Settlement day used to mean rooms full of paper, bank cheques and people waiting for documents to be handed across a table. Since February 2023, that process has been replaced for most Queensland property transactions by electronic conveyancing, and buyers and sellers who miss important dates because their solicitor is not set up for it have no good options.
Electronic conveyancing, or eConveyancing, means the preparation, signing, settlement and lodgement of property documents all happen online, through a secure digital workspace. Titles Queensland requires industry professionals to use it for most standard dealings, and the two approved platforms, PEXA and Sympli, handle the settlement funds and the registration of the new title simultaneously, according to Titles Queensland.
Our lawyers in Springfield help clients across Greater Springfield and Ipswich with conveyancing, whether buying, selling or transferring property.
Here is how electronic conveyancing works in Queensland, and what it means for your property transaction.
Key takeaways
- Electronic conveyancing has been mandatory for most Queensland property dealings since February 2023.
- Settlement and title registration happen simultaneously through an approved online platform.
- Unrepresented individuals can still lodge documents in paper under an exemption.
This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Every situation is different, and you should speak with a solicitor about your own circumstances.
What is electronic conveyancing in Queensland?
Electronic conveyancing is the online process for preparing, signing, settling and lodging property documents through a secure digital workspace, according to Titles Queensland. Instead of paper forms changing hands on settlement day, all parties, buyers, sellers, lenders and their solicitors, join the same electronic workspace, sign documents digitally and transfer funds through the platform. The title to the property registers with Titles Queensland at the moment funds are released, so there is no gap between payment and ownership.
Titles Queensland has approved two Electronic Lodgment Network operators to run these workspaces: PEXA and Sympli. A buyer or seller does not subscribe to either platform directly. Their solicitor does, and manages the workspace on their behalf.
The system has been available in Queensland since 2013 under Queensland's Electronic Conveyancing National Law, but it was optional for many years. From 20 February 2023, under the Land Title Regulation 2022, lodging most required instruments electronically became compulsory for industry professionals and corporate entities, according to Titles Queensland.
Which documents must now be lodged electronically in Queensland?
Titles Queensland sets out the mandated instruments that must go through an Electronic Lodgment Network operator. These are the documents that move property between owners or affect the financing of it.
Mandated documents under the electronic lodgement requirement:
- › Transfer (Form 1): moves ownership from seller to buyer.
- › Mortgage (National Mortgage Form): registers a lender's interest in the property.
- › Release of mortgage (Form 3): removes a lender's interest when a loan is repaid.
- › Caveat (Form 11) and withdrawal of caveat: records or removes a claim over the title.
- › Transmission by death (Form 5): records the transfer of a deceased owner's interest to their personal representative.
- › Priority notices and associated dealings: reserve registration priority while a transaction settles.
Some documents, including certain lease forms and requests to record death, are available through the platform but not yet mandated, according to Titles Queensland.
When does the electronic lodgement rule not apply?
The mandate covers professionals and corporate entities, but several exemptions exist under the Land Title Regulation 2022, according to Titles Queensland. Understanding them matters because a paper lodgement that should have gone electronically can cause delays.
Situations where paper lodgement may still apply:
- › Unrepresented individuals: a party who is an individual, not a subscriber to the platform and not represented by a lawyer, may still lodge in paper.
- › System unavailability: where the platform cannot handle the instrument, for example certain mortgagee sale transfers, an exemption may apply.
- › Documents executed before the mandate date: instruments signed before 20 February 2023 may be lodged in paper.
- › Combined lodgements: where an electronic instrument must be lodged together with a non-electronic one, the whole dealing may go in paper.
- › Re-lodgement after rejection: where a rejected instrument needs re-lodging and funds have already moved, paper may be used.
An exemption request form accompanies any paper lodgement that would otherwise be mandated, according to Titles Queensland. One important point: an emailed scanned form is not an electronic lodgement for these purposes.
How does electronic conveyancing work in practice?
Step 1: Talk to us
Get in touch and we will explain how the electronic conveyancing process generally works and what the steps look like for your transaction.
Step 2: We set up the workspace
Once retained, we open a digital settlement workspace through an Electronic Lodgment Network operator, PEXA or Sympli, and invite all other parties, including the other side's solicitor and any lender, to join. All documents are prepared and signed within that workspace.
Step 3: We verify identities and prepare the documents
Queensland law now requires solicitors to carry out identity and anti-money laundering verification before providing conveyancing services, following the commencement of new obligations for the legal profession on 1 July 2026, according to AUSTRAC. We manage that process and prepare all transfer and duty documents for digital execution within the workspace.
