Australian Conveyancer edition seven - Inspiring

Conveyancer.

Inspiring

LEADERS AND INNOVATORS SHARE JOURNEYS OF DRIVE AND RESILIENCE

OUR COVER

The property conveyancing industry in Australia is driven by a workforce that is predominantly female. There are numerous reasons for this but in a profession that is complex and requires meticulous attention to detail and a massive dose of empathy, it’s both appropriate and richly deserved that we recognise the outstanding contribution made by the women inside it.

Australian Conveyancer magazine carefully selected five highachieving women to have promoted the industry, nurtured it, innovated and inspired others.

They are a representative slice.

But the stories of Felicity McAllan (Your Move Conveyancing), Melissa Warbrick (Ownit), Rebecca Petroff (Sunstate Conveyancing), Katina Romano (LegalX), and Michelle Kent (former national AIC president) are inspiring studies of elite determination and genuine care for what they do.

See our special acknowledgment on Pages 10-21.

Photo: Nick Leary

Styling: Natalie Shehata

Make-up: Chloe Langford

Stories that moved the dial

Rental affordability rate drops to lowest level

By Andrew Brown in Canberra

The affordability of rental properties has reached its worst level since records began, a report has found.

The latest PropTrack Rental Affordability report found households on the median income of $110,000 per year could only afford 39 per cent of available properties to rent.

It’s the lowest figure for affordable rentals since the report started tracking the affordability measure 17 years ago.

The figures were based on a typical household that would spend one-quarter of their income on housing.

For a household earning $49,000 a year, the report found there were practically no affordable properties available to rent.

PropTrack senior economist Angus Moore said the figures were driven by a 38 per cent surge in rental prices since the pandemic.

“Over the six months to December 2023, households across the income distribution system could afford to

rent the smallest share of advertised rentals since at least 2008,” he said.

Those living in NSW, Tasmania and Queensland had the worst affordability levels of any jurisdiction.

Those in Sydney had a median rent of $700 per week as of December 2023, at least $100 more expensive than the capital city median.

The report found median-income households could only afford to rent 28 per cent of the rentals advertised in the last six months of 2023.

Victoria was revealed to have the most stable amount of renters, with just more than half of rentals available for median incomes.

However, the past 12 to 18 months have seen affordability levels still sharply deteriorate, with increases in advertised rents of 18.3 per cent in Melbourne.

Moore said a boost in housing supply was a way for the issue of surging rents to be addressed.

House prices may surge if buyers use super for deposits

By Kat Wong in Canberra

House prices could surge by as much as $86,000 in some Australian capitals if aspiring home buyers use their superannuation to put down a deposit.

Under the federal opposition’s housing proposal, Australians could withdraw up to 40 per cent of their retirement savings – to a maximum of $50,000 – to buy their first home.

But modelling by superannuation fund collective Super Members Council found this would hike prices across Australia’s five largest capital cities.

The median Sydney price would swell by $80,000, Melbournians could pay $70,000 more, costs in Brisbane would grow by $78,000 and house prices in Perth would increase by $86,000.

Super Members Council chief executive Misha Schubert said this would worsen the affordability crisis. “We all desperately want more Australians to own their own home, but this idea won’t achieve that,” he said.

Grattan Institute program

director Brendan Coates said these estimates “seemed excessive” but acknowledged such a policy would push up prices on the margins.

Investor Jonathan Ng told a Senate inquiry that the financial benefits of home ownership would outweigh the costs to Australians’ super due in part to its value as an investment.

However, this policy would still drive up demand and prices without addressing supply, Centre for Independent Studies’ chief economist Peter Tulip said.

“Housing affordability is arguably our biggest social problem, you really don’t want to be making it any worse,” he told the Senate committee.

Instead, Australians should be given the choice to use their superannuation as collateral for their loan. This would help first-home buyers jump over the deposit hurdle

without jeopardising their retirement balances.

Superannuation would only be drawn upon in the event of foreclosure, which Dr Tulip said was “extremely rare”.

Using super to directly take out a loan was also unlikely to help demographics where home ownership was falling, Coates said.

The poorest 25 to 34-year-olds and 35 to 44-year-olds have close to no super and the next secondpoorest quintile generally has only $15,000 in their superannuation fund.

“I’m just not sure it will help the groups that most need the leg up,” Coates said.

Withdrawing money from super can also have an adverse affect on Australians, particularly younger people, modelling from the McKell Institute found.

New climate change guidance has implications for conveyancers

“Now we need to be experts in climate change and if we are not, we should be referring clients to third-party specialists for reporting?”

Renee Newlan

BY LEIGH REINHOLD

Conveyancers in some of the most climate-change affected-regions of Australia are concerned new guidance from the Law Society of NSW will impact their businesses and add an extra layer of compliance burden.

The society last month warned its members in its Legal Implications of Climate Change guidance they could be legally liable for compensation claims from clients impacted by property damage brought on by climate-induced weather events.

“Potential negligence claims could arise for solicitors including in the areas of conveyancing and commercial transactions, highlighting climate risks associated with real property and business assets,” said the guidance, compiled by the Law Society’s Climate Change Working Group.

With input from the Law Council of Australia and the Law Society of England and Wales, the report said more severe and more frequent extreme weather events –storms, floods, droughts and heatwaves – would impact the country’s commercial and residential buildings.

And solicitors in NSW should be prepared to advise their clients of the potential risks of climate-related

damage, and question if a property has been properly assessed and whether it could be difficult to find mortgage financing and insurance for a property in the future.

