When it comes to property conveyancing, trust, precision, and client care are essential to building a successful business. Angie Nguyen, the founder of Convey Property Settlements, embodies all these values seamlessly. When you speak with her, her passion and genuine love for her business, her clients, and the conveyancing industry in general shine through immediately.
With nearly 30 years of experience across various sectors in the conveyancing industry, Angie brings a wealth of expertise to her clients. She credits her success to the bespoke service she offers her clients, paired with her intentional decision to work with innovative, like-minded partners like Scantek.
Where it all began for Angie
Angie’s career in conveyancing is not a typical one. She began her journey managing conveyancing operations for what was then known as Espreon (SAI Global) in Adelaide. When she left her role, she also discovered she was pregnant with her first child. Apparently, according to Angie, it was an excellent time to open her own conveyancing business.
It’s important to note that this was back before electronic conveyancing even existed, and Angie recalls how she ended up doing settlements from her hospital room because she went into labour early. This was her first foray into owning and running her own conveyancing business. Since then, she has held roles at GlobalX and the Registrar General’s Office in South Australia before finally working at Sympli Australia.
“But, at the heart of it all, I wanted to go back and look after my clients,” Angie explains. “I wanted to run my own show, make my own rules, and deliver the level of service I believe clients deserve.”
And so, in October 2023, Angie re-established her conveyancing practice under the name Convey Property Settlements. Her approach is intentionally boutique: “I’m very selective about who I work with, from real estate agents to brokers and industry partners. My clients only speak to me from start to finish, and that personal touch I’ve found makes all the difference.”
Navigating challenges in the conveyancing industry
Since rejoining the industry “on the tools”, Angie is acutely aware of the challenges conveyancers face today. Her previous roles made this abundantly clear, and now she’s experiencing these challenges first-hand as a conveyancing business owner. Like most conveyancers, compliance is a significant concern for Angie, with regulations like anti-money laundering (AML) measures and stricter identity verification processes coming into play in the near future.
“The regulatory compliance burden is heavy, especially for small businesses,” Angie notes. “We’re responsible for educating clients about these changes while ensuring we remain compliant ourselves.”
She’s also passionate about elevating the profession by addressing fee structures and attracting the right talent. “Too many practitioners undercharge for their services. As conveyancers, we’re doing a lot of work behind the scenes that we’re not getting paid for, hence the focus by many on volume over quality. We also need to focus on quality over quantity as well as attracting and educating the next generation to uphold the profession’s standards.”
How cyber-security considerations impact Angie & Convey Property Settlement
In today’s digital age, technology and cybersecurity are non-negotiables for conveyancers. Angie describes herself as “cautiously paranoid” when it comes to data security, which is a term we actually find curiously accurate. “I’m constantly educating my clients about secure communication. We have these conversations from the very first day, in our face-to-face meetings. We discuss what to expect and how I communicate, and with anything outside of that, to call me immediately,” she says.
For Angie, adopting Scantek’s VOI platform was a natural choice. Having a long industry relationship with Scantek BDM, Chris King and encountering CEO Ches Rafferty years ago at an industry conference, they had some argy-bargy over discussions about remote VOI (a more controversial topic then). Despite this fervent discussion, she was impressed by the team’s commitment to understanding the practical needs of conveyancers.
“What I love about Scantek is that they listen,” Angie shares. “They’ve made sure the platform isn’t burdensome and aligns with the practical realities of our work and our compliance obligations. I can securely store my client’s ID without relying on paper records or piecemeal solutions.”
How Scantek’s VOI platform is benefiting Angie’s business
Since implementing Scantek’s VOI solution, Angie has experienced firsthand how it simplifies and enhances her operations. When we chatted with her, she highlighted a few key benefits that she particularly loves about using Scantek:
1. Enhanced security
With Scantek’s ISO 27001-certified platform, Angie ensures that client data is encrypted, securely stored, and never viewed by unauthorised individuals. This is especially critical in an era where cyber threats are prevalent.
“Knowing my clients’ information is safe gives me peace of mind,” she says. “Even my clients notice the platform’s security features and feel reassured.”
2. Flexibility and efficiency
Scantek’s platform accommodates both in-person and remote verifications, allowing Angie to tailor the process to each client’s needs.
“For remote clients, I combine Scantek’s VOI with a Teams call to cross-verify their ID in real-time. For me, it’s all about balancing security with convenience and me being comfortable with the level of risk in the transaction,” she explains.
3. Reduced risk
The platform’s advanced features, such as biometric facial recognition and geolocation, mitigate risks associated with identity fraud. Angie recalls working with clients in the U.S. and relying on Scantek to securely verify their location and ID. Both clients were in their 70s, without any Australian ID and were facing a significant drive to their closest Australian Consulate.
Angie was able to work with the Scantek team and conduct her due diligence to ultimately reach a level of comfort in verifying the clients’ ID, avoiding the lengthy travel to the Consulate. She recalls fondly, “They were doing their Scantek ID while they were on a Teams call with me. It was hilarious. Remembering they are both in their 70s and were saying to each other, ‘Hold my glasses while I take a photo of this’. They were just gorgeous, and we were able to use Scantek to make the process much easier and more convenient for them.”
4. Client confidence
For Angie, explaining the process to clients is key to building trust. “I always follow up with a phone call to explain what Scantek is and why it’s safe. Clients appreciate the transparency and the secure process.”
Looking ahead for Convey Property Settlements
As Angie envisions the future of Convey Property Settlements, she’s focused on organic growth and maintaining her bespoke approach. “I’m not interested in becoming a massive firm. I want to build a trusted clientele who know they have a true partner in their property journey,” she says.
Her dedication to client care and her embrace of innovative solutions like Scantek ensure she’s well-equipped to navigate the industry’s evolving landscape.
Why Scantek?
For conveyancers like Angie, the decision to partner with Scantek is an intentional one. Aligning herself with industry partners who share her dedication to compliance, efficiency, and security is not a decision she makes lightly.
“Scantek is straightforward, user-friendly, and always improving. Their commitment to listening to practitioners and addressing our challenges makes all the difference,” Angie says.
Scantek’s VOI platform reduces risks, enhances efficiency and ultimately empowers conveyancers to focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional service to their clients.
If you’re looking for a VOI partner to help you do the same in your business, contact us now for a personalised demo.