Step 4: Settlement and registration happen together
On settlement day, funds move through the workspace at the agreed time. Titles Queensland confirms registration, generally within 3 to 5 working days of lodgement, according to Titles Queensland. The new owner receives confirmation once the title registers in their name.
| Get in touch Need help with electronic conveyancing? We're an experienced team who keep you well informed at every stage of the process. Get in touch to discuss your needs. |
What are the practical benefits for buyers and sellers in Queensland?
Titles Queensland identifies several advantages of the electronic system for parties to a property transaction. Settlement happens faster and with fewer errors, because all parties work in the same workspace rather than exchanging paper across different offices.
What Titles Queensland says the system delivers:
- › Immediate lodgement confirmation: Titles Queensland confirms receipt as soon as the settlement workspace closes.
- › Secure financial settlement: funds move through the platform at the agreed moment, reducing the risk of misdirection.
- › Fewer requisitions: the electronic workspace checks documents before submission, catching technical errors earlier.
- › Multiple settlements at once: a solicitor acting on a simultaneous buy and sell can manage both in the same workspace.
What does the new AML and identity verification requirement mean for buyers and sellers?
From 1 July 2026, solicitors and conveyancers became subject to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing obligations, according to AUSTRAC. This is one of the most significant changes to the Queensland conveyancing process in a decade, and it directly affects what a buyer or seller can expect from their solicitor at the start of a transaction.
The obligations apply to "designated services," a defined category of what lawyers do, and include conveyancing. Before providing those services, a solicitor must carry out initial customer due diligence, including establishing the client's identity, according to AUSTRAC. In practice, buyers and sellers can now expect their solicitor to ask for identity documents early in the process, before any workspace is opened or documents are signed.
This is different from the seller disclosure obligations that also changed in August 2025, where sellers now provide a signed disclosure statement to buyers before the contract is signed, under Queensland's Property Law Act. Both changes have moved in the same direction: more formal verification and disclosure earlier in the conveyancing timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is electronic conveyancing now compulsory for all Queensland property transactions?
It is compulsory for industry professionals and corporate entities lodging most standard dealings from 20 February 2023, according to Titles Queensland. Some exemptions apply, including for individuals who are not represented by a lawyer.
What are the two approved electronic lodgement platforms in Queensland?
Titles Queensland has approved PEXA and Sympli as Electronic Lodgment Network operators. A buyer or seller does not need to subscribe to either; their solicitor manages the workspace on their behalf.
How long does it take for a title to register in Queensland after settlement?
Most correctly prepared dealings register within 3 to 5 working days of lodgement, according to Titles Queensland. Electronic lodgement provides immediate confirmation of receipt when the settlement workspace closes.
Is an emailed scanned form the same as an electronic lodgement in QLD?
No. Titles Queensland is clear that an emailed scanned form is not an electronic lodgement. Lodgement must happen through an approved Electronic Lodgment Network operator such as PEXA or Sympli.
What identity checks can a buyer or seller in Queensland now expect from their solicitor?
From 1 July 2026, solicitors must carry out initial customer due diligence, including establishing identity, before providing conveyancing services, according to AUSTRAC. Clients can generally expect to provide identity documents early in the engagement.
Do you need a solicitor for electronic conveyancing in Springfield or Ipswich QLD?
In Queensland, conveyancing is a legal service that can only be provided by qualified and licensed solicitors and law practices, according to the Legal Services Commission. Buyers and sellers in Springfield and Ipswich can engage our conveyancing team to manage the full electronic process.
When did electronic conveyancing become available in Queensland?
Electronic conveyancing has been available in Queensland since 2013 under Queensland's Electronic Conveyancing National Law, according to Titles Queensland. It became compulsory for most professional lodgements from 20 February 2023.
Your Next Steps
Queensland's conveyancing process has changed significantly in the past two years. The move to electronic lodgement, combined with new seller disclosure requirements from August 2025 and identity verification obligations from July 2026, means the process now involves more formal steps at the front end of a transaction than buyers and sellers in Ipswich and Greater Springfield may have encountered before.
If electronic conveyancing is on your mind, the next step is a straightforward one. Get in touch with the Brookwater Legal team or call (07) 3437 8555, and we'll talk you through how the process generally works.
 |
External Resources
Brookwater Legal · This article contains general information only and does not constitute legal advice. It does not take into account your individual circumstances. You should obtain legal advice about your own situation before acting on anything in this article. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.