“My initial response is, ‘seriously – more liability?’,” says Renee Newlan, whose business Flash Conveyancing in Riverstone is in the flood and bushfire-prone Hawkesbury region.

“Now we need to be experts in climate change and if we are not, we should be referring clients to third party specialists for reporting? Then, in order to refer clients to third-party specialists, we need to learn about what specialists there are and what they specialise in. To be honest, if someone asked me what specialist to see, I would struggle to advise who they should seek guidance from.”

The Law Society, in its new guidance, urged members to consider their “evolving duty of care” and be “meaningfully aware” of how climate change would impact their professional obligations.

And the Society advised its members it was their duty to warn clients about potential climate risks; disclose all climate change related legal risks; and undergo professional training to better advise clients on risks and mitigation strategies.

“Conveyancers are already overloaded with policy compliance obligations, including GST, capital gains tax, land tax, swimming pools, smoke alarms, environment policy and planning compliance to name a few in NSW,” says Gabrielle Smith from BB Smith Conveyancing, which services the Eurobodalla region on the NSW far South Coast, which was particularly hard-hit in the Black Summer bushfires of 2020.

“In the ACT, the compliance requirements are even more onerous with recent changes to legislation. At the same time, conveyancers are expected to provide cheap and fast service.

“Conveyancers are a convenient whipping boy for all three levels of government, as evidenced by the mayhem caused by changes to deemed foreign resident ownership

Devastation on the sand at Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast in July 2020.

of property through trusts [when in the vast majority of cases, the effect was theoretical only].

“The onerous obligations already placed on conveyancers need to be recognised and acknowledged and service expectations for the fees charged set accordingly.”

The President of the Law Society of NSW, Brett McGrath, says the provision of advice around climate change risks is “a natural consequence of solicitors’ professional standards and legal ethics”.

“We can’t avoid the novel and complex questions of law that the effects of climate change will raise across the spectrum of legal practice,” he says.

The Law Society advised members they should adapt and react to the altering climate landscape and asked them to consider a range of possible impacts arising from global heating including increased regulations, litigation, public scrutiny and reputational damage.

In response, the chief executive of the Australian Institute of Conveyancers (NSW division), Chris Tyler, said he would be raising the matter with the AICNSW Board at its meeting on March 25.

Smith says, in light of the Law Society’s recent recommendations, she would like the AICNSW to offer conveyancers some clarity and assurances.

“I would like to see the AIC recommend that retainers be expressly limited to exclude climate-change-related advice; that conveyancers not be expected to give climate-change-related advice unless the risk is glaring;

and that the conveyancing transaction not be used by governments at all levels to achieve compliance with climate change policy,” she says.

Newlan says she will be looking to the AIC for advice tailored to conveyancers.

“Our main issues probably lie with flooding and bushfires,” she says. “Maybe the AICNSW could provide more information as to what specialist people and reports for climate change are actually available, what they entail and when they should be recommended?

“We need to know what our obligations are and we need guidance as to what we should be advising when these questions of climate change impacts arise.”

The Hawkesbury region inundated by flood waters.

This Law Society of NSW climate risk guidance explores the principles that apply when considering:

• How climate change legal risks may be relevant to client advice.

• Issues that may be relevant when considering the interaction of legal advice, climate change and solicitors’ professional duties.

• Issues which may be relevant when considering the solicitor-client relationship in the context of climate change.

FACE-TO-FACE with Sympli chief executive Philip

Joyce

Sympli determined to bring the benefits of competition to conveyancing

BY LEIGH REINHOLD

Interoperability is set to become a reality by the end of 2025 with the promise conveyancers - and their customers - will reap the benefits of greater competition, price, innovation, efficiency and security throughout the settlement process.

Sympli chief executive Philip Joyce tells Australian Conveyancer magazine his company is ready to challenge PEXA and become a trusted electronic lodgment network operator (ELNO), offering choice and convenience to conveyancers, solicitors and lawyers.

PHOTO: JULIAN ANDREWS

AUSTRALIAN CONVEYANCER: You have worked at the ASX as general manager, NSW Treasury as transformation director and Westpac Group as managing director payments. Your experience must place you well for your current role at Sympli?

PHILIP JOYCE: I’ve spent a lot of my career in payments at Westpac, then Treasury and the ASX – that is my subject matter of expertise. And that is part of the conveyancing industry, a really important part. But what I’ve loved about this role is learning the intricacies of a whole new industry. I didn’t realise the importance of house purchases and sales and all the processes that readers of this magazine help Australians with every day. So I bring a bit of experience, but I’m also learning a lot which is fantastic.

AC: Tell us about your role with Sympli, the new ELNO on the block.

PJ: Sympli has been in existence for five years, I came on board three-and-a-half years ago. We’re half owned by the ASX group and half owned by the ATI group. While I was working at the ASX, I was asked would I welcome the opportunity to jump on board at Sympli as the CEO and I was very happy to do so. I’d worked with the Sympli team in my role at ASX so it was a natural kind of evolution from there.

AC: What is your company name Sympli trying to convey?

PJ: One of our values is we’re determined to deliver simplicity to our clients. To take the complexity away from workflow and transactions, make it as easy and intuitive as we can, and let our customers spend their time where they want to, on their customers, not on trying to understand a platform to facilitate settlement.

AC: So there must have been some big investment that’s gone into Sympli?

PJ: We’re fortunate we’ve got two supportive shareholders. The ASX run a lot of settlement businesses in their equity and bond market, in particular. So they bring that expertise, they facilitate our settlement flows. And the ATI group are very big participants in the legal industry, renowned for really meaningful, efficient and great software.

