The past, the present and the future – a South Australian reflection By Daniel Roesler, Executive Manager, Practitioner Services (SA)
The beginning and the benefits
Unprecedented capacity to There have been many people instrumental support clients to the industry’s transition and Rebecca Hayes, AICSA CEO since 2015, has been one of the industry’s key leaders. “As a former conveyancer and business owner, I saw the benefits e-conveyancing would bring to a business way back in 2004 when we started talking about this seriously.
Property transactions are inherently complex – and things don’t always go to plan. Jeff Stevens, Director at Stevens Partners, knows this very well. But his business can point to a matter that demonstrates how technology opens new doors and possibilities for supporting clients.
“Our firm completed a five-property sale and refinance deal involving 12 parties, “As our lives become more and more spread across three states – which influenced and enabled through digital solutions it made sense that the settlement was one of the most complex PEXA transactions completed. Apart from it of a conveyance would also move in this being a complicated transaction, it was direction. The efficiencies, transparency clear that using PEXA was the only way and agility of e-settlement are plainly the matter could be completed.” evident. “But what I saw as critical was the time a conveyancer could spend servicing their client. No longer spending hours each day travelling to the LTO to stand in queues, a focus could be made on working both on and in your business more effectively. “Using this time to build up relationships with key stakeholders, spending time with your client, considering contracts and advice more thoroughly and making time to invest in your own self development and wellbeing are all essential to growth as a business, a person and a team member.”
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Both practitioners and banks ultimately work to provide the best outcome for their mutual clients – the homebuyer and seller. Westpac’s Sarah Jewell recalls her ‘penny-drop’ moment – when she knew that digital settlements would be the way of the future. “Very early in our digital journey, I received a phone call from a Home Finance Manager regarding the need for an incredibly urgent settlement within the hour or one of our customers would have no home over the weekend.
