DOES THE SELLER OR THE PURCHASER APPOINT THE CONVEYANCER?

Firstly, what on earth does a Conveyancer do?

Put simply, a conveyancer is an attorney who specialises in the transfer of immovable property (i.e. a house) from the Seller to the Purchaser. 

A conveyancer is also responsible for many other functions with respect to dealings with land, but that is a story for another day.

So who appoints the Conveyancer? 

You would think that the Purchaser would have the privilege of appointing the Conveyancer, as it is the Purchaser that pays the costs of transfer; however, in practice, it is the Seller’s prerogative to nominate the Conveyancer.

Why? 

Well, simply because it is the Seller’s property, and therefore the Seller bears the risk. The Seller would want to have control over the transfer of their property and would want to appoint a conveyancer that they trust.

That being said, the Seller may permit the Purchaser to appoint the Conveyancer, or they may jointly agree to select a specific conveyancer to attend to the transfer of their property. 

Remember: As the Seller, you can choose your Conveyancer when selling your property!