AC: So you’re well placed to know what’s going on in the conveyancing space?

PJ: We get a decent view from where we are placed, particularly of what the future may hold. We’re very privileged we’re connected to a lot of the influencing members of the industry.

AC: What will happen in the future?

PJ: We entered the market to be the second ELNO. Today everyone is effectively (in most states) mandated to use one provider. And so our “why” as an organisation is to bring the benefits of competition to the industry and to our customers. For us what the future really holds is genuine choice for conveyancers, solicitors and law firms to choose the settlement provider they want to. And for that competition to drive all the benefits that you would think of: price, innovation, efficiency, security. So that’s the most exciting part of the future that we believe we can contribute to really strongly.

AC: What are the customer requirements that are going to help Sympli compete with the incumbent, PEXA?

PJ: While the settlement process and the lodgment process – which ELNOs look after – is really important and has to be safe, secure, robust and efficient. It’s one part of a bigger value chain that conveyancers, solicitors and lawyers have to manage across multiple stakeholders.

We are at the very end of the process when a house settles, funds are dispersed, documents are lodged. But there’s a whole bunch of work that happens upstream from that.

Our job is to put our proposition in that context, and therefore give the right information at the right time and in the right format to help conveyancers, solicitors and lawyers do their job as easily and as simply (no pun intended!) as possible.

So that’s where we are trying to carve out a point of difference in this market and it’s really what we stand for.

AC: Do you think being the challenger brand is a good position to be in?

PJ: We talk a lot about the promise of the second mover advantage but, at the moment, let’s be frank, it’s very challenging. We are a national provider.

“If you go back two years ago, it was just a bullet point on a slide … now we’ve got legislation, we’ve got regulation, we’ve got dates. It’s happening.”

Philip Joyce

We process in every state in Australia, we support three of the major banks and a lot of their processing. So that’s really positive. But the most meaningful part of the market – which is supporting house purchases and sales – we can’t do today.

That’s why interoperability is really important, so we can then support our customers, and they can then support their customers, with the most important transactions that they facilitate today – house purchases and sales. So that’s really where we’re geared towards, how do we offer the best proposition and give time and efficiency and security to our customers?

AC: ARNECC has inked December 2025 as the deadline for interoperability? Is that date what you’re aiming for too?

PJ: All eyes for us are on getting interoperability delivered by December 25. And creating that level playing field where the legal practitioners, conveyancers, solicitors and lawyers have a freedom of choice. That is the only opportunity, I think, for us to enter the market at scale and offer that choice at scale. Because then interoperability is designed so people can subscribe to whichever network they choose and have confidence the transaction will work.

AC: In a nutshell, what does interoperability do?

PJ: It exchanges data between the two networks, and then one of the ELNOs does the final lodgment settlement. We’re not building a rocket ship to Mars, we’re just exchanging information securely between networks. And then one network finalises the lodgment and settlement of that. But that sharing of information and data is the important point, if we’ve got a practitioner using us and the other participants are on the incumbent; you want to make sure that information is shared so the workspace can lock and then settle appropriately.

AC: What are the challenges of that?

PJ: I’ll speak candidly. The challenges we see are, we have most industry participants really supportive of competition, but you’ve got an entrenched incumbent who doesn’t want to do that.

AC: So PEXA is putting up the barriers for you?

PJ: Yeah, they’re putting up barriers. We had the scope

of interoperability resolved by ARNECC last year. And we had the incumbents disputing that. Topics such as linked settlement, linked lodgments and the use of trust accounts which are a huge part of transaction flow today. Without those scope items, of which there are a number, interoperability won’t offer a full and complete service to conveyancers. So it won’t work. It won’t be a level playing field and there won’t be true choice and there won’t be true competition. So that’s one area where we’re seeing big pushback from the incumbent.

AC: PEXA is taking notice of Sympli?

PJ: I think if you’re running the only network and you’ve got all the market and someone is looking to enter that market, I think you would have to take that seriously. I think as more confidence has grown around interoperability … if you go back two years ago, it was just a bullet point on a slide … now we’ve got legislation, we’ve got regulation, we’ve got dates. It’s happening. As time has gone on, I think that realisation has dawned on them. They’re still fighting on aspects to try and slow it down or reduce its effectiveness. I hope they get to a point where they accept it’s going to happen and then concentrate on giving the best service they can and then let’s let the customer decide.

AC: You have been quite candid about the pushback you’re getting from PEXA. Why?

PJ: Because we will need advocacy from conveyancers, to really champion that they want genuine choice. Because the voice of the end customer is vital in this process. This reform is really about delivering benefits for them. And, in turn, them providing that value to their customers.

The voices of members through their AIC is probably the best channel for that. Advocacy for genuine choice. If they can be vocal around that, be vocal that the timing and the scope is meaningful for them, then I think that will go a long way to getting interoperability done in time, getting it done right. And then they’ll have the benefit of at least two, and then probably more, providers fighting for their business and delivering great features that help them do their job.

AC: ARNECC is behind getting more players into the market?

PJ: Yes, ARNECC has been quite supportive. There’s

been a lot of hard work to get us to where we’ve got to, we’d have liked it to be quicker. But the decision has been made on the interoperability model, the dates and the scope. Now, it’s about keeping this reform on track to deliver benefits to the users of the system, which are conveyancers, solicitors, lawyers, banks, and then they flow through to the consumers through lower fees.

If you looked at this nationally, it’s tens of millions of dollars a year of benefit. And that’s without thinking through the even bigger benefits of competition, which are at least two companies competing for business. So having to offer better features, better service, better innovations.

AC: Can you hurry interoperability along?

PJ: We would love to do that. Realistically, the biggest challenge is keeping us on track. The biggest challenge of that is keeping the incumbent honest and getting them to deliver to the timeframes.

AC: What are the key milestones for interoperability?

PJ: There are two key milestones for interoperability. July next year for what we call Release One. That’s the limited refinance offer, supporting only the banks. And then the biggest and most meaningful releases are Two and Three in December of 25.

Release Three is what is important for conveyancers. That’s when there will be competition available to them for transfers, ie supporting house purchases and sales.

While the incumbent has engaged on the plan for July 25, they have yet to commit to December 25. So, if we don’t have a plan for it, or they don’t have a plan for it, how are we going to deliver it? And, importantly, what’s the penalty regime if they [PEXA] don’t meet milestones in advance of that?

So we’re big advocates for more transparent reporting. Getting milestones in place that tell us are we on track to deliver on December 25. And then putting enforceable milestones in place that hold both me and my competitor to account.

AC: How will Sympli’s presence in the market affect PEXA?

PJ: We have to earn our customers’ business. We know it’s not just a case of creating the level playing field and

all these customers will suddenly walk on over. Our part of the bargain is, we’ve got to have something of value and make sure we deliver those efficiencies. All we’ve ever advocated for is getting a level playing field where customers do have that choice. And then it’s up to us to demonstrate that we have value. So, of course, for the other company, its a downside risk because, when it’s a level playing field, then people will be comparing the offers and then they will have freedom of choice, which they don’t have today.

AC: Do you think there’ll be more than one new ELNO in the market?

PJ: Lextech has been granted their Category One approval. So they’re certainly looking at the market. So that’s good. Interoperability has been designed such that you could accommodate multiple entrants. So that’s also good. I definitely believe a rising tide lifts all boats. So the more innovation, the more thinking, the more competition, I think that just drives us harder.

AC: How will Sympli help conveyancers?

PJ: We want to be measured on how much time and confidence we can give back to a conveyancer so they can get on with doing the other parts of their job and focus on giving great service to their end customer.

AC: Conveyancers are naturally worried about security in interoperability space. What can you say to them about that?

PJ: We take it really seriously because it’s fundamental to us and to our customers’ business. And we know we’ve got to keep evolving, because the threats keep evolving. My view is interoperability will be better for security for the industry. Because at the moment we’ve got a single point of failure, we’ve got everyone on one network. If that network was to have a problem, there is no opportunity to look to do that anywhere else.

At Sympli we have wholly different connections to land registries, to banks, to revenue offices.

Once interoperability is live, we’re big advocates for looking at how we could build more industry resiliency, such that if we had a problem at a point in time, or a competitor had a problem, we can look at it and how we can facilitate the transactions somewhere else. That isn’t possible today.

GIVING BACK: WHY WE GUIDE AND INSPIRE OTHERS

Photos:

Styling:

Make-up:

Rebecca

Katina

Melissa

’24

They come from diverse backgrounds; their businesses serve different markets; and yet the women representing the face and the voice of Australian conveyancing are unified in their purpose.

The professional journeys of Queensland’s Melissa Warbrick and Rebecca Petroff, the ACT’s Katina Romano, and Michelle Kent and Felicity McAllan from NSW, are pictures of remarkable achievement, selflessness, and boundless energy.

They are studies of inspiration and now they are inspiring others.

Each is committed to giving back. They mentor. They invest in and grow the people in their orbit. That’s because each had guardians in their corner as they rose through the ranks.

On the back of International Women’s Day, which this month promoted inclusive work cultures, the passion and commitment of Michelle, Melissa, Felicity, Rebecca and Katina are celebrated.

Conveyancing is a profession whose workforce is predominantly women. International Women’s Day on March 8 was a significant and necessary acknowledgment.

To understand exactly what it means, and to tell this story, Australian Conveyancer magazine carefully curated a representative slice of leaders and innovators. We counselled widely and spoke with peers to validate our choice for 2024.

Melissa Warbrick, chief executive of highly successful Brisbane practice Ownit Conveyancing, describes her main purpose as building careers for young women, “whether they are entering the workforce from high school or a working mum”.

“It is my sole purpose to create an environment where they can flourish and build a career and know that they can have it all,” she says. “I was fortunate to have that in my younger years and those opportunities don’t come around often”.

Sydney-based chief executive of Your Move Conveyancing, Felicity McAllan, says the mentoring she received “by two incredible women” when she entered

the industry, has encouraged her to embrace those values in her own leadership these days.

“We are committed to inclusivity around the firm, ensuring everyone has equal opportunity, and empowering our staff to lead and achieve what’s possible for them,” McAllen says.

For Coronis and Sunstate Conveyancing’s Rebecca Petroff, hers was a story of ground-up transformation.

“I was 21 years old when I arrived at Coronis and not the person I am today. I was in a lot of debt, I didn’t know what I was doing with my future,” she says.

“I’m so lucky to have had so many mentors to mould me and push me to the next level.

“They taught me that there is no limit to how much I can achieve in one lifetime,” the company’s director of conveyancing says.

For Michelle Kent, principal of Kent Conveyancing and immediate past president of the peak industry body, the Australian Institute of Conveyancers, family is her primary source of motivation and inspiration.

“We all have our own personal drivers when it comes to our career. Tapping into those and ensuring that each day we are being honest to ourselves and to our family is critical,” she says.

“For me, my WHY is my children and our industry. I care about our industry; and I care about my teammates at work.”

