THE PRACTITIONER'S COMPANION
Tuesday 11 February 2025

REBECCA PETROFF Director, Sunstate Conveyancing

Rebecca Petroff has always been a self-starter. In her role as director of Sunstate Conveyancing, Rebecca’s out-of-the-box thinking has pushed her innovate inside her business.

3 min read
Rebecca Petroff: “Just teaching myself different things and r eakly having the passion for growing and learning is probably my biggest skill.” Photo: Nick Leary

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 percent 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 having no background in conveyancing.

But her ability to improve strategies and workflows and build client relationships has 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 a 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, SEO 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.”

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