1. Typical fee ranges
Conveyancing fees are set by each firm; there is no official scale. For a standard second-hand residential purchase, buyer-side fees including the mortgage deed usually run HK$8,000 to HK$18,000. Higher prices and messier title — village houses, joint names, estates in probate — push quotes up.
If you are borrowing, the bank will require the mortgage deed to be handled by a firm on its approved panel. Using one firm for both the purchase and the mortgage is cheaper than splitting the work.
| Item | Typical fee (HK$) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sale and purchase agreement (buyer) | 5,000 – 12,000 | Depends on price and title complexity |
| Mortgage deed (buyer) | 3,000 – 6,000 | Must be a bank-panel firm |
| Searches, disbursements, courier | 1,500 – 3,500 | Land Registry searches, copies |
| Stamping on your behalf | Included, or 500 – 1,500 | The duty itself is separate |
| New-build using the developer's solicitor | 0 – 5,000 | Often subsidised, but one-sided |
2. What the fee covers
Title search and investigation: confirming clean title, no undischarged mortgage, no outstanding unauthorised-structure orders, and checking the deed of mutual covenant and government lease conditions. This is the most valuable part of the fee.
Drafting and reviewing the formal agreement: the provisional agreement is usually an agency template; the formal agreement covers completion date, fixtures and default remedies.
Mortgage deed and completion: coordinating drawdown with the bank's solicitors, redeeming the seller's existing mortgage, and registering the assignment.
Stamping: your solicitor files and pays the stamp duty within the deadline. Late-payment penalties fall on you, so fund it promptly.
3. Costs buyers overlook
Registration fees: Land Registry registration is banded by price, typically HK$230 to HK$450, with a few hundred dollars more for copies of the DMC and title deeds.
Rush surcharges: completion periods under a month often attract an expedition fee.
Title problems: probate, divorce orders, unauthorised structures or unpaid land premium each add roughly HK$3,000 to HK$10,000 of work.
Aborted deals: work already done is still billable, usually 30% to 50% of the original quote.
Sources: HKMC Insurance mortgage insurance premium schedule; HKMA loan-to-value guidelines. Solicitors' fees are not fixed by statute — the ranges below reflect common market quotes; rely on your own firm's quotation.
4. Choosing a firm
Get the bank's panel list first, then ask three firms on it for a written all-in quote that states whether searches, the mortgage deed and disbursements are included.
Do not choose on price alone. Completion is typically 45 to 60 days; a slow solicitor exposes you to forfeiting your deposit.
Developer-nominated solicitors on new builds are cheaper because the developer subsidises them, but that firm also acts for the developer, so you get no independent view on the contract.