Katina Romano, the head of marketing and customer engagement at Canberra’s LegalX, says the conveyancing industry is a good and natural fit for professional women.

“I feel like this is a really good industry for women to be in because of the work-life flexibility it offers,” she says. “They can go off and have children, then come back, maybe work from home.

“We always try to make them feel safe.”

Australian Conveyancer magazine sat with Michelle, Katina, Melissa, Rebecca and Felicity to talk of their experience, then spoke to their peers to round out the story of their remarkable contributions to the profession.

THEIR JOURNEYS: PAGES 12 TO 21

By MELISSA IARIA Journalist and editor with over two decades of mainstream newsroom experience.

INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS REBECCA PETROFF

Director, Sunstate Conveyancing

“Just teaching myself different things and really having that passion for growing and learning is probably my biggest skill.”

At just 17, Rebecca Petroff began a career in real estate where she undertook “every role you can imagine”.

With that vast property experience, she joined the Coronis Group 11 years ago as an administrator and moved up the ranks. Rebecca managed contracts then moved to APPS Legal to start conveyancing before landing the role of conveyancing director.

However as the self-starter stepped into the director’s shoes in 2019, COVID hit and sales dwindled.

Rebecca’s idea to open under a new trading name was adopted and Sunstate Conveyancing was launched, prompting fortunes to turn.

“We more than doubled our numbers within 12 months by opening Sunstate and it’s since become our larger brand – it does 66 per cent of our work if not more on a month-to-month basis. It’s been phenomenal,” she says.

Rising up the ranks from real estate to become a Coronis Group director is counted as Rebecca’s biggest achievement, despite not having a background in conveyancing.

But her ability to improve strategies, workflows and build client relationships have helped her excel.

“I’m really good at seeing how things are being run, how they can be made more profitable and easier for every person involved, and how to push people to reach that next level in their career without necessarily increasing workload,” she says.

Her “out-of-the-box thinking” has also led to innovations. As contract manager, she and her team implemented Coronis Concierge and managed it to profitability.

Rebecca also drove efficiencies by tweaking processes and streamlining contract administration.

She also used her real estate background to her advantage, cold-calling agents when Sunstate was launched to tell them about the service.

“I made approximately 9000 calls in the first six months,” she says.

Rebecca also started a weekly database explaining aspects of property law, a valuable resource for real estate agents that has grown to 9000 readers a week.

“Because I’ve come from such a strong background in real estate, I’ve learned how to ‘speak’ real estate,” she says.

“I can actually help a lot of the agents and break down the terminology, build the relationships and explain it in terms they need. That’s where I’ve been able to bridge that gap.”

Rebecca also designed the Sunstate website from scratch, learning coding, website design, search-engine optimisation and digital marketing.

“Just teaching myself different things and really having that passion for growing and learning is probably my biggest skill,” she says.

“With Triconvey alone, I’ve created a program that PDF reads all the contracts and then shoots the data across to Triconvey, so I don’t have to have someone manually entering all the data.”

Andrew Coronis says he “couldn’t be prouder” of Rebecca, who went from humble beginnings to oversee a significant team with big goals.

“She’s always excelled, with really high standards,” he says, adding the transition to a leadership role is not easy.

“She now has the skills and ability to grow people around her with similar high standards and, more importantly, the same values,” he says.

Rebecca says her busy schedule, juggled with care for her toddler, is about “integration” rather than work-life balance.

“I don’t think in this day and age you can say we go to work between nine and five and then we shut off at that time. There are responsibilities with kids, appointments or different things they need to do,” she says.

“I make sure I leave the office by 3pm so I can spend from 3pm until 6pm – when my daughter goes to bed – with her, and then I jump back on after that. It’s just about prioritising and integrating it to make it work for you.”

The biggest challenge has been the personal growth of her team, and ensuring they are motivated and kept accountable for their goals.

“It’s especially a challenge to keep the motivation when some people are so close to achieving their goals, and they miss out on it slightly,” she says.

“If you can help them achieve their goals, whether it’s professionally or personally, and they’re winning and succeeding in life, everything just follows on.”

INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS MICHELLE KENT

Kent Conveyancing principal, immediate past president of Australian Institute of Conveyancers.

“The landscape is changing. Equality is what we want, but we’re not there yet.”

Michelle Kent has always blazed a trail. The immediate past national president of the Australian Institute of Conveyancers came top of the class in contract law at university and landed a job at the biggest conveyancing firm in NSW at that time.

Then, when she was unable to gain full time daycare for her daughter, she opened her own business, Kent Conveyancing, from the front bedroom of her home.

“My employer needed me full time and there was no such thing as work from home or remote work back then,” she recalls.

“I thought, ‘It’s a no-brainer’. Let’s try it’.”

Since being licensed in 2000, Michelle has sought to be an industry voice.

Her passion and self-belief helped draw the attention of industry leaders like Alan West, then chief executive of AIC NSW, who tapped her on the shoulder at a conference and suggested she join the board.

“I said, ‘Really’?” she recalls.

In retrospect, her confidence and people skills impressed him.

“He saw that I have the ability to stand up in front of a large room of people and voice my opinion and not be persuaded by others. I also love people and bringing people together – it’s just a natural skill. ”

Her meeting with NSW minister Victor Dominello was also one she won’t forget: “His words were, ‘I can see how passionate you are about your profession’.”

Michelle has been an AIC NSW councillor since 2013 and served on the National Council throughout that time as well as National President from 2020 until November.

She credits the mentorship from the board’s state and national executives for her success.

