Buying off-plan in Australia: what to check

Step 1: Who is selling: the company behind the project

Ask for the developer’s full legal name and registration number, not only the brand, and look the company up in the official register. The company that signs your contract should be the one that holds the land or the approvals.

What the rules and registers say

• Search the developer company on the ASIC registers: they show whether it is registered or deregistered, its ACN and its registered details. A project brand is often not the company that signs the contract.ASIC registers (opened 14 November 2026)

In our data

17 of 35 projects we track in Australia name the developer by its legal company.

Examples

• Harbourside Residences: developer named as Mirvac Limited, ABN 92 003 280 699
• Sydney House: developer named as ICD Property with First Sponsor Group Limited consortium formed 2019
• The Anderson, Chatswood: developer named as Anderson Chatswood Development Pty Ltd

Step 2: The land and what you will own

Find out exactly what you are buying: freehold, leasehold or a right of use, who holds the title today and what charges sit on it. Ask for the official registry extract, not a copy prepared by the seller.

What the rules and registers say

• Foreign persons generally need foreign investment approval before buying any residential land in Australia, whatever its value. From 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029 they are generally banned from buying established dwellings; the policy channels them to new dwellings.Australian Government, Foreign Investment: Guidance Note 6, Residential Land, version 5 (1 July 2026) (read 14 November 2026)

In our data

7 of 35 projects we track in Australia publish an address or location precise enough for a map pin.

Freehold and leasehold in off-plan property

Step 3: Permits and approvals

Ask for the permit number and date and confirm them with the authority that issued them. A company licence or a sales registration is not a building permit.

What the rules and registers say

• Development applications, approvals and their conditions are published by each state on its planning portal (the link is New South Wales). Ask for the approval number and read the conditions.NSW Department of Planning (state planning portal) (opened 14 November 2026)

In our data

8 of 35 projects we track in Australia publish a permit or licence number.

Examples

• Harbourside Residences: permit or licence number SSD-7874 published
• Sydney House: permit or licence number D/2021/203 published
• The Anderson, Chatswood: permit or licence number NSW SSD-78520463 published

Step 4: Where your money goes

Before each payment, know which account it goes to and what protects it if the project stops. Pay only into the account named in your contract, never into a personal account or a broker’s.

In our data

1 of 35 projects we track in Australia state how buyer payments are protected (escrow, bank guarantee or insurance).

Examples

• Waterstone: deposit protection stated in the sources we read

Escrow and deposit protection in off-plan property · Payment plans and deposits in off-plan property

Step 5: Recording your purchase and the contract

Check how your purchase is recorded before completion and what the contract says about delays, changes and refunds. Have an independent local lawyer or notary read it before you sign.

What the rules and registers say

• If the developer holds a New (or Near-New) Dwelling Exemption Certificate and gives you a copy, you generally do not need your own approval to buy a new dwelling off the plan in that development, up to AUD 3 million in total. Above that you must apply yourself and pay the fee.Australian Government, Foreign Investment: Guidance Note 6, Residential Land, version 5 (1 July 2026) (read 14 November 2026)

Step 6: Handover dates and progress on site

Compare the handover date you are promised with the record: earlier dates for this project and how the developer’s other projects went. Then check progress on site before each staged payment.

In our data

0 of 35 projects we track in Australia have a handover date on record that has passed; 1 had the date moved later.

Examples

• Moray House: handover date moved later; months added: 6
• Harbourside Residences: handover date on record second half of 2027, no change so far