Your offer’s been accepted. Congratulations!
After weeks — sometimes months — of searching, viewings, bidding and waiting, you’ve found a property and the seller has said yes. Then the estate agent asks:
“Can you send us your solicitor’s details?”
If you’re a first-time buyer, this is often where the excitement gives way to questions. Do I need a solicitor now? What does the estate agent need? Do I pay the booking deposit first? Is the house officially mine? What happens next?
The short answer: your offer being accepted is the beginning of the legal process, not the end of the buying process. Here’s what happens next when buying a house or apartment in Ireland — and if you’d like the wider picture, see our full guide to the steps to buying a house in Ireland.
“Sale Agreed” — an important milestone, but the property isn’t yours yet
Once the seller accepts your offer, the property is generally marked Sale Agreed. It’s a real milestone — but it’s important to understand what it does not mean.
You do not legally own the property yet. An accepted offer is not legally binding. Before the purchase becomes binding, the contracts must be agreed, signed and exchanged — and until then there are important legal, financial and practical steps to complete. That’s exactly why choosing your solicitor and getting the legal process moving quickly matters so much.
From Sale Agreed to the keys: the process step by step
Sale Agreed — but not yet binding
Your offer is accepted and the property is marked Sale Agreed. The sale only becomes legally binding once contracts are signed and exchanged.
Give the estate agent your solicitor's details
The agent will ask for your solicitor's name, firm, email and phone number, so they can send over the Sales Advice Notice and put both sides' solicitors in touch. The Sales Advice Notice sets out the property address, the agreed price, the buyer and seller, and both solicitors.
Pay your booking deposit
This is paid to the estate agent and is not the contract deposit (that forms part of the purchase price and comes later).
Instruct your solicitor and complete onboarding
Once you formally instruct us, the conveyancing begins. Onboarding covers verifying your identity and address, checking your proof of funds, and setting up your case.
The seller's solicitor issues the contracts
A contract can't simply be downloaded and signed. The seller's solicitor prepares the contract package and the legal documents for the property, which can include:
- Ownership and title, and the Land Registry folio and filed plan
- Rights of way and access
- Mortgages or charges affecting the property
- Planning and building matters, and boundaries
- Services, and apartment management-company documents where relevant
- Any special conditions in the contract
Your solicitor investigates the title
Before you sign anything binding, your solicitor carries out a detailed legal investigation into the property and the seller's right to sell it, raising pre-contract enquiries where needed.
Arrange a property survey
While your solicitor checks the legal title, a surveyor checks the physical condition — two very different jobs. A survey can flag structural defects, damp, roofing or drainage issues that a viewing won't reveal. It isn't compulsory, but it's strongly recommended: read why a pre-purchase survey matters.
Finalise your mortgage
Approval in Principle isn't the finish line. Work with your lender or broker to satisfy any conditions in good time. You may need to arrange:
- Final loan approval
- Mortgage protection or life cover, where required
- Home insurance
- Any documents the lender requests, and the funds needed to complete
Your solicitor handles the legal side of the mortgage and arranges drawdown of the funds before closing.
Deal with any legal queries
After reviewing the contract and title, your solicitor may need clarification or extra documents — raised as pre-contract enquiries or requisitions. Every transaction differs; questions can arise about planning, boundaries, rights of way, access, extensions or alterations, missing documents, title, or management-company matters for apartments.
Sign the contracts — only when you're ready
Once the legal investigation is complete, your mortgage is in order and any significant issues are dealt with, your solicitor arranges for you to sign.
Agree a closing date
After contracts are exchanged, the solicitors work towards completion. Before closing, your solicitor arranges mortgage drawdown, carries out final searches and prepares the transfer of funds.
Completion day — you get the keys
On the closing date, once the legal requirements are met and the funds have transferred, the transaction completes and the estate agent is authorised to release the keys. Congratulations — the property is now yours.
Sale Agreed: your quick checklist
- Choose and instruct a conveyancing solicitor
- Give your solicitor's details to the estate agent
- Pay the booking deposit requested by the agent
- Complete your solicitor's onboarding requirements
- Provide proof of identity, address and funds
- Make sure your mortgage approval is progressing
- Arrange a property survey
- Review and respond to your solicitor's requests promptly
- Don't sign contracts until the legal work is complete and you've been advised
- Arrange insurance and satisfy lender requirements before closing
- Get ready for the big day — collecting the keys!
The legal and the physical: two checks, both essential
It’s worth remembering the split at the heart of a purchase:
- Your solicitor checks whether you can safely buy the property from a legal perspective — title, rights, planning, charges.
- Your surveyor checks the physical condition of what you’re buying.
Buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments most people ever make, so you want to know as much as possible on both fronts before you sign.
Our purchase guides
For a fuller walk-through of the process, our step-by-step booklets cover both new-build and second-hand purchases:
New-Build Property Purchase Guide
Second-Hand Property Purchase Guide
Already Sale Agreed? Get the legal process moving
At Jacob Law LLP we specialise exclusively in property law — purchases, sales and mortgage switches for clients throughout Ireland. From onboarding and obtaining the contract documentation to title investigation, signing and closing, our team guides you through every step.
With 100+ dedicated staff, 3,000+ purchases completed and 2,700+ five-star Google reviews (as of September 2026), we combine specialist property-law expertise with a fully online service, fixed and transparent costs — and no professional fee if you decide not to proceed with your case.
Get started with Jacob Law LLP, or get a quote for your property purchase.
This article is general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Every property transaction is different, and specific legal advice should be obtained for your own circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
What happens after my offer is accepted on a house in Ireland?
The property becomes Sale Agreed. You're usually asked to pay a booking deposit and give your solicitor's details to the estate agent. Your solicitor then begins the conveyancing: obtaining the contract and title documents, investigating the legal title, and dealing with any issues before you sign a binding contract.
Do I need a solicitor as soon as my offer is accepted?
Yes — appoint one as soon as possible. The estate agent will ask for your solicitor's details so the sale information can be sent over and both sides' solicitors can communicate. Ideally you'd have a solicitor lined up before going Sale Agreed.
What details does the estate agent need from my solicitor?
Usually your solicitor's name, the firm's name, and their email address and telephone number.
Is my offer legally binding once it has been accepted?
No. In a standard private-treaty sale, an accepted offer and Sale Agreed status do not make the property yours. The transaction becomes legally binding only when contracts have been signed and exchanged.
Can the seller accept another offer after mine has been accepted?
Until binding contracts have been signed and exchanged, the estate agent must pass any further offers to the seller, who can decide whether to accept them.
How long does conveyancing take after Sale Agreed?
There's no single answer — every transaction is different. Timing depends on the seller's readiness, how quickly contracts issue, any title issues, mortgage requirements, survey findings, and how fast queries are resolved.
Should I get a survey before signing contracts?
It isn't compulsory in every transaction, but it's strongly recommended. A survey can identify physical defects your solicitor cannot assess as part of the legal investigation.
What is title investigation?
It's the legal examination your solicitor carries out into the property and the seller's right to sell it. Your solicitor reviews the title and supporting documents, identifies potential legal issues, and raises any necessary queries before you sign the contract.
When do I get the keys to my new home?
In most cases you receive the keys once the legal purchase has completed on the agreed closing date and the completion arrangements have been finalised.
