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The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) has reminded agents that new seller disclosure laws will come into effect from 1 August 2025, introducing significant changes to property sales and leasing in Queensland.
The reforms will be introduced as part of the Property Law Act 2023, and impose new mandatory disclosure rules around the sale of both residential and commercial property in Queensland.
To fulfil the new obligations, agents in Queensland will now be required to provide prospective buyers with a disclosure statement and prescribed certificates for the property they are selling, before a contract is signed.
As part of the slate of changes, prospective buyers will now be able to terminate a contract of sale at any time before settlement if the mandatory disclosure documents are not provided, or contain insufficient or incorrect information.
REIQ CEO, Antonia Mercorella, said the new changes would provide greater clarity and consistency in property transactions, and also help to minimise disputes and contract terminations.
“The seller’s disclosure regime modernises the way property is bought and sold and is an important legislative change that ensures buyers are presented with key information upfront, helping them make informed decisions and reducing the risk of deals falling over post-contract,” Mercorella said.
Nevertheless, the CEO emphasised that the introduction of mandatory disclosure statements does not remove the need for buyer due diligence.
“While this regime enhances consumer protection by providing a consistent foundation of information across the state, it’s important for buyers to understand that the disclosure statement may not cover everything they wish to know about a property,” she said.
Beyond the new mandates, Mercorella said she was still concerned about the broader lack of government education and outreach around the information that is now required during the disclosure process.
“Unlike other states, Queensland still lacks a quality, comprehensive statewide search tool to help sellers obtain the information required for disclosure,” she said.
“This places a disproportionate burden on sellers – especially those in regional and rural areas – who must navigate disconnected systems to collect and verify property details.”
Mercorella said the challenges also extend to real estate professionals, warning that a continued lack of infrastructure will make the “policy objectives of the regime harder to achieve”.
“We continue to urge the state government to take greater responsibility in ensuring sellers and real estate professionals are equipped with the tools and access needed to meet their new legal obligations – affordably and efficiently,” she concluded.
Ahead of the upcoming changes, the REIQ recently unveiled its new partnership with proptech platform Securexchange, which provides access to digital tools that aim to streamline the seller disclosure process.
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