Conveyancing · Robina, Gold Coast

Conveyancing for buyers and sellers at Robina.

From contract review to settlement on Robina houses, units, townhouses and vacant land. Fiona Cox handles conveyancing at Fraser Lawyers, acting for Robina buyers and sellers across Queensland.

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Reviewed by Blake Fraser, Principal Lawyer, Fraser Lawyers Last updated 15 June 2026

Robina is one of the Gold Coast’s larger master-planned communities. Built from the 1980s around a series of lakes, it now takes in established detached housing, townhouses and units, with Robina Town Centre, Robina railway station and Cbus Super Stadium at its core. The mix of property types means a Robina purchase can be a freestanding house on its own title, a townhouse or unit in a community titles scheme, or a lot in a newer estate. The conveyancing differs in each case.

Wherever the property sits, the contract is where a Queensland conveyance is won or lost. Most problems that surface later, a finance condition that lapses, a disclosure gap, a settlement date that was agreed without thinking through the timing, trace back to terms that were not read closely before signing. They are almost always cheaper to deal with before signing than after.

Since 1 August 2025 the Property Law Act 2023 (Qld) has governed property contracts in Queensland, replacing the 1974 Act and introducing a seller disclosure scheme that operates on most sales before the buyer signs. That requirement sits alongside the standard REIQ contract conditions covering finance, building and pest inspection, and settlement.

Fraser Lawyers acts for Robina buyers and sellers, and for clients across the Gold Coast and Queensland. The work starts at the contract, not at settlement.

Scope of work

What we help with

Fraser Lawyers acts on Robina conveyancing matters, including:

Matter: What it usually involves
Contract review before signing: Reviewing the contract, special conditions and timelines before you commit, on a house, unit, townhouse or vacant land.
Seller disclosure: Preparing the Form 2 disclosure on a sale, and reviewing the disclosure received on a purchase, under the Property Law Act 2023 (Qld).
Buyer purchases at Robina: Acting for buyers from contract through to settlement, including finance and building and pest conditions.
Seller sales at Robina: Acting for sellers from contract preparation through to settlement and discharge of any mortgage.
Unit and townhouse purchases: Reviewing body corporate records, levies and by-laws for lots in a community titles scheme.
Searches and requisitions: Title, rates, water and body corporate searches, and requisitions raised on the other side.
Settlement and adjustments: Preparing the settlement statement, calculating adjustments, and settling through PEXA.
Transfer duty and concessions: Assessing transfer duty under the Duties Act 2001 (Qld) and whether the home or first-home concession applies.

The property type drives the advice. A freestanding Robina house on its own title carries a different set of obligations from a townhouse or unit in a community titles scheme, where body corporate levies, sinking-fund health and by-laws all matter. A lot in a newer estate may bring its own conditions again. Knowing which framework applies before signing is what makes the rest of the advice useful.

Cooling-off Most residential contracts carry a 5 business day cooling-off period under the Property Occupations Act 2014 (Qld).
Seller disclosure Since 1 August 2025 a seller must give the buyer a Form 2 disclosure statement and prescribed certificates before the contract is signed.
Typical settlement The standard REIQ contract runs to a 30 day settlement, usually with 14 days for finance and 14 days for building and pest.
Robina units Townhouses and units in a community titles scheme carry body corporate levies and by-laws a freestanding house does not.
Best time for advice Before you sign, while the contract terms can still be checked and negotiated.

Process

The Queensland conveyancing process, from contract to settlement.

A Robina conveyance follows the same Queensland framework as any other, with the detail depending on the property type. In outline, the stages are these.

Contract. The contract is reviewed before it is signed. Standard conditions, special conditions, the settlement date and the finance and building and pest timelines are identified and explained. On a purchase, the seller’s disclosure is reviewed at this point. On a sale, the disclosure is prepared before the contract goes to the buyer.
Cooling-off. On most residential contracts a 5 business day cooling-off period runs from the contract date under section 166 of the Property Occupations Act 2014 (Qld). A buyer may terminate within that period; the seller keeps 0.25% of the purchase price. The right does not apply to a contract formed at auction.
Conditions period. Finance approval is pursued within the contract period. The building and pest inspection is arranged and the report reviewed. If a defect is found, the buyer’s options under the contract are explained within the contractual time limit.
Searches and requisitions. Title, rates, water and, for a unit, body corporate searches are obtained. Requisitions are raised on the seller’s solicitor. Any adverse result is assessed before settlement is booked.
Settlement. The settlement statement is prepared, with adjustments for rates, water and body corporate levies calculated to the settlement date. Settlement usually completes electronically through PEXA, the transfer is lodged with the Titles Registry under the Land Title Act 1994 (Qld), and any existing mortgage is discharged.

The legislation that applies to a Robina residential conveyance includes the Property Law Act 2023 (Qld) for the contract and seller disclosure, the Property Occupations Act 2014 (Qld) for cooling-off, the Land Title Act 1994 (Qld) for registration, the Duties Act 2001 (Qld) for transfer duty, and the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld) where the property is a lot in a community titles scheme.

