About danielroesler

Hello SA,   From 3 August 2020, SA will transition all eligible transactions online.   To help you with this transition the Office of the Registrar General, Land Services SA, Revenue SA and PEXA are hosting an Ask us Anything on 21 July 2020 from 2:00PM to 3:00PM ACST.   Simply login to your e-Conveyancing Community account on the day, navigate to this page and post your questions below for a quick response from the experts.   In the meantime, feel free to pre-post your questions which we'll answer on the day, and as always register for our upcoming webinars to boost your skills.   Regards, Dan ... View more

Hi all,     In the lead up to 3 August, we are running a number of webinars to assist you  when transacting online. These webinars are a fantastic way for new users to become familiar with certain transaction types, or to boost your skills if you’re already familiar with the platform.     Registration links are below. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need any further advice or assistance.     Part Tenancy transfers    Thursday 9 July @ 2:30pm AEST   Register   Transmissions and Survivorships   Thursday 16 July @ 2:30pm AEST   Register   Caveats – adding and withdrawing   Thursday 23 July @ 2:30pm   Register       If you haven’t already seen them, h ere are some useful resources to further assist with your online transactions :     Our SA specific transaction Help Cards   Guidance on how to complete a financial settlement schedule in SA   How to balance CATS and PEXA (link to recording and slides)   Transfer Transaction Guidelines (including a pdf for download)     #bettertogether   Dan Roesler   ... View more

Hello!   As we've journeyed together the past few months I've seen a lot of change for conveyancers and lawyers, particularly here in South Australia due to the closure of the settlement room and adapting to working remotely.   To help through this period, here are a few ways we've been supporting you:   Better Together 50% off pricing   The 50% pricing discount has been in place to assist with the adoption and transition to e-conveyancing since November 2019. When we initially launched the offer, we scheduled to roll off the discount in April, but due to the onset of restrictions we extended this a further 3 months to further ease the transition for you and your clients. Remember, this offer ends 30 June 2020.   From 1 July 2020, the prices will revert back to the 2019/2020 financial year pricing, as previously communicated. See the full pricing details here   PEXA Support   Visit the dedicated South Australia e-Conveyancing Community for help articles and videos, interactive tutorials or to ask the the community a question or contact your PEXA Direct Specialist with any questions you may have.   We're here to help you every step of the way.   Dan   ... View more

Hello SA!   We've had the opportunity to work with almost all of you the past few weeks, and have made a few observations that we hope will improve the quality of your transaction:   Did you know you can easily act for both parties and setup in the workspace settings: When creating additional roles remember to click the blue "save" button, v ery often its missed. Even if you're not the Responsible Subscriber (ie lodging party) you should still check the order of documents in the Lodgement Instructions. These will be requisitioned if they are in the wrong order so please double check as often the Bank will miss this If you are doing a Transmission Application and a Proprietor on Title is staying on Title then no need to re-create them as a second participant. Another helpful Transmission tip is you need to be in the role of Incoming Proprietor to mark the Proprietor on Title as deceased  A  Proprietor on Title role is not required when acting for your Executors/Administrators etc in the role of Incoing Proprietor, and to remove that role in the workspace settings if it has been created. Also be aware of the need to have 2 evidence lines on the document and 2 separate attachments to correspond with where required. Make sure that the Incoming Proprietor allows for the Registration Fee of the Discharge of Mortgage and the new Mortgage Best practice is to Stamp 2-3 days prior to settlement and complete TFRS (Total Funds Required to Settle) when the purchasers statement is compete, optimally 5 days prior to settlement. If your Bank is not “Accepted” for settlement, this means that you will need to chase them up like normal.  Please don’t send a conversation the day before and expect immediate turn around. Treat invitation acceptance as you would a settlement booking and not assume. If you encounter a situation where your documents are Stuck in Verification with the registry (say, longer than a minute) please call PEXA Support to identify if it is merely a delay in receviing the verification or there is an underlying issue with your document preparation. Be aware there may be a PEXA M/DM fee when dealing with Panel Firms. It is prudent to check early if there will be a late notice fee added by the panel lawyer.   There are a few scenarios too of prepared workspaces getting to the examiners at the LTO which are not in correct state to be registered (user mistakes, nothing technical). We are working with Land Services SA on compiling a brief overview of what these scenarios are and how to avoid them.   Happy settling! ... View more

