Countdown on for Queensland’s new seller’s disclosure regime

The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) is reminding property sellers and buyers that Queensland’s new statutory Seller’s Disclosure laws will commence in just one month, on 1 August 2025.

Introduced under the Property Law Act 2023, the Seller’s Disclosure regime will, for the first time in Queensland, require sellers (in most transactions) to provide a prescribed disclosure statement (Form 2) before a contract is signed.

Prospective buyers can expect to start seeing these disclosure statements displayed at open homes, auctions, and in electronic form, containing a series of key information such as title details, easements, and planning matters.

REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella said the long-anticipated, landmark reform was designed to provide greater clarity and consistency in property transactions, ensuring buyers are better informed, and helping to reduce disputes and contract terminations.

“The Property Law Act 2023 represents the most substantial overhaul of property law in Queensland in decades,” Ms Mercorella said.

“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.

“The disclosure statement will help buyers identify potential issues early on or perhaps give them the level of comfort they need to progress through to contract execution.”

However, Ms Mercorella stressed that the introduction of 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.

“Accordingly, the ‘buyer beware’ principle still applies in Queensland. Buyers should continue to conduct their own independent inquiries and seek legal and other relevant professional advice to fully understand the condition and suitability of the property they are purchasing.”

Ms Mercorella said the REIQ was proud to have played a key role in shaping the reform for more than a decade, but remained concerned about the lack of government education and infrastructure to ensure equitable and affordable access to the information required for disclosure.

“It’s important that sellers understand that a contract should not be entered into until a disclosure statement is provided, and there is time and costs associated with preparing this document,” she said.

“Our support of this regime has always been conditional on it being affordable, practical and backed by appropriate infrastructure.

“Unlike other states, Queensland still lacks a quality, comprehensive statewide search tool to help sellers obtain the information required for disclosure.

“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.

“We’ve long warned that without the right infrastructure - accessible, efficient and affordable tools - compliance becomes more difficult, and the policy objectives of the regime harder to achieve.”

As the peak body for real estate professionals in Queensland, the REIQ has developed extensive guides, templates and education resources to support agents in preparing for the new regime.

“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,” Ms Mercorella said.

“In the meantime, the REIQ have also worked with Securexchange to deliver a Seller’s Disclosure Tool, providing agents with an automated and streamlined way to gather and manage required disclosure information.”

Ms Mercorella also flagged key outstanding issues that the REIQ will continue to pursue after implementation:

• Auction complexities: The legislation creates impractical and unnecessarily complex requirements for providing disclosure documents at auctions, including different obligations depending on when a bidder arrives.
• Community Management Statement (CMS) disclosure: The regime reintroduces the obligation to disclose a CMS when selling a lot in a Community Titles Scheme – a requirement previously repealed due to its limited practical benefit to buyers and administrative burden for sellers.

“While many positive elements of this reform reflect our long-standing advocacy, there are still areas that require improvement to ensure the regime functions fairly and efficiently,” she said.

“We’ll be closely monitoring the impact of the new laws from day one, and we’ll continue to push for sensible changes.

“Real estate is a cornerstone of Queensland’s economy, and it’s critical that we strike the right balance between buyer protection, seller responsibility and transaction efficiency.”

The REIQ urges sellers and agents to familiarise themselves with the new requirements ahead of 1 August.

To support the real estate profession, the REIQ has published a suite of comprehensive resources to help real estate professionals understand and comply with the new laws – which can be found here.

ENDS

Media enquiries:
Claire Ryan, Media and Stakeholder Relations Manager, The Real Estate Institute of Queensland
M: 0417 623 723 E: media@reiq.com.au

Read another media release from the REIQ: REIQ and Securexchange unveil tool to streamline seller's disclosure.

Or browse our suite of media releases.