To support consumer protection and ensure you have the information you need at two important stages of the process of buying or selling residential property, two approved guides have been developed; an agency agreement guide and a sale and purchase agreement guide.
An agency agreement guide.
An agent must not enter into an agency agreement with you for the sale of a residential property unless he or she has provided you with a copy of the approved guide relating to agency agreements, before the agreement is signed. You must sign an acknowledgement that you have received the guide.
A sale and purchase agreement guide.
Similarly, before you sign a sale and purchase agreement for a residential property the agent must give you a copy of the approved guide relating to sale and purchase agreements. You must sign an acknowledgement that you have received the guide.
You must be provided printed copies of these guides. The only exception to this is if you are an out of town or overseas buyer or seller. In this situation, the agent will refer you to the relevant approved guide information. You will be asked to provide written acknowledgment, for example by email, that you have been provided with this information.
Click here to download the New Zealand Residential Property Agency Agreement Guide [PDF, 182 kb]
Click here to download the New Zealand Residential Property Sale and Purchase Agreement Guide [PDF, 182 kb]
What is in the approved guides?
The guides provide information for the protection of consumers who are selling or buying residential property.
The New Zealand Residential Property Agency Agreements Guide includes information on:
- What consumers need to know before signing an agency agreement
- What an agency agreement is for
- What consumers can expect to see in an agency agreement.
The New Zealand Residential Property Sale and Purchase Agreement Guide includes information on:
- What a sale and purchase agreement is
- What consumers can expect to see in sale and purchase agreement
- Cancelling a sale and purchase agreement
- Conflict of interest
- Information for buyers
- What to do if there is a problem.