Hello!   Given the rapid response required to combat the spread of COVID-19 and recommendations from industry and government bodies to settle all eligible property transactions digitally where possible, the following information provides specific guidance on moving settlements from paper to PEXA:   Banks have well-established processes to convert inflight paper settlements to PEXA and will do their utmost to settle in a timely manner. The following will assist this process:   Customer Account / Loan Number: please provide banks reference number Invitation “Notes”: If converting paper booking to PEXA – include “Paper booking reference” Add any additional instructions e.g. simultaneous settlement Specific bank settlement support: Once invite has been accepted, use “PEXA Conversations”. This is the most efficient option to communicate with the banks settlement teams. To minimise the risk of disruption to your clients in this period, it is recomended that any future settlement booking be done electronically in line with AICSA and ORG advice.   For more general information on onboarding/registering for PEXA:   https://community.pexa.com.au/t5/Help-Centre/How-to-Register-for-PEXA-Help-Centre/ba-p/190 ... View more

Hello   One of the greatest benefits PEXA provides is the flexibility for network participants to continue acting on behalf of their clients from anywhere with internet access, giving members the option to avoid settlement rooms and other high density areas. We’re also offering our people the opportunity to work remotely to provide continuity of service without having to attend your office.   To support South Australian practitioners settling via PEXA at short notice, we have provided a basic SA specific pack to assist in navigating the early stages of your experience.   Here you will find links to:   Our SA specific transaction Help Cards Guidance on how to complete a financial settlement schedule in SA How to balance CATS and PEXA (link to recording and slides) Transfer Transaction Guidelines (including a pdf for download)   Banks have well-established processes to convert inflight paper settlements to PEXA and will do their utmost to settle in a timely manner. The following will assist this process:   Customer Account / Loan Number: please provide banks reference number Invitation “Notes”: If converting paper booking to PEXA – include “Paper booking reference” Add any additional instructions e.g. simultaneous settlement Specific bank settlement support: Once invite has been accepted, use “PEXA Conversations”. This is the most efficient option to communicate with the banks settlement teams.   Please also consider the range of free guarantees PEXA offers as part of your transaction online:   Lodgement Gap Cover Residential Sellers Guarantee PEXA Key Secure Communication Guarantee   In this disrupted period, ensuring a seamless standard of service to your clients is of utmost importance. Please contact me if you need any assistance in moving your settlements online.   Dan @ PEXA ... View more

Hello everyone   If you were curious about where electronic lodgements currently sit across our suite of documents in South Australia, you can visit the DPTI website where the rolling 6 month figures are published and updated monthly:   https://dpti.sa.gov.au/land/office_of_the_registrar_general/property_market_statistics   Just navigate to the bottom drop down tab. Keep up to date with the progress you are all making towards 100% digital! ... View more

Lease noun   1. a contract by which one party conveys land, property, services, etc. to another for a specified time, usually in return for a periodic payment.            e.g "a six-month lease on a shop” 2. the latest instrument to be made available in PEXA for South Australian practitioners!!!   Today history was made with Minter Ellison lodging South Australia’s first digital Lease. The exercise was made possible by Stephen Hill, Partner at Minter Ellison in Adelaide, and Wayne Kaplan, Partner at Sparke Helmore Lawyers in Sydney as certifiers on behalf of the lessor & lessee. Stephen Hill, Partner at Minter Ellison   Minter Ellison are making a habit of ‘firsts’ in SA, hot off their Mortgagee work on the Kodo Apartments that settled in PEXA. The team who enjoyed this ‘first’ for leasing, including Yvette Graetz and Courtney Roberts, were full of praise for the process:   We are excited to be the first firm in South Australia to lodge a lease electronically on PEXA. We are very proud to be a part of this milestone and game changing step. Our leasing practice is significant and the benefits of electronic lodgement and registration of leases is a 'value add' to our clients. Yvette Graetz & Stephen Hill, Minter Ellison   Electronic lodgement will change the way that the industry currently operates by allowing faster registration times and we were lucky enough to be the first to use this innovative technology.  PEXA made the process easy and were available at all times to address any of our queries and we look forward to continuing our relationship with PEXA.   Congrats guys, you're making the PEXA team and your peers proud of your pioneering work. ... View more

Attention all CATS users in the great state of South Australia!   PEXA has created a recorded webinar, featuring the talented @mkelly, detailing step by step how best to set up and reconcile an electronic settlement in CATS. There is no need to book in to view this webinar, you can do so at a time that best suits you via this link:   https://youtu.be/ejtGCkfPff0   The take up of electronic conveyancing in SA is growing rapidly, so we strongly encourage all CATS users to become familiar with the procedures outlined in the webinar, to help gain maximum efficiency from your PEXA experience.  ... View more

