Steve Lowe
Director · Licensed agent
A builder's eye for every home. Steve came to real estate from the building trade, so he knows how to prepare a home for sale and can answer buyers' questions about how it is built.
Buyer guide · Offer accepted
Making an offerin Canberra
Your offer has been accepted. Here is exactly what happens next, who does what, and why moving quickly matters in the ACT.
01Offer accepted
02Contract, finance and deposit all at once
03Exchange makes it yours
04Settlement gets you the keys
9Steps from accepted offer to settlement
<10Days it usually takes to reach exchange
5%Deposit, 100% refundable if the sale does not exchange
Important
Nothing secures the property except exchange
This is the part that catches ACT buyers out. A property remains on the market until contracts are exchanged, so another buyer can still step in and take it.
Paying the deposit does not secure the property either. It is a necessary step towards exchange, not a hold on the home. Until contracts are exchanged, the sale is not locked in. Speed is your only real protection, and every step below is built to get you there fast.
Everything at once
How it fits in 10 days
This is the part most buyers get wrong. These are not 9 things in a queue. The steps run side by side from day one, and only the exchange waits for all of them. Days shown are typical, not fixed.
Day 12345678910
Paperwork
Finance
Deposit and ID
The home
Exchange
You drive this directlySomeone else does the work, you keep them movingThe finish line, only reached when every step above is done
Tap any step
The 9 steps
Every step at a glance. Open the ones you want the detail on.
01Sales advice issuedWe start the clock with both solicitors and your brokerDay 1
We issue the sales advice to both solicitors and to your broker. This is the document that formally starts the process.
Who: Agent Team02Contract issuedThe seller's solicitor prepares and sends the contractDays 1–2
The seller's solicitor adds the agreed sale price and your details to the front page of the contract and issues it.
Who: Seller's solicitor03Formal loan approval startsYour broker takes over, and the valuer calls usDays 1–8
Your broker receives the contract and begins formal loan approval. This may include a bank valuation.
The valuer contacts us directly to arrange access, so there is nothing you need to organise.
Who: Your broker · Bank valuer04Contract reviewYour solicitor walks you through what you are signingDays 3–6
Your solicitor reviews the contract and arranges a meeting with you to walk through it and answer your questions.
Book this the day the contract arrives. Waiting until your finance lands adds a week for no reason.
Who: Your solicitor055% deposit paidRefundable, but it does not secure the propertyStart day 1
We send you the payment instructions. The deposit is 100% refundable if the sale does not exchange.
Funds can take a few days to clear, so start this early rather than waiting until everything else is done. The deposit is held on our behalf by Agency Settlements, an independent deposit holder.
Paying the deposit does not secure the property. The home stays on the market until contracts are exchanged at step 8.
While you are at it: ID check
Identity checks have been required by law across Australia since 1 July 2026. Agency Settlements runs one alongside the deposit, $6 per buyer, paid with it. Your solicitor will run their own check on you as well. Both are routine. One thing to get right: the names on the contract need to match the names on your ID.06Pre-exchange inspectionA last look to confirm everything worksDays 5–8
We arrange a walk-through with you to confirm everything in the home is working as it should before you commit.
Who: You · Agent Team07Instruct to exchangeFinance approved, contract agreed, you give the wordDays 8–9
By now your formal loan approval is through and the contract is agreed. You instruct your solicitor to exchange unconditionally.
Who: You · Your solicitorStep 8 · Exchange
SoldThe solicitors swap contracts, these days usually by email, and just like that the home is yours.
It comes off the market that moment. No other buyer can touch it. Every deadline, phone call and form from the last week and a half was for this.
Congratulations. Now we count down to the keys.
Who: Both solicitors09SettlementThe keys, on or before the agreed dateAs agreed
Settlement is the agreed period, usually a set number of days, from the exchange date to the day the property becomes yours.
Settlements happen on or before the agreed date. That means it can be brought forward if every party is ready, but not pushed back. As an example only, if 60 days is agreed and everyone is able to settle at 29 days, that can be done.
Your own settlement period is whatever is agreed in your contract. Settlements generally cannot be extended without penalty, so treat your date as firm.
Who: Both solicitors · Your lenderFilled numbers are the steps you drive yourself.
Your part
Your job: keep everyone moving
The process only runs as fast as its slowest link. Sometimes that is the bank. Sometimes it is a file sitting in a solicitor's inbox. Often, honestly, it is the buyer, because some of the steps above only move when you move them.
Nobody else can pay your deposit, send your ID, or sit down with your solicitor. Do those in the first few days rather than the last few. Then chase your broker and your solicitor, politely and often, and never assume no news is good news.