Cooling-off

What the cooling-off period does, and does not, cover.

Section 166 of the Property Occupations Act 2014 (Qld) gives a residential buyer 5 business days from the contract date to terminate without having to give reasons. The right is statutory and cannot be excluded by agreement.

It is not a due diligence window. It is a short statutory right, designed to protect buyers who may have committed under pressure. It does not extend the time for finance or for building and pest inspection, and it does not replace the need to read the contract before signing.

If a buyer terminates during the cooling-off period, the seller is entitled to keep a termination penalty of 0.25% of the purchase price; the balance of any deposit is refunded. The cooling-off right does not apply to a contract formed at auction.

Seller disclosure

What a seller must disclose before the contract is signed.

Since 1 August 2025, the Property Law Act 2023 (Qld) requires a seller to give the buyer an approved Form 2 disclosure statement, together with prescribed certificates, before the buyer signs. The statement and certificates cover matters such as the title, encumbrances, rates and water, planning and building notices, pool safety where it applies, and, for a lot in a community titles scheme, body corporate information.

The obligation applies to most residential, commercial and vacant land sales, with some exceptions set out in the Act. Where the disclosure is not given, or is given but is inaccurate on a matter that would reasonably have affected the buyer’s decision, the buyer may have a right to terminate before settlement. The detail of that right, and whether it is available on the facts, is something to take advice on rather than assume.

On a Robina sale file, Fraser Lawyers prepares the Form 2 disclosure before the contract goes to a prospective buyer. On a purchase file, the disclosure received from the seller is reviewed and any gap or concern is identified before the contract is signed.

Costs and transfer duty

Disbursements, professional fees and transfer duty.

Two different things make up the cost of a conveyance, and it helps to keep them separate. Professional fees are what the firm charges for the legal work. Disbursements are the third-party costs paid out on your behalf: title and other search fees, body corporate certificate fees for a unit, registration fees, and the like. A written costs disclosure setting out the fee basis, an estimate, and the expected disbursements is provided under section 308 of the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld) before any work begins, so you see both before you commit.

Transfer duty (often called stamp duty) is separate again. It is a State tax assessed under the Duties Act 2001 (Qld) on the dutiable value of the transaction, and it must be paid before the transfer can be registered. Concessions can reduce or remove it: a home concession where you will live in the property, and a first-home concession for eligible first-home buyers. Eligibility criteria and thresholds change from time to time, and the first-home settings were revised in 2025. Fraser Lawyers assesses the transfer duty position on every file and explains which concession, if any, applies to your purchase. The Queensland Revenue Office publishes the current rates and thresholds.

Buying or selling at Robina

What to check on a Robina property.

Robina spans a wide range of stock, from detached homes on their own titles through to townhouses and units in community titles schemes, and lots in newer estates. A few things are worth checking depending on which you are buying or selling.

For a unit or townhouse in a community titles scheme, the body corporate records repay close reading: the level of administrative and sinking-fund levies, whether any special levy has been struck, the state of the sinking fund for future works, and the by-laws governing pets, parking and renovations. These obligations pass to the buyer on settlement, so they belong in the assessment before signing, not after.

For a freestanding house, the title, any easements or covenants, the rates and water position, and the building and pest report are the usual focus. For a lot in a newer estate, the contract may carry its own conditions around registration, disclosure and timing.

None of this is unique to Robina, but the spread of property types there means the right questions depend on which kind of property is in front of you. Reviewing the contract and the disclosure together, before signing, is how those questions get answered while there is still room to act on them.

Time limits

Deadlines and risks.

The standard REIQ contract treats time as of the essence. A party who misses a contractual deadline, for finance, for building and pest, or for settlement, can lose rights they assumed they had, or face a claim they did not expect. A few points are worth knowing.

Cooling-off is short. The 5 business day cooling-off period under section 166 of the Property Occupations Act 2014 (Qld) runs from the contract date and then expires. After it, termination needs a contractual ground.

The finance condition has a date. If finance is not approved, or the condition not properly extended, before the deadline, a buyer can find themselves committed without finance in place.

Building and pest rights are time-limited. A building and pest condition gives a defined window to obtain a report and act on a defect. Whether a particular defect lets you terminate, and whether you have raised it in time, are questions to take advice on before acting.

Seller disclosure is a pre-contract step. A missing or inaccurate Form 2 disclosure can give a buyer a right to terminate, but the right has limits. It is better identified before signing than relied on afterwards.

What we do

How Fraser Lawyers acts in these matters.

Fraser Lawyers does not make promises about how a transaction will run. A conveyance depends on lenders, valuers, body corporate managers, councils and the other side, and most of those are outside any lawyer’s control. What the firm does on a Robina file is steady and practical.

