Vetting a conveyancer when you're buying and selling at once

When you're buying one property while selling another, your conveyancer carries unusual weight. They'll be managing two simultaneous transfers, coordinating timelines so your sale funds arrive in time to pay for the purchase, and working across multiple parties—your agents, the other conveyancer, the bank, SARS. A slip in any of these threads can derail the whole sequence. Vetting your conveyancer properly means running concrete checks that expose whether they can actually handle this complexity, not just whether they sound competent.

Check their active registration and track record with concurrent transfers

Start with the Law Society of South Africa. Visit their website and search for the conveyancer's name to confirm they hold a current practising licence. This is non-negotiable; it's your proof they're legally entitled to practise. While you're there, note whether the registration shows any disciplinary history or conditions attached to their licence. Ask the conveyancer directly: "How many transactions have you managed where the seller was also buying simultaneously?" Listen for specifics—property types, price brackets, whether they involved transfer between relatives or into entities. A conveyancer who has done this before knows the rhythm; they know which deadlines are moveable and which are hard stops. If they hedge or give you a vague answer, flag it.

Ask also whether they've encountered complications before and how they resolved them. Have they dealt with a situation where the sale fell through before funds arrived? Where a buyer's bank delayed approval? Where SARS queried something mid-process? You want someone who has lived through the edge cases, not someone pretending they never happen.

Request references and verify their speed on dual transfers

Don't accept one reference; ask for three. Specifically ask for clients who've sold and bought in the same window within the last eighteen months. When you phone them, ask these questions:

• Did the conveyancer meet their agreed deadlines for both the sale and the purchase?
• Did the funds arrive when promised, or were there gaps?
• How well did the conveyancer communicate when something slowed down?
• Would they use the same conveyancer again?

Build a picture of whether this person can keep two balls in the air. References will often mention speed and clarity. If two out of three say "communication was patchy" or "we had to chase them for updates", move on. When you're juggling two transactions, silence feels like failure.

Also ask the conveyancer: "What's your average turnaround from instruction to registration for a straightforward transfer?" They should give you a realistic range, not a promise. Then ask: "If I'm selling and buying, what extra time should I add to that estimate?" A good answer acknowledges the coordination overhead without padding needlessly.

Confirm their systems for managing your cash and timeline

Ask how they'll handle your sale proceeds. Will they hold them in their trust account, or will they go directly to your bank? How long will that take? If there's a gap between settlement on your sale and your purchase, who holds the money and how is it protected? This isn't a legal question—you're checking their practical process. A conveyancer who hasn't thought this through will be defensive; one who handles it often will have a clear answer.

Request a written timeline before you sign the engagement letter. Not a casual email—a document with key dates: when they need your documents, when they'll apply to SARS, when you'll settle the sale, when you'll settle the purchase, any contingencies. Review it with your agent and your bank's bond originator. If the conveyancer gets irritated when you ask for this in writing, that's a warning.

Finally, confirm how they'll keep you in the loop. Will you get weekly updates? Can you reach them by WhatsApp or email, or only by phone during business hours? When you're selling and buying, you need a conveyancer you can actually contact. Strove can help you find conveyancers with verified credentials and honest client feedback—exactly the kind of screening that matters when your transaction is this intricate.