Growing chorus of conveyancers call for action on fees
Lawyer-turned conveyancer Aakanksha Khurana tells Australian Conveyancer about the burden and significant time it takes to negotiate fees.

CONVEYANCER Aakanksha Khurana has joined the chorus of practitioners calling for action on race-to-the-bottom fees.
The qualified lawyer turned to the property side of the profession six months ago to be able to help families navigate the biggest purchase of their lives.
But Aakanksha has been balancing her growing experience with harsh industry realities, such as competing on fees in an increasingly cost-conscious market.
“A significant amount of time goes in negotiating fees with clients,” said Aakanksha, who had to face the prospect of being turned down by two clients over fees when she started working at Taylor Rose in October.
A challenge she has faced is explaining why quality conveyancing matters, particularly in a market where clients may lean toward the cheapest option.
“I believe in providing real value, and my goal is to ensure clients feel confident and protected throughout the process,” she said.
“While affordability is important, it’s also essential to strike a balance with the level of care and attention clients deserve.”
“It’s a competitive space, and clients often prioritize fees,” Aakanksha said.
“I get it—every dollar matters when you’re making such a big financial commitment. My focus is on helping them see the value of having a dedicated and diligent conveyancer on their side.”
“It’s not just about the paperwork. It goes deeper with trying to mitigate risks for clients that they may be exposed to”.
“Without making any assumptions, when someone offers a lower price, it’s hard to know if they’re dedicating the necessary effort and care to ensure everything goes smoothly. It becomes particularly difficult for the industry due to the presence of players in the market offering extremely low fees.”
Aakanksha is an advocate of setting minimum fees as a way of ridding the industry of a race-to-the-bottom mentality. She believes – like other conveyancers who have spoken up through Australian Conveyancer and on social media – that the AICs around Australia should collaborate to find a remedy.
“It’s definitely important that the AIC works towards this and puts a cap on the lowest you can charge.”
“I think it’s becoming more and more difficult for the other conveyancers out there who are starting off their journey.”
She urged those embarking on a career in the field not to be driven down into accepting rock bottom fees.
“Although the industry is highly competitive and it might be tempting to lower your fees to attract clients initially, it’s important to understand that this isn’t a sustainable approach,” she said.
“Lower prices might attract more clients, but it often leads to overworking just to stay afloat.
“The real challenge is finding a balance between affordability and the value you provide to your clients.”
Despite these challenges, which Aakanksha has documented on her own LinkedIn, she is delighted to be part of the industry.
After qualifying in law, Aakanksha worked at PwC before moving to Sydney in 2019 where she was an in-house legal counsel at a private company when she realised she wanted something more ‘fulfilling out of my career as a lawyer’.
“Having bought my own home, I realised that conveyancing may be something that interested me,” she said.
“The primary reason for that was the positive aspects that come with it. At the end of every conveyancing transaction there’s this very fulfilling feeling that you’ve been part of something so monumental in somebody’s life. Knowing that I’ve contributed to making their dreams a reality keeps me motivated every day.”
“It’s a great feeling that you’ve been you’ve been such a big part of it, and they’ll probably remember you for the rest of their lives, for helping them through this.
“I am a very collaborative person. So bringing people together and having a good mutual relationship with parties stood out for me.
“While I love the legal field, conveyancing is more in keeping with my nature as a person.
While Aakanksha gained an advanced diploma in conveyancing before starting work, she admits it’s been a steep learning curve. “I am happy with the fundamentals, having transferred from law. But there’s always something or the other that keeps creeping up that takes an hour or so to research.”
And she has several keys lessons for others just starting out.
“When I started, I thought how difficult would it be? After all, the contracts are standardized,” she says.
“I didn’t think it would be that challenging, but once you dive into the transactions, you realize that while the contracts may look the same, it’s the specific conditions each party wants to include that makes them unique.
“Every settlement teaches you something new.”