A helping hand from your South Australian peers   By Dan Roesler, Executive Manager of Practitioner Services (SA)   One of the highlights of being involved in the South Australian conveyancing industry is having the opportunity to work and collaborate with some outstanding individuals.     Since November 2018, PEXA , in conjunction with the AICSA , has hosted a n Electronic Conveyancing Best Practice Group (Best Practice Group) .    This serves as a platform for industry discussion, as well as a forum to share experiences, ideas, solutions and provide support for members from across the state.    People are at various stages of their journeys in adopting digital c onveyancing – some are new to PEXA and others are seasoned users of the platform.   A fantastic initiative being led by the Best Practice Group is to provide ‘subject matter expert’ support to conveyancers who either have not completed a n electronic transaction in a long time or are readying for their first and are in need of guidance.     The gr oup has experienced PEXA firms from all areas of the state (Central, North, East, South, West and Regional) who are skilled users of the platform and ready to help with broader platform adoption.     Renee Thomas of Smart Conveyancing says her first transaction was completed smoothly thanks to her colleague :   “My first PEXA settlement was made so much easier with the support of the c onveyancer on the other side. They pinpointed my error and happily helped me work through it to get the matter to R eady/ R eady. There are not many industries I can think of that work closely together with their competitors to achieve the same result.”    A pair of members from the B est P ractice G roup also shared insights on their digital settlement ventures.      “ PEXA has streamlined the settlement process. We spend less time on the phone with banks , and the transaction is more transparent as all parties can monitor the activity of each p articipant in the W orkspace.  Our clients love PEXA settlements as they have instant access to settlement funds and for p urchasers they have registration complete within a matter of days. ” – Kathy Stolinski , ADCOCKS Conveyancing Solutions .     “ In the early stages we were excited that we did not need to rush to the bank for bank cheques to be in the courier bag at 3pm – the day before settlement. ” – Michelle Lihou, Goolwa Conveyancing     If you’re beginning your transition to e-Conveyancing, it’s important to remember that there ’s a support network of your peers out there to help you along the way.     Electronic settlements are becoming the new norm in SA and leveraging the support of the Best Practice Group will give you the advantage of having an experienced PEXA conveyancer at your side throughout your dealings.    If you are interested in the B est P ractice G roup or would like to get in touch with another experienced conveyancer regarding PEXA, please contact me at  Daniel.Roesler@pexa.com.au .     ... View more

REISA CEO Greg Troughton What is your vision for the future of property sales in a 100% digital process? Greg:I see the legal administration being entirely digital. All the compliance material where you simply must “dot the i’s and cross the t’s” can be done really well in the digital space. But there will always need to be a human touch and/or thought process throughout the sales process.   I think people still expect that as the option and as soon as the millennial generation start buying property in earnest then all the digital channels may take up more of the space. I expect when my daughters go to buy a property, that they will demand 99% of the process would and should be digital.   What benefits do your agents currently enjoy from digitisation?   Greg: Always being at the ready at all times and no longer having to run out to the boot of the car to get the paperwork that’s in carbon triplicate. It’s a simple but powerful benefit.    Why is digitisation of the end-to-end process of property transactions so important?   Greg: Two words – “property consumer”. You hear too much about the “d” word – disruption. I prefer to think of all these changes as simply a better way to service the customer. More importantly, consumers demand better customer service, and property transactions are no different.   What are the wider industry effects that you anticipate from the digital disruption of property services?   Greg: We will continue to see business and consumer process improvements in many facets of the transaction, but I am yet to see how AI could deal well with the human nuances such as emotion. Whether it be the sale in equity or the legal sale, human interaction will still be needed.   Over your years, what has been the biggest change you’ve experienced in Real Estate?   Greg: There’s been two.   The simple act of signing the old blue memorandum of transfer documents for legal settlement is now so far in the past that it has gone the way of the cheque, which is a phenomenon I recently had to explain to my daughters.   The second item sounds so simple but being able to sign digitally with certainty has been a significant change for the better.   What is your position on electronic conveyancing and the role it plays in providing a service to your real estate agent members?   Greg: In SA, Agents can act as lawyers in land transactions to get a contract executed. That sale in equity remains an absolute necessity. Now that the front-end equity sale is properly digitised, it will then enable an easier handover to the lawyer or conveyancer to undertake the legal transfer. Anything that makes the compliance stronger and safer and benefits the property consumer like e-Conveyancing is a huge advantage. ... View more

