Updated 21 Sep 2026. A conveyancing lawyer’s work should answer three questions: is the seller entitled to sell this property, what rights or restrictions come with it, and how will payment and registration complete safely? Paying an option fee or lodging a caveat does not, by itself, make you the registered owner.
This guide focuses on an ordinary purchase of completed private residential property held under Singapore’s registered-title system. HDB resale and purchases from licensed developers have their own procedures. A trust, inheritance, disputed title, restricted-property approval or unusual ownership structure needs specific advice before commitment.
Ask for checks before you become committed
CEA’s transaction guidance recommends working through the relevant buyer checklist before entering a contract. Its completed-property checklist covers the seller’s identity and authority, ownership, tenure, area, restrictions and existing caveats, approved use, unauthorised works, tax, maintenance charges, financing and bankruptcy status. Engage a lawyer early where you need help or special terms.
Give the lawyer the draft OTP, proposed ownership names, financing plan and intended use. If you need vacant possession for your family, identify that before agreeing to buy a tenanted unit. If you are an investor, request the tenancy documents and clarify how rent, deposits and existing obligations will be handled.
| Question | Evidence or explanation to request |
|---|---|
| Am I buying the correct property? | Reconcile the contract address with the lot or strata lot, title, tenure and plan. |
| Who can sign for the seller? | Confirm the owner and, where someone signs on their behalf, their authority. |
| What affects my title or use? | Have the lawyer explain mortgages, caveats and relevant restrictions, and what must be discharged or dealt with. |
| Can I use it as intended? | Check approved use and works separately; a title search is not a building-condition inspection. |
| Can I fund each payment? | Match deposits, taxes and completion money to confirmed cash, permitted CPF and loan drawdown. |
SLA’s search guidance expressly cautions users to match an address to the correct lot. Its title and ownership search products do not replace every other enquiry. Ask who will obtain the management corporation information, investigate physical alterations and check the condition. A tidy title search is not a promise that the unit has no leaks, unauthorised works or future repair costs.
A contract, a caveat and registration do different jobs
Under the Land Titles Act 1993, section 45(1) makes registration necessary for an instrument to pass an estate or interest under the Act; section 45(3) preserves an unregistered instrument’s ability to operate as a contract. Contractual obligations can therefore arise before title registration.
Section 115 allows a person claiming an interest in land to lodge a caveat specifying that interest and the dealings it prohibits. Section 119(4) prevents registration of prohibited dealings while the caveat remains effective, subject to section 129. A caveat is protection for a claim, not proof that the claim is valid or a transfer of ownership.
There is no universal requirement in section 115 to lodge a buyer’s caveat within 14 days of exercise. Do not read that as a reason to wait: ask your lawyer when your interest arises, when it should be protected and for confirmation of lodgment. Sections 120 to 122 provide for notices, lapsing and extension; a caveat is not a permanent lock. Refer any notice to the lawyer promptly.
These distinctions matter if a competing interest appears before completion. Do not assume that having paid a deposit makes later title issues irrelevant, or that a caveat solves a defective contract. The lawyer needs to assess the actual instruments and competing rights.
Separate the buyer’s balance from the seller’s deductions
Start the buyer’s completion calculation with the agreed price and deduct purchase money already paid. The seller’s mortgage redemption and CPF refund are matters for the completion arrangements; they are not extra discounts on the price you agreed to pay.
For a hypothetical S$1.5 million purchase with S$75,000 already paid towards the price, the remaining price is S$1.425 million. If the lender releases S$1.125 million and S$200,000 of permitted CPF is available for that balance, another S$100,000 is needed. This assumes those funds are approved and available on time. It excludes stamp duties, legal costs and contractual adjustments.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Agreed purchase price | S$1,500,000 |
| Less price already paid | S$75,000 |
| Balance of price | S$1,425,000 |
| Assumed loan drawdown | S$1,125,000 |
| Assumed CPF towards balance | S$200,000 |
| Further cash towards price | S$100,000 |
If the seller owes their bank S$600,000, the buyer’s price balance does not fall by another S$600,000. Ask your lawyer for the completion statement, who receives each payment, and how the seller’s existing security will be dealt with. Do not send money based on an unexplained net figure.
As a practical fraud precaution, verify new or changed bank instructions through the law firm’s independently confirmed contact details. CEA states that property agents must not handle sale transaction monies, including option payments, deposits, stamp duties and legal fees. Follow the verified payment directions for the appropriate recipient.
Ask what the legal quote includes
The Law Society says there is no recommended fee structure for lawyers. Its guidance distinguishes professional fees from disbursements and explains that non-contentious fees must be fair and reasonable in the circumstances. A percentage table presented as a compulsory conveyancing scale is misleading.
Compare written quotes for the same scope: purchase work, mortgage and CPF work, searches and registration, GST, unusual title issues, extra documents and an aborted transaction. Clarify whether the chosen firm can act on the proposed lender’s requirements and whether other representation is needed. A low headline quote tells you little if key work is excluded.
What to confirm before booking the move
- The contractual completion date, payment cut-offs and unresolved conditions.
- Loan and CPF availability, plus cash for any shortfall and separate costs.
- How existing mortgages, charges and caveats will be dealt with.
- Whether possession is vacant or subject to a tenancy, and what happens to keys and deposits.
- Who will confirm registration and supply the completion records.
Do not book non-refundable renovation or move-in arrangements merely because the OTP has been exercised. A family may need storage or temporary accommodation if handover slips; an investor may need a cash reserve if rent starts later than expected. Treat these as household planning scenarios, not predictions about a particular sale.
For the broader sequence, see our private condo buying guide. This article’s role is to help you question the title checks, protection and settlement arrangements behind that sequence.
Legal sources checked 21 September 2026: Land Titles Act 1993, sections 45, 115, 119 to 122 and 129, current SSO text displayed as at 20 September 2026; SLA, CEA and Law Society guidance linked above. No future amendment or case outcome is relied on. No case citation is needed for this statutory and procedural explanation. Editorial self-review is not lawyer approval or advice on a particular contract.
Featured photograph: Robertson Quay, photographed in 2011 by Bryanmackinnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized; neighbourhood context, not the home in the hypothetical example.
