Emmett Grace shares how PEXA helps them offer an improved digital experience for their clients.
For Emmett Grace, a legal firm on the Sunshine Coast, creating and innovating new digital products to increase client satisfaction, is business as usual. Part of this culture is driven by their desire to make the settlement process as easy and stress-free as possible for their clients and putting everything in the palm of their hand. Michael Johnston, Solicitor at Emmett Grace is spearheading this movement through his thirst for technology and experience in innovation.
“We’re in the business of making property transactions happen, and often they are quite complex to bring together, which can lead to client frustration and stress. We recognised this and wondered how we could improve and digitise this experience to the point where they can complete everything from their smartphone,” said Michael.
With a heavy emphasis on creating new technology, Emmett Grace has its own secure portal to communicate with its clients and a number of other offerings that digitise the settlement process through integration with Property Exchange Australia’s (PEXA) platform.
“PEXA provided us a great opportunity to streamline the entire settlement process. The buyer experience on the digital platform has improved so much now that frustrations previously present in paper no longer occur,” said Michael.
These frustrations include anything from lost paperwork in the mail that could push a settlement back, to the risk of a bank cheque not clearing even after keys are handed over.
“Our first-time home buyers assume that all property transactions are digital and don’t always know that other firms are still using the old, clunky paper process – or that bank cheques are still in use.”
Emmett Grace specialises in large scale property transactions and has also found that the developer solution, PEXA Projects, delivers a number of additional benefits to their clients.
“Suddenly they have an instant pay of all funds with refences in their bank statement, plus the GST is paid instantly to the Tax office at settlement.”
The 21st century client now expects a digital experience with less pain points and a simple approach.
“Clients are driving the future, and ultimately, the reality is that if they expect it, lawyers should be providing it.”