On each file the firm reviews the contract before it is signed and advises on the standard and special conditions; prepares the Form 2 disclosure on a sale, or reviews it on a purchase, and identifies any gap; runs the requisitions and searches between contract and settlement; prepares the settlement statement and coordinates with the buyer’s lender; and attends to settlement and registration of the transfer through PEXA. Fiona Cox handles conveyancing at the firm.

Where a problem arises, a defect on title, a condition that cannot be met, a dispute about adjustment figures, the firm advises on the options. The aim is to find problems early enough that there is still a practical way through them.

Pathway

The likely path.

Step 1. Contract review before signing.

The contract is reviewed before it is signed. Standard conditions, special conditions, the settlement date and the finance and building and pest timelines are identified and explained. On a purchase, the seller’s Form 2 disclosure is reviewed at this stage. On a sale, the disclosure is prepared before the contract goes to the buyer.

Step 2. Cooling-off and conditions period.

On a residential purchase, the 5 business day cooling-off period under section 166 of the Property Occupations Act 2014 (Qld) runs from the contract date. Finance approval is pursued within the contract period, and the building and pest inspection is arranged and the report reviewed. If a defect is found, the options under the contract are explained within the contractual window.

Step 3. Searches and requisitions.

Title, rates, water and, for a unit or townhouse, body corporate searches are obtained. Requisitions are raised on the seller’s solicitor. Any adverse result is assessed and, where needed, addressed before settlement is booked.

Step 4. Settlement preparation.

The settlement statement is prepared: purchase price less deposit, with adjustments for rates, water and body corporate levies calculated to the settlement date. The PEXA workspace is set up. Transfer duty is assessed under the Duties Act 2001 (Qld) and the buyer’s lender is coordinated for the advance.

Step 5. Settlement and registration.

Settlement completes electronically through PEXA. The transfer is lodged with the Titles Registry under the Land Title Act 1994 (Qld) and any existing mortgage is discharged. The buyer takes the title free of the seller’s encumbrances.

Frequently asked

Questions we hear often.

Plain-English answers to the questions clients tend to ask. If your question is not here, call us.

Get in touch

Do I need a lawyer to buy or sell at Robina, or can I use a settlement agent?

Either is permitted in Queensland, but the work is not the same. A solicitor reviews the contract before it is signed, advises on special conditions, identifies title issues, runs requisitions, and handles any contractual problem that arises before settlement. Many issues that look minor at signing carry a real consequence later. Fraser Lawyers acts from the contract stage, not just from settlement, and Fiona Cox handles conveyancing at the firm.

How long does a standard residential conveyance take at Robina?

The standard REIQ contract has a 30 day settlement period from the contract date. Within that period a buyer typically has 14 days for finance approval and 14 days for building and pest inspection. Some contracts negotiate a longer settlement; cash contracts can settle sooner. The timeline is set by the contract, and once agreed the dates are binding, so any extension needs the other party’s consent.

What does the seller disclosure scheme require?

Since 1 August 2025, the Property Law Act 2023 (Qld) requires a seller to give the buyer an approved Form 2 disclosure statement and prescribed certificates before the buyer signs. They cover matters such as title, encumbrances, rates and water, planning and building notices, and, for a lot in a community titles scheme, body corporate information. Where the disclosure is absent, or inaccurate on a matter that would reasonably have affected the decision, the buyer may have a right to terminate before settlement. Fraser Lawyers prepares the disclosure on a sale file and reviews it on a purchase file.

Do I have a cooling-off period after I sign?

On most residential contracts, yes. Section 166 of the Property Occupations Act 2014 (Qld) provides a 5 business day cooling-off period from the contract date. The buyer may terminate during that period without giving reasons; the seller keeps 0.25% of the purchase price as a termination penalty. The right does not apply to a contract formed at auction. After the 5 business days, termination requires a contractual ground.

What is different about buying a unit or townhouse at Robina?

A unit or townhouse in a community titles scheme is governed by the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld). On top of the usual conveyancing work, the body corporate records need review: administrative and sinking-fund levies, any special levy, the state of the sinking fund for future works, and the by-laws covering pets, parking and renovations. These obligations pass to the buyer on settlement, so they belong in the assessment before signing.

What does a conveyance cost, and what is transfer duty?

The cost of a conveyance has two parts: professional fees for the legal work, and disbursements, which are third-party costs paid on your behalf such as search fees, body corporate certificate fees and registration fees. A written costs disclosure under section 308 of the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld) sets out the fee basis, an estimate and the expected disbursements before any work begins. Transfer duty is separate: it is a State tax assessed under the Duties Act 2001 (Qld), payable before the transfer can be registered, and it may be reduced by the home or first-home concession where you are eligible. The current rates, thresholds and concession criteria are published by the Queensland Revenue Office.

Buying or selling at Robina? Start with a free 15-minute call.

Tell us about the property and where the transaction is up to, and we will explain what is involved and the most practical next step. The initial 15-minute scoping call is free and there is no obligation. Fraser Lawyers is based at 86 Bundall Road, Bundall, and acts for buyers and sellers at Robina and across Queensland.