It’s a year of change: positive and possibility

AUSTRALIAN CONVEYANCER: How did you get into conveyancing?

JESS CAIRE: I would say Conveyancing found me. When I finished high school, I got into university but desperately wanted to travel so I decided to jump on a plane and go and live in the UK. When I returned, I started working in law firms and quite quickly conveyancing was something that made sense to me. It played to my personality strengths – organised, people centric and with tangible results. From there my passion grew.  

When I reflect on it now, I was always exposed to property growing up. My parents were very hard workers and my dad in particular, having grown up in a housing trust home, was driven to acquire property. He was always buying, building, or renovating something, and in fact he still is even in his retirement. 

AC: What were the early days of your career like?

JC:  I formalised my qualifications in South Australia, which as your readers know is the home of conveyancing, with the Torrens Title system having been founded there. I then worked for a law firm in South Australia, then a conveyancing practice with all the weird and wonderful things property transactions have to offer – rural transactions, water licences, crown leasing, easements, subdivisions. I just loved it and wanted to learn it all. 

Early on in my conveyancing career, I became a business owner, acquiring the firm I worked in followed by another one quite quickly afterwards. I had to upskill pretty rapidly and my natural curiosity and drive meant that I was constantly improving – there wasn’t a day I didn’t learn something. There were challenging times but without those I wouldn’t be who I am today, both personally and professionally.

AC: Would you recommend running your own conveyancing business?
JC: I would definitely recommend it. Running your own business is one of the most empowering, daunting, and thrilling experiences. It can also be lonely. As I have transitioned out of self-employment to being an employee, I’ve realised I have done things in reverse to most people who tend to work for someone else, then later on move to self-employment. 

In hindsight, probably the thing I had then that I don’t have now is youthful naivety. When you’re younger, your risk appetite is greater. My advice to anyone starting out is build a great team of professionals – accountant, business coach, and lawyer. Do your homework, know your market, find your niche, and make sure you ‘network, network, network’.

Lastly, commit to working on yourself. Remember, you are always a work in progress. Knowing what drives you, what makes you tick and your ‘why’ is the most important thing. If you align with your own values and purpose, you’ll be able to cut through the noise.  

AC: What did you enjoy most about conveyancing?

JC: Property is the only industry I have ever worked in and what I learned during my time as a conveyancer has put me in good stead as I swapped from conveyancing and the business owner life to the corporate world, first at PEXA now at the Property Council of Australia. 

I loved working on complex components of conveyancing, whether that was a rural transaction that had stock and various agreements or licences attached to it, or working with a property developer from site procurement through to on-sell. Seeing a project go through all the various hurdles to completion and settlement was magic.  

Having worked in South Australia and seeing the critical role the profession plays in property transactions, you are entrusted with one of the most important transactions someone could make in their lives. In my mind there will always be a role for a conveyancer across the broad spectrum of property transactions.

AC: What has it been like to be a woman coming up in the industry?

JC: I’ve only ever worked in the property industry and my experience has been in most parts overwhelmingly positive. I’ve been very fortunate in my career to have had very supportive colleagues and mentors, both male and female, many of whom I consider dear friends, all of whom have helped me grow and guide me. 

I do think it is important to acknowledge the property industry is historically male-dominated, and we must shine a spotlight on areas where gender equality still lags. By directing focus to these overlooked corners, we can illuminate paths to greater inclusivity and ensure everyone, regardless of gender, has an equal opportunity to thrive and succeed.

AC: What role can the property industry play on this front?

JC: The property sector is one of the largest employers in Australia and with that comes great responsibility, but also a great capacity to drive change. The Property Council, and many changemakers, have championed lasting and critical initiatives such as Property Champions of Change, 500 Women in Property, Girls in Property, and our panel pledge just to name a few. They’re all game-changing initiatives that continue to drive change, and are aimed at advancing equality and empowering women in the industry.

AC: What advice do you have for women in the property industry?

JC: Build a really strong support network and ensure that you embrace networking. It can be super uncomfortable, but everyone feels like that. Make sure you invest in professional development and find mentors. I have had various mentors over my career, and you will find you need different mentors at different stages of your career. 

