Commercial Conveyancing
Removing Risk and Uncertainty From Your Commercial Property Transaction
✔ Working for commercial property buyers and sellers.
✔ Clear, upfront pricing with defined scope of work.
✔ Business-focused due diligence and contract reviews.
✔ Retail, office, and industrial property experience.
✔ Transparent advice on risk, structure, and compliance.
With High Stakes, You Need a Commercial Property Lawyer
When you buy or sell a commercial property, it’s more than a financial transaction … it's a significant business decision.
Compared to residential, commercial conveyancing brings greater legal, financial, and compliance considerations. The contract terms are more complex, deadlines are stricter, tax implications must be considered, and crucially, there’s no cooling-off period.
Furthermore, commercial assets are frequently bought for their income potential, tenant stability, and performance … meaning the lease, tenant strength, and zoning details are vital. There’s also a greater level of due diligence needed upfront before a contract is signed… while still working swiftly to ensure the opportunity isn’t lost.
That’s why you need the guidance of an experienced commercial property conveyancing lawyer.
At Corporate Legal, we help business owners, professionals, and investors with proactive conveyancing services. Staying with you beyond the immediate deal, we act as your strategic partner … ensuring that your sale or purchase continues to support your long-term objectives.
Looking for a Reliable Commercial Conveyancer Near Me? We’re Here
Who Needs a Commercial Property Purchase Lawyer?
If you’re buying or selling a business property, you need an experienced conveyancer … a qualified property law professional who tackles the administrative and legal tasks of transferring ownership.
It doesn’t matter if you're buying your first modest investment, or offloading a major multi-site portfolio … expert commercial conveyancing is vital. At Corporate Legal, we’re here for anyone making significant business or investment decisions across QLD, NSW and VIC.
Our Typical Clients Are Wonderfully Diverse, Often Including:
- Business owners – shrewd entrepreneurs wishing to buy the premises where they will operate, allowing them to grow equity while reducing reliance on landlords. And for sellers, releasing their sites to unlock capital for their next project.
- Medical and professional practices – from doctors and dentists to allied health and accountancy firms. We help practitioners gain a permanent home, or manage the complex legal handover if the practice and premises are sold together.
- Sophisticated industrial investors – those needing focused industrial property conveyancing for warehouses and factories.
- Portfolio managers and developers – clients buying or selling multi-unit commercial buildings and strata titles, needing a conveyancer to manage complex disclosures and intense contract negotiations.
- Retail and hospitality operators – shop owners, restaurateurs, franchisees, and hospitality groups who need an expert retail property purchase lawyer.
- Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs) – individuals purchasing commercial property through their Super and leasing it back to their business, with transactions meeting strict SMSF compliance requirements, including arm’s-length duties.
But, whoever you are and whatever you’re buying or selling, there’s one constant … commercial property transactions can expose you to serious legal and financial risks, which is why you need an expert on your side.
Buying/Selling Business Property? Speak to Corporate Legal First
A Commercial Property Lawyer – Your Safeguard Against Risks
Signing on the dotted line is only a small part of a property sale/purchase. These transactions demand a thorough legal commercial contract review, substantial due diligence, and a deep understanding of the legal, financial, and operational hazards that are involved.
As a commercial property transaction solicitor, Corporate Legal goes above and beyond to ensure your contracts, duties, threats, and compliance issues are fully understood and proficiently managed. While every deal is different, we mainly focus on the following areas:
The Key Areas of Risk in Business Property Conveyancing
1. No Cooling-Off Period
The majority of commercial property settlement contracts don’t enjoy the statutory cooling-off protection you get in residential. As soon as you’ve exchanged, you’re pretty much locked in.
- Buyers – after exchange, you’ll pass the point of no return. Our early and exhaustive due diligence and contract reviews are essential.
- Sellers – we make sure your contract is legal and that all disclosure obligations are met, so that after exchange happens, the deal is unlikely to be challenged or terminated.
2. Zoning and Due Diligence for Commercial Property
It’s not all about the bricks and mortar, the quality of the build, and the area’s desirability … a property is only as valuable as what someone can legally do with it. We look into this before anyone signs.
- Zoning and permitted use – does the local council allow the intended activity, such as a takeaway, medical centre, or factory?
- Compliance and approvals – we examine whether existing fit-outs were approved. Buyers avoid inheriting a liability, sellers reduce the risk of being sued in court for unapproved works.
- Future-proofing – we look for current and proposed restrictions that might one day be a hurdle to future development or business growth.
3. GST Exposure and Going Concerns
How a property is treated for GST can mean thousands of dollars of difference for the acquisition cost. As your commercial property transaction solicitor, we collaborate with your accountant to ensure the contract structure reflects the intended GST treatment.
- Vacant possession – identifying whether GST is plus or inclusive, giving you clarity on the actual purchase cost, and guiding you on input tax credits in consultation with your accountant.
- Going concern – if the property is sold with a tenant, we are able to structure the sale as a going concern to allow for GST-free treatment.*
*We do not provide financial or taxation advice. You should seek independent advice from a qualified accountant or financial adviser regarding the GST implications of your transaction in accordance with current ATO regulations.
4. Transaction Entity and Related-Party Leasing
A very common, and possibly very expensive, mistake is exchanging in the incorrect name. For example, signing in your personal name when your intention was to buy through a company or trust. To avoid this, we work with your accountant/wider team to ensure the contract’s front page accurately reflects your desired structure:
- Avoiding double stamp duty – if you have to change the buyer's name after signing, you may have to pay the tax twice. We check your entity via ASIC and carry out searches before exchange to ensure the name is correct.
- Self-leasing structures – if you’re planning on leasing the property back to your own business, we ensure the related-party lease is legally sound and tax-efficient.
5. Existing Tenancies
If you’re buying a property with the tenants in place, this means more complexity. As part of our commercial property transfer services, Corporate Legal will protect your interests through:
- Lease audits – making sure that all parties understand what’s being handed over … including the remaining term of the lease, bank guarantees, and make-good obligations.
- Tenant history – checking arrears, disputes, and reliability of rental payments.
- Accurate adjustments (bill splitting) – meticulously examining rental ledgers to ensure that any rent paid in advance is credited to the buyer and outgoings are adjusted. i.e., making sure you're not paying for something the tenant has already covered.
- Review of lease terms – examining rental increases, options, incentives, and outgoing obligations.
Before You Commit, Talk With Corporate Legal
What’s Included in Our Commercial Property Conveyancing Services
You could be buying or selling an office, retail premises, warehouse, or development site. But, whatever the nature of your transaction, our role remains the same … to proactively protect your interests throughout. Our comprehensive conveyancing services are as effective and reassuring for buyers as they are for sellers:
For Buyers of Commercial Property
✓ Pre-signing contract review – we carefully look at your contract before you bind yourself to it, ensuring you grasp what you’re agreeing to.
✓ Contract terms negotiation – we work on your behalf to ensure that the agreement is workable and protects your interests.
✓ Cooling-off, finance, and key risks – giving guidance on your financial exposure and key risks. And since there’s no cooling-off period, negotiate special conditions to give you similar protection if desired.
✓ Review of title and strata reports – we check the property title and strata records (if relevant) to uncover easements, restrictions, or building issues.
✓ Broker and lender liaison – coordinating with other professionals to ensure your mortgage and securities lead to a smooth exchange.
✓ Coordination/attendance at settlement – we manage the commercial property electronic settlement via PEXA, checking everything is accurate and completed on time.
Found the Ideal Property? Let’s Make the Deal Flawless Too
For Sellers of Commercial Property
✓ Drafting of the contract for sale – crafting a contract that protects your interests while outlining the terms of the sale, reducing the risk of future disputes.
✓ Vendor disclosure documentation – collating all necessary disclosures, such as title searches and planning, to make sure you abide by your duties.
✓ Managing negotiation and exchange – addressing amendments/questions from the purchaser’s solicitor and overseeing the formal exchange of contracts.
✓ Coordinating discharge of mortgage – working with your bank to release your mortgage and clear the obligations ready for settlement.
✓ Finalising settlement with all parties – checking that funds are received and your commercial property transfer is complete.
Sell With Confidence, Knowing Every Detail Is Covered
How Our Conveyancing Process Works
At Corporate Legal, we tailor our approach to your specific requirements, whether you're buying or selling. At every single step, you enjoy exhaustive, proactive leadership guidance.
Buyers Conveyancing
Strategic Consultation
Obtain & Review the Contract
Negotiation & Due Diligence
Unconditional Exchange
Pre-Settlement Management
PEXA Settlement & Handover
Ready To Secure Your Commercial Property? Call Us for a Free 15-Minute Consultation
Sellers Conveyancing
Book a Consultation or Engage Us Online
Taking Your Instructions
Preparing the Contract for Sale
Managing Negotiation & Exchange
Pre-Settlement Preparation
Settlement & Finalisation
Ready To Sell? Let’s Make Your Transaction Straightforward!
Conveyancing for SMSF Property Purchases
Purchasing a commercial property doesn't have to be done in your individual name or through a traditional corporate entity.
Using your Self-Managed Super Fund (SMSF) for the acquisition may allow you to generate substantial retirement wealth. For example, the SMSF owns the property from which the business operates … meaning that rent payments go to the Super, rather than a third-party landlord.
This can bring welcome advantages, including:
✓ Increased control over retirement investments.
✓ Possible tax efficiencies.
✓ Regular rental income to the fund.
✓ Protection from the uncertainty of landlord rentals.
✓ Ownership of key business premises for the long-term.
But, SMSF commercial property transactions have to work under seriously strict ATO rules, meaning you need professional expertise … both legal and financial.
At Corporate Legal, we give legal guidance to ensure your purchase is compliant and correctly structured. We can’t give financial advice … e.g. on tax, borrowing, and retirement planning … but we can work closely with your accountant/financial advisers, giving them the information they need to support you effectively.
SMSF Conveyancing Considerations We Can Address:
Ownership structure
Making sure that the buying entity aligns with superannuation and lending requirements.
Bare Trust Arrangements
When borrowing is involved, we ensure the bare trust is properly established and compliant, and the correct purchasing entity is on the front page of the contract in line with state requirements.
Execution Sequence
The order in which documents are signed differs between states, so we make sure it’s done correctly.
Independent Legal Advice
SMSF lenders usually need confirmation that trustees understand their obligations, which we provide as part of our service.
Stamping of Trust Deeds (If Needed)
Some states need the bare trust deed stamping, which we can take care of for you.
Buying a Property Through an SMSF?
Conveyancing and Strata Buildings
If you buy an office suite or retail shop that is part of a strata building, you’re not just purchasing a single premises. You’re also joining a shared legal and financial scheme run by an owners corporation (also known as a body corporate or strata company, depending on the state). This makes expert strata conveyancing vital.
At Corporate Legal, we ensure you grasp exactly what you’re committing to … not just the price, but also ongoing obligations, financial exposure, and potential liabilities.
Strata Reports – A Powerful Safeguard for Buyers
Our professional strata report reviews give invaluable insights into the building itself, its managers, and possible issues that could affect your ownership or future market value and desirability.
Corporate Legal’s Strata Report Reviews Can Reveal:
✓ Financial health of the owners corporation.
✓ Special levies.
✓ Building problems or structural issues.
✓ Current legal disputes.
✓ Insufficient insurance.
✓ Maintenance history and any proposed works.
✓ Conflict between property owners or management.
Understand the Risks Before You Commit
Why Choose Corporate Legal for Commercial Conveyancing?
A commercial property transaction is more than a legal asset transfer … it can shape the future of your business, investments, and financial security. Get something wrong, and you could face a costly or even existential mistake. At Corporate Legal, we give proactive guidance for a smooth and reassuring sale or purchase.
With Corporate Legal, You Benefit From:
Partner Expertise
You work with a senior lawyer who understands your objectives and is backed by years of commercial conveyancing experience.
Proactive Risk Management
Identifying issues and resolving challenges before they become expensive problems.
Clear Communication
Prompt responses to match the fast-moving world of commercial deals.
Plain-English
Transforming terms and concepts such as easements, covenants, and GST treatment into clear, understandable advice.
SMSF Expertise
From bare trust sequencing to independent legal advice, we ensure your super fund purchase is compliant with the ATO.
Multi-State Experience
Whether you are buying a commercial property in QLD, NSW and VIC, we can help.
Commercial Focus
Ensuring the property supports and drives your operation’s ambitions.
Book a FREE Consultation With Corporate Legal
Commercial Property Conveyancing FAQs
Is This Commercial Conveyancing Service Available Across All States?
We provide commercial conveyancing in NSW and VIC. We may also be able to assist with Queensland matters on request.
Do I Need To Visit Your Office?
Our conveyancing service is designed to be conveniently remote. Absolutely everything can be handled via phone, email, and secure Microsoft Teams meetings!
That said, in limited situations, if you’re local to our Parramatta office and under extreme time pressure to meet a settlement date, we can arrange a face-to-face wet signing. We typically only do this as a last resort to bypass the mail and get your documents to the lender immediately.
Who Will Handle My Matter, a Lawyer or a Conveyancer?
Your matters are managed by a qualified property lawyer, not just a licensed conveyancer. You get legal protection and strategic advice at every stage.
Can I Book a Consultation Instead of Buying Online?
Yes! If you prefer to speak with us first, you can book a free 15-minute consultation to discuss your transaction.
Have More Questions About Commercial Property Conveyancing?
Protect Your Commercial Property Transaction From Day One
Whether you’re buying your first commercial premises or selling a substantial asset, Corporate Legal is your proactive partner … ensuring every legal aspect safeguards your interests and works to support your business.
Get advice from the experts before you sign … because a simple mistake today can be an expensive cost tomorrow.
Secure Your Deal With the Best Commercial Conveyancing Lawyers