Then tell us where things are at. When we can show the seller that your finance is progressing and your deposit has landed, they stay confident in you and stop looking at other buyers. Silence does the opposite.
- 1Move first on the steps you ownDeposit, ID and the solicitor meeting. These wait on nobody but you.
- 2Chase your broker and solicitorAsk for a status update every couple of days until formal approval is issued.
- 3Keep us informedA one-line message after each milestone is enough. We pass the confidence straight to the seller.
Avoidable delays
What slows people down
Almost every delayed sale we see comes down to one of these. All of them are avoidable.
- 1Slow finance approvalGet your broker everything they ask for the same day. The bank valuation cannot be booked until the file is moving.
- 2Holding off on the depositIt is fully refundable if the sale does not exchange, and it can take several days to clear. Waiting adds risk without protecting you.
- 3Booking the solicitor meeting lateAsk for the contract review appointment as soon as the contract is issued, not after your finance lands.
- 4Running the steps in sequenceFinance, contract review and the deposit all run at the same time. Waiting for one before starting the next adds a week.
- 5Name mismatchesThe ID check stalls if the contract says Dave and your licence says David. Give us your full legal name up front.
- 6Going quietIf we cannot tell the seller how you are going, they assume the worst and keep talking to other buyers.
Roles
Who does what
You
Pay the deposit, provide ID matching your contract names, meet your solicitor, attend the inspection, chase your team, instruct the exchange.
Your broker
Drives formal loan approval and coordinates the bank valuation.
Your solicitor
Reviews the contract with you, then exchanges on your instruction.
Agent Team
Issues the sales advice, arranges valuer and inspection access, sends deposit instructions, keeps the seller informed and every party moving.
Buyer guide · Pre-auction offer
How to make apre-auction offer
Buying before auction day is not about having the deepest pockets. It is about preparation and strategy. Do the work first, offer well, and the auction never happens.
01Do your homework
02Offer early and strong
03Section 17 and deposit ready
04Exchange. Sold
0Cooling off, waived by your section 17 certificate
24hrsThe whole thing can be done inside a day
10%Deposit, ready to transfer. Sometimes 5% is accepted
Important
Under auction conditions means no way out
A pre-auction offer is bought on the same terms as the auction itself. You sign, you pay the deposit, and there is no cooling off and no conditions to fall back on.
That is exactly why sellers accept them, and it is why every check you would normally do after an offer has to happen before it.
What wins
3 things that win a pre-auction offer
A pre-auction offer is simply an offer in writing to the agent before auction day. Whether it gets accepted comes down to these 3.
- 1Go in earlyEarly offers save the seller weeks of open homes and the cost and risk of auction day. The closer you get to the auction, the less reason they have to take you. By the last week, most sellers would rather find out what the market says.
- 2Do not low ballA pre-auction offer has to compete with what the seller believes auction day will bring, which means the upper end of their expectations. Offer what you would have bid. A cheeky number does not open a negotiation, it wastes your one clean shot at it.
- 3Keep it unconditionalSubject to finance, a long settlement, or subject to selling your own home will almost always be knocked back. The seller can wait 2 weeks and get an unconditional result at auction instead.
The seller's view
What makes an offer hard to refuse
Price gets attention. These are what get the yes.
- Immediate exchange.You are ready to sign now, not next week.
- Deposit ready to transfer.Usually 10%, sometimes 5% is accepted.
- The property taken as it is.No requests, no repairs, no allowances.
- Contract already reviewed and finance already secured.Nothing left to check.
- A signed section 17 certificate.Your cooling off rights waived, so the seller knows it is done.
Tap any step
The steps
Steps 1 to 3 are the preparation. Once you offer, the rest can move very fast.
01Work out your priceReal research, not an online estimateBefore you offer
Compare recent sales of similar homes on Allhomes, and ask us for a comparative market analysis. We will give you one.
Your number needs to reflect what the property would fetch on auction day, because that is what you are competing with.
Who: You · Agent Team02Solicitor reviews the contractAnd you discuss the section 17 certificateBefore you offer
Ask us for the auction contract and send it straight to your solicitor. Go through the inclusions, the settlement period and the reports attached to it.
While you are there, discuss the section 17 certificate, which is how you waive the cooling off period. Your solicitor has to advise you before they will sign it, so raise it now rather than on the day.
No solicitor yet? Ask us and we will send you a few we work with regularly.