Last month we sat and had a chat with Jeff Stevens, life member of the AIC National and a significant contributor throughout the journey to digitise property settlements. He runs a specialised property practice in Adelaide, Stevens Partners, where we caught up with him and the team to talk PEXA.   ... View more

History was created today with the 10,000th transfer transaction completed in South Australia. This is a significant milestone in the journey from paper to digital property transactions.   At 10:30am the property commenced settling. It was prepared and ready before 9am for a successful Friday morning settlement. The conveyancer taking the industry across the line was Scott Petherick from 1836 Conveyancing.   Scott shared, “We’re very proud to be holding the baton as we achieve this milestone together. We’ve enjoyed the experience to date, working in our office with PEXA, the Banks and others around the traps on ironing out the process kinks. Thanks to Dan, Matt and the team for being trusted partners on this journey and I’m sure the next 10K will come a lot quicker than the first - we’re looking forward to being a big part of the reason why.”   Hats off to the many outstanding, progressive practitioners of South Australia - here’s to 10K more! ... View more

Daniel Roesler and John Erskine Q: When did you start in the industry?   A: I came to conveyancing from a teaching background.  Having worked in several locations within Australia and also overseas, I became interested in business studies and decided that a “landbroking” course could improve my ability to introduce Small Business Management at senior high school level.  The course proved to be both rigorous and interesting and after 4 years of study I found myself qualified in conveyancing.   Time for a change and a new challenge!  So, in 1989 I decided to leave the cloisters of the classroom for the bright lights of the business world.   Q: How did Conveyancing Matters come about?   A: I joined forces with a former colleague, John Murphy, who had also completed the course and together, we established   Erskine & Murphy Landbroking Services   in 1990.  It took some considerable time to build a client base as we had come into the industry with no previous experience or contacts.   We decided to incorporate and in 1993 established   Conveyancing Matters Pty Ltd   and determined to build the brand.  This involved thinking outside the square, to take the business from cottage industry to serious corporate enterprise.  It meant having a marketing budget for activities like engaging a marketing consultant, sponsoring industry bodies, offering professional training to staff.   Q: You have a wide range of business interests – how would you explain what ‘good business’ is to others?   A: I believe there are three essential elements to good business; your clients, your staff and your own professional expertise.  Develop a clientele that enjoys the best possible experience from your service.  This includes the referrer who shares your desire to deliver the best transactional service and the customer who receives it.   Find the staff who fit the culture of your business and who also feel rewarded for their efforts.  They are, after all, the people who are the face of the business and deliver the service.   Ensure you and your team are always at the top of your game. You can never stop learning.   Most importantly, enjoy each day.   Q: What’s the biggest change you’ve witnessed in your time in the industry?   A: The move to computer-based conveyancing software, the increasing use of email as a means of communication and the digitising of Land Services data has enabled more efficient management of files and have been important changes.  But by far the biggest impact on the whole industry has been the introduction of electronic conveyancing.  We have moved from an archaic paper-based system to an online, convenient, secure means of property conveyance.   Q: What are the big opportunities ahead?   A: There are enormous opportunities for those who dare to dream.  E-conveyancing will take care of much of the administrative and clerical tasks and enable greater time to be spent on providing truly professional advice to clients.  The successful conveyancing practice will be more flexible in its location, staffing and technology.  It will be more nimble in adapting to the ever changing business environment and offer exciting challenges for the conveyancer of the future.   Q: What are your personal views on digital disruption of conveyancing?   A: Conveyancing is already the beneficiary of digital technology as mandated changes come into being, driven by the introduction of e-conveyancing.  States have brought about more uniformity in conveyancing processes and individual practices are seeing the advantages of digitising their workplace.   It’s only disruptive if you allow it to be.  Automation, digital technology leading to Artificial Intelligence in the workplace is ongoing.    You can embrace it or allow your business to be disrupted. ... View more