Michelle has also just joined the AIC as policy and advocacy officer, which she hopes will help lift the profile of conveyancers, while dispelling the belief a conveyancer is inferior to a lawyer.

“Most stakeholders in our industry don’t know the extent of what we do and in this new role I’m taking on I’d like to see that become a little more transparent,” she says.

She is also studying a diploma of law at Sydney University to broaden her business scope and enhance her ability to better advocate for the industry.

“It was the piece of the puzzle that was missing,” she says. “When you spend so much time in property law, you

get to a point where you know the fundamentals and you become thirsty for more.”

While winning recognition, most recently as Lake Macquarie City Business Excellence Awards 2022 outstanding business leader of the year, it hasn’t always been easy.

One of the biggest challenges has been confronting misogynistic attitudes.

“Your voice needs to be fairly loud to be heard as a female, particularly as a female leader. You’re on the backfoot at times,” she says.

“The landscape is changing. Equality is what we want, but we’re not there yet.”

Staying focused on the big picture and pushing on has also been difficult, despite sometimes wanting to give up.

“It’s just consistently being in check with that,” she says. “A lot of the governance work is voluntary and there are hours and hours of personal time. But I’m grateful for the opportunity and what I’ve learnt.”

Michelle believes her ‘why’, drive, selfbelief, work ethic and her supportive caring team of staff, family and friends are reasons for her success, as well as her ability to push through fear.

“It’s not an easy mindset, but it’s got me to where I am,” she says.

Brenna Scifleet, who has worked with Michelle for a decade, says she is not only a great industry advocate, but a supportive employer who gave her a chance despite no experience or qualifications.

“She’s always encouraged me to pursue further education and never stop learning – not only for myself, for all staff she’s employed.”

With so much on her plate, Michelle counts daily meditation as a “non-negotiable”.

Moving forward, she would like to see more positive women leaders in conveyancing.

“Our industry is predominantly female – who better to represent us than someone that’s on the tools working in the industry and also been involved in various boards?” she says.

On Thursday, March 14, Michelle was announced as the Australian Institute of Conveyancers’ Policy and Advocacy officer.

INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS FELICITY

McALLAN

CEO, Your Move Conveyancing

“There are a lot of selfconfidence issues in the world, particularly for women. They’re capable of so much more than they think.”

In less than four years, Felicity McAllan has risen the ranks to lead Your Move Conveyancing as chief executive. After working in events management for over a decade, she sought a fresh challenge and asked her running buddy David Winning – founding director of Your Move Conveyancing – if there was a role for her in operations.

“I guess I got him on a good day,” she quipped.

Felicity started in client care and operations at YMC in late 2020 as the team began a new phase of growth.

She quickly became instrumental in implementing and overseeing core operations, and her role evolved into the chief operating officer position.

But her desire for learning and growth didn’t cease, and she was promoted to chief executive in October.

“I’m not going to lie – I’m still suffering a bit of impostor syndrome when it comes to the CEO role, because it has happened so quickly,” she says.

While new to the industry, Felicity’s events experience has proven invaluable for the high intensity work, people management and organisation required for conveyancing.

“When people ask what my natural genius is, I have no hesitation in saying it’s getting things organised,” she says. “People can put me in charge of managing anything, and I’m going to do it without any hassle. It’s something I love to do.

“I’m a go-getter, and when it comes to YMC, I’m here to drive performance and to help everybody succeed. We’re building a great company together, and I hope everybody will benefit from that.”

She credits David and her team for helping her successfully drive growth and performance. Over the past three years, the staff has tripled and revenue and profit are steadily increasing.

“Felicity’s motto is ‘believe it, achieve it’ which resonates throughout our organisation every day,” David adds. “Her vision for YMC is truly inspiring and it’s incredibly exciting seeing that vision become reality over this relatively short period of time.”

During her tenure, Felicity has seized opportunities for greater efficiencies to help push the business beyond its comfort zone “to really see what we’re made of and what we can do”.

She has also been involved in integrating customer

relationship technology into the workflow, and was instrumental in building the sales pipeline.

In addition, creating smaller teams has also given team members the chance to enter leadership roles, under her mentorship.

“One of the biggest challenges has definitely been managing so many people as we’ve grown,” she says.

Overall, the chief executive role is “just about being organised”.

“It’s about thinking, it’s speaking to people, taking opportunities, risks, and just learning as much as you can to help navigate the ship. The company needed a leader that was really driven and chasing the best possible outcome and that was something I was quite good at, so I could apply it to this role,” she says.

When it comes to juggling work and home life, Felicity says it’s about prioritising your wants and what makes you happy.

“I’m happy when I’m moving and exercising. I prioritise getting the most from weekends. They’re as much as possible fully focused on whatever I’m doing, whether it’s with my husband or friends,” she says.

“You know you’ve got to work hard when you’ve got to work hard, but it’s also about really enjoying times when you can step away and not be 100 per cent focused on work.”

Professionally, she is focused on developing her team to be the best they can.

“What makes my day so great is seeing when they’ve completed something successfully or learned a new skill, and their development as well,” she says.

“There are a lot of self-confidence issues in the world, particularly for women. They’re capable of so much more than they think.

“If everybody believed in themselves – even a tiny bit more – we would be amazed at what could be achieved.”

Felicity is passionate about leaving a positive legacy to ensure staff are given the best chance to grow and the business is positioned for continued success.

“I might be the right person now, but I might not necessarily be the best person when we’re 50, 100 people. I want to get us to a point I am proud of, and where someone could come in and really take us to another level.”

INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS

KATINA ROMANO

Head of marketing and customer engagement, Legal X Group

“I love people. For me, it’s quite easy –it’s just about building relationships and talking to people.”

When it comes to business, Katina Romano knows relationships are “everything”. With a start in the beauty industry owning two salons, Katina learnt the importance of establishing client rapport to achieve business success.

“With every customer that sat down in front of me in the beauty industry, I felt I had to quickly develop a relationship with them,” she explains.

The same philosophy carried over when she joined her husband Peter Romano at Legal X Group 11 years ago, to head marketing and promotions.

“I felt like it was exactly the same. It was all about relationships, all about communication and developing that respect, and so I just felt like it was the right role for me.”

In her position, Katina is focused on cultivating and nurturing business relationships with real estate agents in order to generate leads.

“I’m constantly about building new relationships and keeping those relationships going and just trying to make sure that the agents keep referring us work,” she explains.

“That’s the most important thing for me.”

The biggest lesson has been how integral it is to ensure the business remains at the forefront of agents’ minds.

“Dealing with real estate agents, they’re quite fickle,” she says. “Basically, if you’re not front of mind, they just let you go. You have to keep making sure they refer to you constantly.”

Katina takes a more unconventional approach to marketing than industry counterparts, relying on social media as an integral tool to forge and cultivate connections.

“I love people. For me it’s quite easy – it’s just about building relationships and talking to people. I can keep the work coming in,” she says.

She has been influential in drawing industry members together to foster relations, playing host to parties, social events, dinners and one-on-one meetings.

“I’ll do a lot of organisation,” she says.

“I love to cook, so I cook for them, I host them. I do it differently to what most people would do.

“My idea, my philosophy is all about making them feel like a family, like part of the team, so it’s definitely less corporate.”

Legal X Group principal Andrew Satsias says Katina’s

role has helped the firm to maintain high visibility to loyal agents and brokers.

“As the principles of the practice, both myself and Peter often intend to catch up and maintain these valuable relationships, but often the focus on actually delivering the quality legal services makes us timepoor to do this effectively,” he says.

“Having some assistance, whether it be putting together fruit boxes at Christmas time for our top referrers or simply decorating a venue for a staff function is valuable and often a role that does not get the recognition that it deserves in an organisation.”

Katina’s enthusiasm and vibrancy to help, entertain and cater a function – whether an intimate dinner or large Christmas party – has been an invaluable resource, he adds.

“Katina deserves to be recognised for all her hard work within this role.”

Katina is also a mother of four and juggling the demands of the job with home life means being well organised is paramount.

She describes her home as run like a tight ship where “everything is really organised, clean and perfect, like a machine”.

In the end, she says her family is her motivation.

“We’re quite ambitious and we want to achieve in life,” she says.

“It’s my livelihood.

“Right now, being acknowledged for what I’m doing right now is definitely my proudest moment.”

INSPIRATIONAL LEADERS

MELISSA WARBRICK

Chief executive, Ownit Conveyancing

“If you want to blaze a trail, you can’t always look at what everyone else is doing – you have to do things differently.”

Melissa Warbrick has always been passionate about challenging the status quo. “It’s a significant aspect of my philosophy” she says. “If you want to blaze a trail, you can’t always look at what everyone else is doing – you have to do things differently.”

It was while studying marketing at university that Melissa began working at leading Queensland firm, Ownit Conveyancing.

Before too long she was enthusiastically presenting business plans to then owner, Craig.

“Craig was at an age where he’s looking to retire and I was coming up with all these marketing ideas,” she says.

“Eventually, nine years ago, I bought the business off him.”

The time was now ripe for Melissa to make her mark as sole owner and chief executive, and implement the plans she had envisioned.

“We then went through monumental growth after that point,” she points out.

“We achieved back-to-back years of 30 per cent yearon-year growth, which is quite significant, and we really just transformed the business entirely.”

The change in direction wasn’t complete, though, with Melissa spearheading a review of the firm’s systems, and investing in a cutting edge, custom-built practice management system.

“We really wanted to come with a different approach to the industry,” she says.

“We said, ‘how can we offer a great experience using all of the technology available to us now?’

“It was really at that point that we conducted a comprehensive system architecture review, which revealed that to achieve our vision we needed to build and invest in something ourselves.”

The new system significantly overhauled business operations, enabling transparent tracking of internal service level agreement times across the company.

“It has allowed us to have operational excellence, business scalability, and an unparalleled customer experience through the whole business,” she says.

Melissa counts the reform as her biggest achievement.

“We have a complete lens on the entire organisation to know where any customer is becoming off track with our service level agreements, which can really probably in our industry only be achieved through extensive

technology investments to be able to achieve this level of transparency.”

Leading outstanding teams at her 60-strong firm has also been a source of pride for Melissa, whose passion lies in building high-performing teams and bringing out people’s best.

“My biggest success would have to be my people,” she says, adding the investment in people and company culture is reflected in the firm’s growth.

However finding the right staff hasn’t always been easy. The biggest challenge has been integrating external personnel into the company culture, which is “very unique” in comparison to other conveyancing firms.

It’s a challenge Melissa confronted with another innovation in early 2021 as “The Great Resignation hit”.

As her firm rapidly grew and the property market boomed, the industry was grappling with a staff shortage.

To address the issue, her firm established the Ownit Academy to train young women, bringing in 20 to 30 at a time to skill them up so she would have a ready workforce.

“We brought in a learning and development specialist, who ran the Ownit Academy, which was great – we could foster careers for young women. That was really how we dealt with that challenge at the time,” she says.

