Under the bonnet of top conveyancing firms
Just what does it take to be successful? What are the behaviours and the values required? We explore the mindsets of leading practitioners to see just what sets them apart.
WITH the property market taking a breather, many professionals might feel they’re stuck in neutral, mired in a traffic jam.
But not those featured in “Driven” – the special August edition of Australian Conveyancer.
We rounded up some of the industry’s top performers to find out what, well, drives them.
That’s Nicholas Gould, Khiem Lam, Susanne Mosely, Jodie Polik, Melissa Warbrick and Jared Zak.
And like the classic V12 E-type Jaguar on the cover, they’re revved up and ready to rumble.
Perhaps resisting the urge to slam pedal to the metal, ex-Army Intelligence Officer Nic Gould says, “It’s not a race.
“It’s a long game, you’ve just got to keep going, and every day’s a new day.”
As well as the 16-page AC article https://issuu.com/trisearch/docs/driven_to_succeed they took part in a podcast where we asked them to share their “secret sauce.”
One thing that emerged consistently under interviewer Amber Sherlock’s probing was the need to update technology and to keep learning.
Nic, who’s boss of Brisbane’s Colwell Conveyancing, found some resistance when he bought into the well-established firm.
“Change is difficult and change is not for everybody,” he said. “There was a lot of pushback at the start.”
Similarly, Sue Mosely took over her father’s Hunter Valley NSW legal practice, “taking those traditional values but giving that New Age turn to it.”
Melissa Warbrick of Ownit Conveyancing was an early adopter of new technology but “not because it’s fun and new.”
“If it’s not improving the customer experience, then it’s not something we’ll look to invest in,” she said.
“But if it’s going to improve their journey… we’ll invest in it pretty heavily.”
Kheim Lam of Melbourne’s Provey Legal was a natural: coding and building websites while still at school. Other kids had toy trains; he had a computer.
He says further big change is coming as AI evolves. “Those that are quite savvy with AI and implementation will be able to take off quite quickly,” Khiem said. “Unfortunately, those that are snoozing… will be left in the dust.”
Technology aside, the other key to success for our “Driven” guests was taking care of people: yourself, your staff, clients and the community.
“I just don’t think that you’re ever going to replace the value of the empathy that we give to our clients,” Sue Mosely said.
For Jodie Polik of Victoria’s JP Conveyancing Works, it’s all about communication: “If we reach out to each other, we support each other,” she said. “It just makes everything so much easier.”
Melissa: “What we’re selling… is knowledge and trust. The more we invest in our people, then that shines through to our customers.”
Khiem, the self-confessed “nerd,” agreed: “We really need to emphasise with our clients.”
Empathy, they said, is one essential ingredient of the “secret sauce.” Another is integrity.
“It takes you a lifetime to build, and an instant to lose,” said Nic. “Integrity and empathy.”
A final point of agreement: big, disruptive changes are coming, and conveyancers need to board that train… or jump into the E-type… to survive and thrive.
“I like the idea of change,” said Melissa. “I’m not sure what the future will look like exactly, but it excites me.”
You can watch “Driven” the Settlement Day podcast online from Friday August 14.
