How to prepare and send a contract of sale

Before you start

• The property must be live on Openn with at least one buyer/bidder.
• Ensure seller details are added to the property.
• Have your contract documents or templates ready (uploaded to the property or saved as templates).

Step 1: open the contract flow

You can start the contract of sale flow from two places:

• From the action panel — Navigate to your property page and click Prepare contract of sale in the action panel on the right-hand side.
• From a buyer's sidebar — Open the sidebar of a progressed buyer (e.g. a buyer whose offer has been accepted or who is under negotiation) and click Prepare contract of sale.

Step 2: customise the recipient list

The recipient screen appears first, pre-populated with the buyers on the selected offer and the property's sellers.

1. Review the recipient list — By default, all buyers on the given offer and all sellers on the property are listed as signees.
2. Set the signing order:
   • Send automatically when signed — The document is sent to the next recipient immediately after the previous one signs. This is the default between buyers and between sellers.
   • Send manually — You control when the document is sent to the next recipient. This is the default between the buyer and seller groups.
   • Click the ... menu on any send step to switch between automatic and manual.
3. Add or remove recipients:
   • Click Add signee to add participants from the property (buyers, sellers, observers, attendees) or external contacts.
   • Click x on any recipient to remove them.
4. Add Cc recipients (optional):
   • Click Add Cc to send a read-only copy to solicitors, conveyancers, or other third parties.
   • Cc recipients do not sign. They receive a copy of the document at the configured point in the signing flow.
5. Click Next.

Step 3: select documents

The document selection modal appears.

1. Property documents are shown first — these are files already uploaded to the property.
2. Templates are shown below, sorted by relevance:
   • Templates matching the property's location and sales method tags appear first.
   • Browse My Templates, Agency Templates, and Openn Templates.
3. Select one or more documents and templates. They appear in the right panel.
4. Drag and drop to reorder documents as needed.
5. Click Next.
6. Enter a name for the contract.
7. Click Next.

If multiple documents are selected, Openn merges them into a single PDF.

Step 4: place fields and signatures

The field editor opens with your merged document.

Left panel — Fields:

• Standard fields — Text, checkbox, date, and initials. Drag onto the document or click to activate and place.
• Data fields — Pre-configured fields grouped by section (Buyer 1, Buyer 2, Seller 1, Seller 2, Agency, Agent, Property, Legal, etc.). These are automatically populated with data from the property and offer.
• Signature fields — Drag signature boxes for each recipient onto the appropriate pages.

Key actions:

• Drag and drop fields from the left panel onto the canvas.
• Resize fields by dragging the edges. Font size adjusts automatically.
• Select multiple fields and move them together.
• Undo/Redo using the buttons in the toolbar.
• Zoom in and out using the floating controls.
• Use Saved fields to apply a pre-configured field layout from a template.

Signature count indicator — A tag shows how many signatures have been placed versus how many are required. A warning icon appears if a recipient is missing a signature field.

Step 5: preview

Click the Preview tab at the top of the editor to review the contract with fields populated.

• Fields with data are shown with their values.
• Empty fields appear with a light blue dotted outline.
• Click Edit data to update contract data (property details, agency information, etc.) before sending.

Step 6: send the contract

1. Click Send from the editor.
2. The contract is generated and sent to the first recipient in the signing order.
3. A confirmation toast appears: the contract is now visible in the buyer sidebar and the Signature tab.

Auction-specific behaviour

Auctioneer signing:

• For WA and QLD, the auctioneer is added as a standard signee and can sign on behalf of the buyer.
• For ACT, NT, TAS, VIC, SA, and NSW, a "send sequentially" option is available — either the bidder or the auctioneer can sign. Once one party signs, the step is complete.

Multiple buyers:

• Openn supports up to 4 buyers on a single contract of sale.
• Buyer 3 receives the contract after Buyer 2 signs, and Buyer 4 after Buyer 3 signs.

Tips

• Use modular templates — Select and combine individual template components rather than maintaining one large template for every scenario.
• Check saved fields — If your contract format is consistent, apply saved fields to instantly place all fields in the correct positions.
• Prepare early — You can prepare the contract at any time during the campaign. The contract can be sent once a buyer is selected.

FAQ

Q: Can I edit a contract after it's been sent?

A: No. Once sent, a contract cannot be edited. To make changes, cancel the existing contract and prepare a new one.

Q: What happens if a buyer hasn't completed registration?

A: You can still prepare and send a contract of sale to pending or incomplete buyers.

Q: Where can I see the signing progress?

A: Open the buyer sidebar on the property page, or check the Signature tab for a full overview of all contracts sent for this property.