right home comes up and you can’t let it go.
Watch for
You may carry two loans for a time. Talk to your lender about bridging finance before you buy.
How Alan helps
Launches your sale quickly, and negotiates a settlement date that meets your purchase.

Same day

Your sale and your purchase settle on the same day.

Suits you when
You want one move, and no gap between homes.
Watch for
Both contracts must line up. A delay on one side affects the other.
How Alan helps
Aligns the dates in both contracts, and keeps both sets of solicitors in step.

Stay on after

Sell and settle, then stay on in the home for an agreed time.

Suits you when
Your buyer is an investor, or doesn’t need the home straight away.
Watch for
It must be agreed in writing as part of the contract. Your solicitor drafts it.
How Alan helps
Finds the buyers who’ll agree to it, and negotiates the terms.
Selling and buying in one moveAlan can act for you on the purchase too

Your moving checklist

The jobs that are yours to tick off.

0 of 15done. Saved on this device.

01Four weeks out

02The week before

03Settlement day

Common questions

What sellers ask Alan most.

General information about selling in New South Wales, current at October 2026. It isn’t legal, tax or financial advice. Your solicitor or conveyancer will confirm what applies to your sale.

When do I receive the money from the sale?

On settlement day. Once settlement completes, your mortgage is paid out and the balance goes to the account you nominate through your solicitor.

When is the deposit released?

It’s held in trust until settlement, then released. It can sometimes be released earlier, for example towards the deposit on your next home, if the contract allows. Your solicitor arranges it.

What if the buyer can’t settle?

Once contracts are exchanged and any cooling-off has ended, the buyer is bound. If they don’t settle on time, your solicitor can serve a notice to complete, and the deposit is your security. It’s why Alan checks a buyer’s finance before he recommends an offer.

Can I stay in the home after settlement?

Only by agreement. It’s written into the contract before exchange. Alan negotiates it, and your solicitor drafts it.

Who pays council rates, water and strata levies?

You pay up to settlement, and the buyer pays from then. Your solicitor calculates the adjustments, and they’re settled on the day.

Do I need a clearance certificate if I live in Australia?

Yes. Since 1 January 2025 it’s needed for every property sale, whatever the price. It’s free from the ATO, can take up to 28 days, and lasts 12 months. Without it, the buyer must withhold 15% of the price.

Is there a cooling-off period if I sell at auction?

No. A sale under the hammer is unconditional, and so is a contract exchanged on auction day after the home passes in.

Next step

One agent, from the first open to the last key.

Alan runs every step himself: the opens, the offers, the exchange, the final inspection and the keys. If you’re thinking about selling, start with a conversation.

Call Alan · 0412 176 074 Email Alan
Preparing your home for sale Selling with Weiss Buying your next home