Marcelino Assaf is the Principal Conveyancer and founder of City Peak Conveyancing, a licensed NSW conveyancing practice based in Canterbury-Bankstown. He reviews and signs off every matter the practice handles, and writes and reviews every guide on this site.
At a glance
| Role | Principal Conveyancer, City Peak Conveyancing |
| Licence | NSW licensed conveyancer, licence 05015169 |
| Practice | Licensee in charge of Marcelino Assaf Pty Ltd trading as City Peak Conveyancing, corporation licence 08293700 |
| Licensed since | Unrestricted NSW Conveyancer Licence, held for just over five years |
| Memberships | Australian Institute of Conveyancers (AIC) |
| Experience | 12 years in conveyancing, handling and assisting with a substantial number of NSW conveyancing transactions since entering the industry |
| Languages | English; also understands Arabic |
| Areas | Canterbury-Bankstown, Greater Sydney and all of NSW |
About Marcelino
“I started City Peak Conveyancing because I wanted to create the type of conveyancing practice I would personally want to deal with one where clients can speak directly with their conveyancer, receive clear and practical advice, and feel that there is someone genuinely looking after their interests throughout the transaction.”
“Being based around Padstow and the wider Canterbury-Bankstown area has also given me a strong appreciation for how much the local property market has changed over the years. Many established areas that were traditionally made up of older freestanding homes are gradually being redeveloped, with duplexes, granny flats and other forms of development making greater use of the available land.”
Before founding City Peak, he worked across a number of roles and firms, having first entered the industry in 2014. He also reviews contracts for other law firms and conveyancing practices, which means he sees a wide range of special conditions and the problems they cause.
How he works
Marcelino's focus is making sure clients understand what they are agreeing to before they are legally committed. Most clients have never read a contract for sale, and many think they can sign first and fix things later. His job is to explain the contract in plain English, flag what matters and keep the matter moving through to settlement.
He works by phone and email, and meets clients in person by appointment wherever suits them.
What he knows best
- Strata and apartment purchases in the Bankstown CBD
- New duplexes and title types in Padstow and Revesby
- Selling inherited and long-held family homes
- Off the plan contracts and sunset clauses
- Contract reviews before auction
“In one recent purchaser contract, I identified that an in-ground swimming pool had previously been removed and filled without Council approval. The special conditions attempted to prevent the purchaser from later objecting, claiming compensation or rescinding because of those works. I highlighted the issue before exchange and recommended further Council and building enquiries so the purchaser understood the potential rectification and future-development risk before becoming committed.”
Guides by Marcelino
Mortgage Discharge When You Sell in NSW
When you sell a property with a mortgage in NSW, your lender is paid out from the sale funds at settlement and the mortgage is removed from the title through PEXA.…
Read guide →02 · BuyingPre-Settlement Inspection Checklist (NSW)
A pre-settlement inspection is your final look at the property, usually in the last few days before settlement, to check that it is in the same condition as when you…
Read guide →03 · BuyingWhat Happens If You Cannot Get Finance in NSW?
In NSW, the standard contract for sale does not make your purchase conditional on finance, so if you exchange and your loan is not approved, you are still bound to…
Read guide →04 · BuyingHow Much Deposit Do You Need to Buy in NSW?
The standard deposit on exchange in NSW is 10% of the purchase price, paid to the seller's agent or conveyancer to hold in trust until settlement. You can ask the…
Read guide →05 · Buying & sellingThe NSW Contract for Sale Explained
Most NSW property sales use the standard Contract for the Sale and Purchase of Land published by the Law Society of NSW and REINSW, plus special conditions added by…
Read guide →06 · BuyingSection 66W Certificate in NSW
A section 66W certificate is a document signed by the buyer's own solicitor or licensed conveyancer that waives the 5 business day cooling off period on a NSW…
Read guide →07 · BuyingBuying Off the Plan in NSW
Buying off the plan means signing a contract for a property that has not been finished, or sometimes not started. NSW gives off the plan buyers extra protections: a…
Read guide →08 · Buying & sellingConveyancer or Property Lawyer in NSW?
In NSW, both licensed conveyancers and solicitors can handle the legal work of buying or selling property. A licensed conveyancer specialises in property…
Read guide →09 · BuyingJoint Tenants vs Tenants in Common in NSW
If you buy property with someone else in NSW, you hold it either as joint tenants, where you own it together and the survivor automatically takes the whole property…
Read guide →10 · BuyingChanging the Buyer's Name After Exchange in NSW
Once contracts are exchanged in NSW, the people named as buyers are legally bound, and changing who buys, adding someone or changing ownership shares usually needs…
Read guide →11 · Buying & sellingExchange vs Settlement in NSW
Exchange of contracts is when the buyer and seller each sign identical copies of the contract and it becomes legally binding, usually with the buyer paying the…
Read guide →12 · BuyingFirst Home Buyers in NSW: A Plain English Guide
First home buyers in NSW may pay no transfer duty, or reduced duty, under the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme, depending on the property's value and whether you…
Read guide →13 · SellingSelling a House in NSW: What You Need Before You List
In NSW, a property cannot be marketed for sale until a contract for sale is ready, and that contract must include certain documents: the title search and plan, a…
Read guide →14 · Buying & sellingPassed In at Auction in NSW: What Happens Next?
A property is passed in when bidding stops below the seller's reserve price. The highest bidder is usually invited to negotiate first, and if a contract is signed…
Read guide →15 · SellingLand Tax Clearance Certificate in NSW
A land tax clearance certificate is issued by Revenue NSW and shows whether any land tax is owing on a property. The buyer's conveyancer usually orders it before…
Read guide →16 · SellingSelling an Inherited Property in NSW
In NSW, an inherited property is usually sold by the executor named in the will, once the Supreme Court has granted probate, or by an administrator under letters of…
Read guide →17 · Buying & sellingSelling and Buying at the Same Time in NSW
The most common way to sell and buy at the same time in NSW is to line up both settlements on the same day, linked in PEXA so the sale funds pay for the purchase. It…
Read guide →18 · BuyingCooling Off Period in NSW: How It Works and What It Costs
When you buy residential property in NSW by private treaty, you usually get a cooling off period of five business days after exchange, or ten business days for off…
Read guide →19 · BuyingStrata Reports in NSW: What They Show and What They Miss
A strata report is an inspection of the owners corporation's records, done before you buy an apartment, townhouse or strata duplex in NSW. It shows levies, special…
Read guide →20 · BuyingBuying a Duplex in NSW: Torrens, Strata, Community or Company Title?
A new duplex in NSW is usually sold either as Torrens title, where each half has its own separate title and no owners corporation, or as strata title, where the two…
Read guide →21 · Buying & sellingSettlement Day in NSW: How Long It Takes and What Happens
In NSW, settlement usually happens about 6 weeks (42 days) after contracts are exchanged, although the parties can agree on a shorter or longer period. On the day,…
Read guide →City Peak Conveyancing acts on NSW property only. This page is general information, not advice about your circumstances.