Peers and colleagues spoke highly of Melissa’s dedication and profile that she has built in Queensland’s conveyancing industry.

They noted the growth and consumer offering she has built, how she has used digital technology to offer flexibility and choice for clients and her systematic approach to increasing her business.

For Melissa, who has two young children, family has always been her priority and she is keen to inspire other women they too can have a career, be a mum and still thrive.

In fact, her firm has systems in place to provide staff extra support if required, so they can leave on time.

“At five o’clock, I encourage everyone out the door and following the same philosophy that I live by, which is ‘be where your shoes are’.

“If I’m at home, that’s where I am and I really try to disconnect from work to ensure balance in every respect”.

Why St Marys is making home dreams come true

First-home buyer activity

NSW

St Marys topped the chart with 15 per cent of sales. It achieved high volume, but a lower average price. average sale price in St Marys ($637,893) was 23 per cent than average price of the Top 10 list this February ($832,6

Given the challenges facing buyers entering the Sydney property

The NSW suburbs where the most property was bought in February 2024.

market right now, one can conclude that price is a considerable factor. But it is clear it’s not the only reason. Located 45km west of Sydney’s CBD, St Marys is a reasonable commute on public transport – rail and bus. However, if you’re on the road and you need to get across town the tolls remain a bugbear for all Sydneysiders.

Work aside, when time comes to lifestyle and play, St Marys has a range of including shopping centres, and recreational facilities, making it a convenient and family-friendly place to live. Okay, so it doesn’t have a beach, but investment advisers are likely to suggest the western Sydney suburb will experiencing growth and development, which can lead to potential increases in property value over time

The broader western and north-western reaches of Australian largest city remain high on the property sales ladder for many of the reasons as above.

Oakville figured strongly in February once again, but dropped a spot, down to second most popular suburb.

Sydney’s northern coast neighbour, Gosford, a perennial favourite with home buyers remains in the top 10 of sales. The extended summer might have a little to do with it, but its value for money, easy lifestyle and a hour-long commute to the city, also come into calculation.

How many first-home buyers entered the market in February 2024, compared to same time last year.

Overseas investment

Percentage of all propert y sales recorded by triSearch.

Existing home owner

First home buyer

Which countries invested in the Australian property market for the first time in February 2024.

Top of the town makes it top of the table

VICTORIA

The outer reaches of most Aussie capitals seem to attract home like bees to honey … and that is the case in Melbourne.

But there was an interest in the sporting mecca, that is worth noting. The prestigious inner-city suburb of Hawthorne captured the attention of buyers last month and earned it sixth spot on the property sales list. Its central location makes it a hot spot for savvy investors and love of the Melbourne lifestyle alike.

Hawthorn is known for its shopping, cafes, bars, parklands, and schools – a desirable place to live for families and young professionals.

It’s vibrant and cosmopolitan atmosphere, with a mix of historic homes, modern apartments, and leafy streets, provides a desirable lifestyle for residents.

Strong rental demand: Hawthorn has a high demand for rental properties, making it a lucrative investment opportunity for property investors looking to generate rental income.

The city itself – Melbourne – was again at the top of the table in February.

But it was a spot 25 kilometres out of town – Tarneit – that topped the list last month. Space, affordability, and a reasonable commute continue to make the suburb a favourite for home buyers.

so what’s not to love about Surfers Paradise?

QUEENSLAND

Think of Queensland and you tend to think of the ontinue to make their investments in the playground Surfers Paradise, pegging the suburb in fourth spot on the property sales list. It usually appears there or thereabouts month in and month out.

And what’s not to like? But once again it was Moreton Bay’s Morayfield that topped the sales ladder in the Sunshine State.

It’s lifestyle, location and affordability continued to hit the right note with savvy buyers. It has been a consistent story on these pages for months now.

It is a 45-kilometre run into Brisbane city, has a wellregarded lifestyle and the prices appear to bring in the buyer interest.

Yarrabilba in the Logan shire also drew the buyers and earned it second place on the sales ladder last month.

the toolbox

SEO and amplifying reach

You could have the best product or service in the world, but as Phil Knight, co-founder of shoe giant Nike once said: “If nobody knows about it, what’s the point?”

Search engine optimisation is a vital tool for any business seeking to boost online visibility and clicks. SEO helps your website shoot to the top of the search results when someone types a relevant query into Google. It therefore must play a prominent role in marketing your conveyancing firm. Get more clicks with these tricks.

TAGS

Header tags help make your website more searchable and reader friendly.

Your H1 tag should describe what your content is all about. Including your industry and location for the H1 tag - rather than business name - can help boost your search rankings.

You can add your business name as an image, behind your H1 tag.

Title tags are also crucial. These let you describe your page content. The text within this title tag is what shows up in the browser toolbar and search results.

META DESCRIPTION

Each page has a unique meta description. This 160-character summary appears under the title tag and URL in search engine results.

Search engines will scan your meta description and title tag for key search terms, so ensure your targeted word/phrase is used in both.

IMAGE ALT TEXT

Alt text is the written copy that appears if an image fails to load. Adding alt text to your images helps improve your website’s SEO. It’s good practice to include the key phrase from your title tag and meta description, if the image is relevant to the text description.

LINKING

Using internal and external links help boost your page in search rankings. Internal links refer to the hyperlinking of relevant content and images on your site, such as a “contact us” icon.

External links also help search engines justify the credibility of your page.

SPEED

Search engines rank pages based on load time and responsiveness.

If a competitor’s page loads faster for the same keyword/phrase, you’ll be ranked lower.

Always optimise your page to suit all devices and compress all photos and images into smaller files.