From Conveyancing to CATS; a chat with Nick Xenides   Nick Xenides and Daniel Roesler Q: When did it all kick off for you in the industry Nick? A: My conveyancing career started back in 1985, when I joined a firm called Robert Northcott & Associates. Soon after several firms, including Northcotts, amalgamated to form Optima Conveyancing where I remained for the next 17 years. I was then invited to form an association with Bernie Lewis Home Loans assisting with settlements for their HomeStart agency, and that was the beginning of BLHL Conveyancing.   Q: How did you come to be involved in conveyancing software? A: I had previously been using a software package called Domain, which was OK but not so easy to use. There was a lack of comprehensive or user-friendly software for SA conveyancers and since I had programming experience, I decided I would write my own software package. I created the first version of what came to be called CATS, in 2005. I had no intention of turning CATS into a business venture, but a few conveyancers heard about it through the grapevine and wanted to see it for themselves. With the help of Kel Watson who handled the technical aspects of installing the system, we suddenly had a base of 6 firms using the package. The word spread and before long the AICSA expressed an interest in partnering up to deliver it across the market.   Q: How does CATS look at present and into the near future for people? A: We catalogued a lot of the feedback from the past couple of years which indicated a desire to move to a cloud-based system, giving customers an improved and updated platform on which to run their business. We think it’s competitive with any other offering and is a tried and trusted system for running files and trust accounting. We’re now able to offer integration with PEXA and are about to launch an update with Microsoft Office integration as well.   Q: What’s the biggest change you’ve witnessed in your time in the industry? A: In conveyancing, it’s the rapid rate of changes brought about by new legislation such as Capital Gains Withholding, GST Withholding, ATO Clearance Certificates, stamping procedures etc. I feel that so much responsibility has been shifted from government service providers to the individual conveyancer. At the same time conveyancers have had to ensure there was no reduction in quality of service to their clients. The pace of change may prove too much for smaller practices. We are already seeing senior conveyancers retiring early as a result. In technology, we had already experienced some of the biggest changes with the introduction of SAILIS & the Revenue SA portals. PEXA is just another digital transformation our profession needs to go through, and soon there will be competitors to PEXA as well. Unfortunately, due to the discounting culture that exists in SA, it is difficult for conveyancers to properly compensate themselves for these extra duties and responsibilities.   Q: What are your personal views on the digital transformation of the property industry? A: I’m happy that the industry has begun to move in this direction, and it’s ultimately the change we’ll need to embrace. To hasten this change, perhaps the settlements room could be abolished or phased out, thereby making paper settlements a deterrent and the online way more appealing. Digitisation is inevitable. It’s the future. It’s coming and there is no use pretending otherwise. The sooner we embrace the digital platform, the easier it will be when, rather than if it is made mandatory.   ... View more

PEXA, in collaboration with the AICSA, hosted the inaugural Electronic Conveyancing Best Practice Group session at the offices of the AICSA on Pulteney Street on 13 November. The formation of the group, which is slated to meet monthly, came about after months of PEXA visiting existing practice groups around the city, observing some common issues and solutions, and resolving to convene a guiding coalition of practitioners to become change agents for their industry.       The purpose of the EC group is to recognise the growing need for conveyancers to share their experiences more broadly on the adoption of electronic conveyancing in their businesses, encourage and congratulate ideas that result in successful implantation, promote empathy for those that want to do more settlements online, and assist each other in providing practical solutions to blockers and pain points. It is also designed to provide an appropriate, regular platform for the AICSA & PEXA to discuss with delegates the latest issues and updates, something that was highlighted as desirable in both the recent AICSA and Registrar General’s survey results.    The meeting kicked off with a short presentation by PEXA on some of the  desirable ‘soft skills’ we had observed in our experience with the conveyancing community; around the need to acknowledge that fear is normal, that change can be painful when undertaken alone and that there was now a community of like-minded peers to support you. We addressed the misconception that PEXA is a simple technical solution to a failure in established processes, instead noting it is a network for the industry to reside upon that actively assists practitioners improve efficiency and security, and provides adaptive solutions to what are complex issues within the industry. We then addressed some of the observations around emotional intelligence in periods of digital disruption, and the need to acknowledge the courage of the audience to want to progress towards digital in spite of the fears that exist in periods of change.   The floor then opened for AICSA members to discuss their experiences in using PEXA, any issues that had arisen from the changes required and any suggestions or assistance from their peers to solve these. It was a fascinating and encouraging first step for this group of change agents, who will go out into the community over the coming weeks and share their experience and provide feedback to their peers to continue to mobilise progression in the network.   If you are interested in joining this guiding coalition of conveyancers, please contact the AICSA at membership@aicsa.com.au. The relevant details are:   - Second Tuesday of every month - 1:00 - 2:30 PM - Catering provided - AICSA office 3/255 Pulteney Street  ... View more