Who: You · Your solicitor03Confirm your financeFull pre-approval. There is no finance clauseBefore you offer
Full pre-approval, not an online estimate. There is no finance clause in an auction contract, so any gap between your offer and what your bank will lend is your problem, not the seller's.
Tell your lender or broker you intend to make a pre-auction offer. They can flag it as urgent and tell you exactly where you stand.
Who: You · Your broker or lender04Make the offerIn writing, with price, deposit and settlementDay 1
Put it to us in writing with your price, your deposit and your settlement period. Be ready to negotiate, and be ready for the seller to say yes on the spot.
Who: You · Agent Team05Move fastOther buyers can appear within hoursDay 1
Once your offer is on the table, other buyers can appear within hours. Sellers rarely wait, and every offer that comes in has to be presented.
Everything from here can be done in a day. Treat it that way.
Who: Everyone06Section 17 certificateYour solicitor waives the cooling off periodSame day
Your solicitor signs a section 17 certificate, which waives the 5 day cooling off period. Without it, the seller cannot be certain of the sale and will usually push on to auction anyway.
This is the piece that turns your offer into a genuine alternative to auction day, so have your solicitor ready to produce it quickly.
Who: Your solicitor07Prepare the depositUsually 10%, sometimes 5% is acceptedSame day
Usually 10% of the purchase price, sometimes 5% is accepted, by bank cheque or transfer. Have it where you can move it immediately, because transfers can take days to clear and the sale is not done until it is paid.
While you are at it: ID check
Identity checks have been required by law across Australia since 1 July 2026, and your solicitor will run one as well. Have your photo ID ready, and make sure the names going on the contract match it.Step 8 · Sign and exchange
SoldWith your section 17 certificate, your deposit confirmation and your photo ID, contracts are signed in our office or electronically and exchanged.
The auction comes off the calendar, the marketing stops, and every other buyer finds out they were too slow. There is no cooling off, so from this moment the home is simply yours.
Congratulations. You have just bought a house.
Who: You · Both solicitors09SettlementThe keys, on or before the agreed dateAs agreed
Settlement runs as it does on any sale. It is the agreed number of days from exchange to the day the property becomes yours.
Settlements happen on or before the agreed date, so they can be brought forward if all parties are ready, but generally cannot be extended without penalty.
Who: Both solicitors · Your lenderFilled numbers are the steps you drive yourself.
Side by side
How it differs from a normal offer
| Topic | Private treaty | Pre-auction |
|---|---|---|
| Conditions | Finance approval and a contract review happen after your offer is accepted. | None. Everything happens before you offer, and the contract has no way out. |
| Cooling off | Standard cooling off rights apply unless waived. | Waived by your section 17 certificate. That certainty is what buys you the property. |
| Timeline | Around 10 days from accepted offer to exchange. | Often inside 24 hours, and always before auction day. |
Ready to make an offer?
Complete our offer form and we will start the process, get you the contract and put your offer in front of the seller today.
Roles
Who does what
You
Research the price, get the contract reviewed, secure your finance, offer strongly and move fast once accepted.
Your solicitor
Reviews the contract before you offer, advises you on waiving cooling off, then signs your section 17 certificate.
Your broker or lender
Gets you full pre-approval before you offer, since the contract gives you no finance protection.
Agent Team
Provides the contract and a market analysis, presents your offer, and drives the signing and exchange the moment it is accepted.
Glossary
The words you will hear
Sales advice
The document we send that tells both solicitors and your broker the sale has been agreed. It starts the clock.
Exchange
The solicitors swap signed contracts, usually by email. This is the moment the property is sold and off the market.
Unconditional
No get-out clauses left. Your finance is approved and you are committed, which is why exchange comes after approval.
Settlement
The agreed number of days after exchange when the money changes hands, the title transfers and you collect the keys.
Deposit holder
Agency Settlements, an independent company that holds your deposit. It is not held by us or by the seller.
ID check
A quick identity check every buyer completes by law. Your deposit holder and your solicitor each run one.
The A Team
Meet the A Team
Deal with whoever you're most comfortable with, backed by all of us. Book a time to talk through an offer, a contract or your next step.
Tiff Mills
Sales and project coordinator
Keeps every campaign moving, from launch to settlement. Tiff knows West Belconnen inside out and makes sure nothing slips between inspection, offer and keys.
Victoria McLaughlin
Sales
Clear advice and quick replies, every step of the way. Vic works with Canberra owners and buyers on their next move, backed by the same systems, research and negotiation support as the rest of the team.
No preference? Book a time with the team.
Book the teamQuestions?
Just ask us
Call or email us any time. We're here for every step, from your first offer right through to settlement.