PropertyX Awards 2021 preview

PEXA’s annual PropertyX Innovate Awards, which celebrate influential businesses across the sector, including legal practitioners, panel law firms, developers, financial institutions and industry partners, is officially welcoming nominations.

Now in its fourth year, the program acknowledges organisations spearheading the continued transformation of the way property is bought and sold in Australia.

A panel of judges with vast expertise and experience across numerous sectors has been assembled for 2021, including:

• Kylie Davis, Founder & President, Proptech Association Australia

• Karen Finch, CEO of Legally Yours, Vice President of the Australian Legal Tech Association

• Ayala Domani, General Manager, Future Business, AGL

• Ben Ross, Co-Founder, Propel Ventures

• Geoff Rohrsheim, Co-Founder, Hatch Creations

• James Foster, Chief Executive Officer, Ezypay

• Tom Dreyfus, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Josef

As industry members from across the country begin to prepare their submissions, we caught up with Kristan Conlon, Partner, McCullough Robertson Lawyers – one of 2020’s award winners.

The national law firm was recognised for its exceptional adaptability amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, innovating its operations while displaying outstanding commitment to its customers and community.

Conlon explains that there was a key pillar that underpinned this successful transition.

“Effective communication was really critical for us – both internally within our teams and externally with our clients. Technology helps enable us, particularly in the current climate, but there still needs to be that drive to ‘pick up the phone’, check in and ensure you’re aligned.

“Regardless of your working environment, establishing that connection with those around you is key – that’s where your trust is built and all your best outcomes stem from that,” said Conlon.

Property in Australia is experiencing significant change – with COVID-19 accelerating widespread digitisation throughout the country.

And Conlon feels that now more than ever, the onus is on practitioners to keep up.

“I think the pandemic is going to continue to challenge how we operate as lawyers – the pace of our work is going to increase exponentially.

“Each step in the process for property is speeding up drastically – and it’s really up to us within our profession to continue to innovate and move with the environment around us,” said Conlon.

Nominations for this year’s PropertyX Innovate Awards close at 11.59pm AEST on Monday 30 August 2021.