It’s well known that diverse teams are more productive, innovative, and creative, and a more diverse industry means access to a wider talent pool, which in turn builds an industry where everyone, regardless of gender, can develop and grow their career in property. 

AC: What issues should be on the radar for conveyancers right now?
JC: Like many sectors, conveyancers are facing a rapidly evolving landscape. COVID-19 in particular saw a shift in the move to digitisation, and platforms like PEXA have really changed what has been a paper heavy process in the past. 

Embracing digitisation presents huge advantages, including reducing the administration components of file managed, so you can focus on more meaningful engagement like business development and client management. It also presents some challenges, especially for smaller businesses that may not have resources to adopt digital offerings on scale. 

Another issue is ensuring any processes and systems that are implemented are supported by robust cybersecurity measures. This is an absolute must, especially given the sensitive nature of the data involved in property transactions. 

Staying abreast of the ever-changing regulatory landscape is critical, as well as ensuring sound business processes are adopted. Implementing efficient workflows and cultivating strong meaningful relationships with clients and stakeholders is another absolute must. 

AC: How’s it feel to be in the new role, and the big responsibility it entails?

JC: It feels pretty incredible. I stand on the shoulders of some of the best advocacy brains in the industry, and knowing you’re continuing that legacy is humbling but also such a privilege. I am so deeply passionate about advocating for our members, they are sources of much knowledge and inspiration, and it is such a privilege to advocate on their behalf.

I do suffer from some pretty crippling imposter syndrome, and I still feel like someone is going to tap me on the shoulder and say your numbers up. But as I’ve got on in my career it’s surprising to find how many people resonate with this feeling. These days I acknowledge that voice and the anxiety that comes with it. I use it to fuel my determination to succeed. 

AC: Where’s Queensland’s property industry at right now?
JC: It’s a pivotal time in both our industry and in Queensland. A thriving property industry underpins health and sustainability of our cities, boosts consumer confidence, enables a buoyant business environment and ultimately a more prosperous Australia. While Queensland’s economy is robust, there are big challenges to overcome if we’re to be in the best position possible to host the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Delivering product to market has never been more challenging as the industry faces unprecedented demand, a top-heavy infrastructure pipeline, soaring construction costs, crippling supply chain challenges, inclement weather, natural disasters and a well-documented skills shortage amid a housing availability and affordability crisis.

It’s important to remember that without a thriving property sector, we cannot deliver the homes we so desperately need, the infrastructure we rely so heavily on, or secure the economic growth and stability that underpin the states prosperity.

AC: How does a looming state election play into the equation?

JC: In an election year, the opportunity for sensible policy, aimed to attract and retain investment into housing must be front and centre. We will continue to advocate for bold leadership and policies to deliver generational, social, environmental, and place-making benefits for all Queenslanders.

Key here is to ensure there’s a home for every Queenslander and that Queensland is the most attractive investment option in Australia. It’s also important that the settings are right to deliver iconic Queensland precincts and partnerships.  

To that end, the team here in Queensland will continue to position evidence based, solution focused advocacy and remain committed to working in partnership with all levels of government and other key stakeholders to unlock the opportunities for Queensland.

AC: What do you see as the outlook for the sector in Qld?

JC: We’re only a few months into 2024 but it’s already a busy year and set to get even busier. Australians in four states and territories will head to the polls this year, with housing rest to remain a barbecue-stopper conversation across 2024. 

In Queensland, there’s an opportunity for government to work with industry to alleviate some of this pressure to ensure the settings are right for the private sector to continue to deliver homes for Queenslanders. 

Increasing housing supply is the only way through the housing crisis. It’s simple supply and demand economics and at the moment demand is outpacing supply, making it more difficult for first homebuyers to enter the market. 

Whether it’s ensuring the government’s QBuild program has adequate resources to teach tradies modular construction, or adopting a mandatory state-wide housing code that incorporates modular, prefabricated, and tiny homes, there’s opportunity for government and industry to collaborate on fostering innovation in building and construction. 

* The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity