Settlement delays remain one of the industry’s persistent pain points. Despite PEXA’s transformation of the settlement process itself, the weeks between contract exchange and settlement still generate frustration—missing documents, unresponsive parties, unclear timelines, and preventable surprises.

A category of settlement coordination platforms has emerged to address this gap. Here’s what’s available and whether these tools deliver on their promise.

The Coordination Problem

Settlement involves multiple parties with different incentives:

Buyers: Want smooth process with clear requirements and minimal stress.

Vendors: Want certainty about timing and freedom from complications.

Buyer’s conveyancer: Managing their client’s requirements and coordinating with lender.

Vendor’s conveyancer: Ensuring all vendor obligations are met.

Banks: Processing finance approval and preparing for settlement.

Agents: Wanting transactions to complete without becoming settlement babysitters.

Coordination failures between these parties create delays:

• Documents requested late or lost in email chains
• Unclear status of critical conditions
• Miscommunication about requirements
• Last-minute surprises that should have been identified weeks earlier

Traditional coordination relies on phone calls and emails between parties—methods that don’t scale and don’t provide visibility.

What Coordination Platforms Offer

Settlement coordination platforms attempt to solve this with shared infrastructure:

Centralised Task Management

All parties see the same task list:

• What needs to happen before settlement
• Who’s responsible for each item
• Current status of each requirement
• Due dates and countdown timers

This visibility replaces the confusion of parallel email threads.

Document Management

Single location for all transaction documents:

• Contracts and variations
• Identity verification
• Finance approval documentation
• Strata certificates and clearances
• Inspection reports

No more “I thought you had that” conversations.

Status Tracking

Real-time visibility into transaction progress:

• Which conditions are satisfied
• What’s outstanding
• Who’s the current bottleneck
• When settlement is confirmed

All parties see the same status without requiring update requests.

Automated Reminders

Systems generate reminders for approaching deadlines:

• Condition satisfaction dates
• Document requirements
• Settlement day preparations

Automation ensures nothing slips through when parties are busy.

Communication Log

All transaction communications in one place:

• Complete audit trail
• Nothing lost in individual inboxes
• Easy reference if disputes arise

Platforms in the Market

Several options address settlement coordination:

Realworks

Long-established transaction management with settlement features. Strong conveyancer adoption in some markets. Integrates with major CRMs.

Contrax

Purpose-built for Australian property transactions. Good workflow automation. Growing adoption particularly in Queensland.

CRM-Integrated Solutions

Rex, AgentBox, and other CRMs have built settlement tracking features. Less sophisticated than dedicated platforms but no additional system required.

Conveyancer Platforms

Some conveyancing software includes client-facing portals. Quality varies significantly between providers.

Effectiveness Assessment

Do these platforms actually reduce settlement delays? Based on agency experience:

Where They Help

Clear requirements early: Buyers know what’s needed from the start, reducing last-minute scrambles.

Visible accountability: When all parties see who’s responsible for outstanding items, accountability improves.

Automated follow-up: Systems that remind parties about deadlines reduce forgetfulness as a delay cause.

Reduced agent involvement: Agents spend less time chasing status updates when parties can self-serve.

Where They Fall Short

Adoption inconsistency: Platforms only work when all parties use them. If conveyancers prefer traditional methods, benefits evaporate.

Can’t fix external dependencies: Bank processing times remain the biggest delay source. No platform accelerates bank internal processes.

Learning curve resistance: Busy conveyancers may resist adding another platform to their workflow.

Integration gaps: Platforms that don’t connect smoothly with existing systems create double-handling.

Net Assessment

Well-implemented coordination platforms typically reduce preventable delays by 30-50%. The key word is “preventable”—they can’t overcome external factors like bank processing or genuine complications.

The biggest impact comes from surfacing issues early. A document problem identified in week one can be resolved; the same problem discovered at week five creates crisis.

Agent Perspective

What should agents know about settlement coordination?

It’s Not Your Job (Mostly)

Settlement coordination is primarily the domain of conveyancers. Agents should facilitate connection and handoff, then step back unless problems emerge.

But Problems Become Your Problems

When settlements delay, vendors and buyers call agents. Having visibility into status—through coordination platforms or conveyancer communication—helps you manage these conversations.

Recommend Capable Conveyancers

The conveyancers you recommend affect transaction smoothness. Build relationships with conveyancers who:

• Use modern coordination platforms
• Communicate proactively
• Manage transactions systematically
• Have reasonable availability

Set Expectations Appropriately

At contract stage, explain settlement process to buyers and vendors:

• What’s required from each party
• Typical timeline and milestones
• How to check status
• What to do if concerns arise

Expectation-setting reduces anxiety and unnecessary calls during settlement period.

For Conveyancers

Conveyancers reading this: coordination platforms help your clients and your reputation.

Client satisfaction: Clients with visibility feel more in control and less anxious.

Reduced calls: Self-service status checking reduces “what’s happening?” calls.

Documentation: Complete records protect against disputes and complaints.

Efficiency: Systematic workflows reduce administrative overhead per transaction.

The resistance to adoption—“I’ve always done it this way”—is understandable but increasingly costly.

Strata Complications

For strata property settlements, coordination complexity increases:

Additional requirements: Strata certificates, levies clearance, and by-law compliance.

More parties: Body corporate managers join the coordination challenge.

Variable quality: Strata manager responsiveness varies enormously.

Coordination platforms that handle strata-specific requirements add particular value in this segment.

Looking Forward

Settlement coordination will continue improving:

Better integration: Direct connections between coordination platforms, conveyancing software, PEXA, and bank systems.

AI assistance: Predictive identification of likely delay causes based on transaction patterns.

Standardisation: Industry-wide adoption of common protocols and platforms.

Consumer expectations: Buyers and vendors will increasingly expect visibility that today seems exceptional.

The agencies and conveyancers who embrace coordination technology now build competitive advantages that become harder to match as the industry evolves.

Settlement delays are preventable problems. The technology to prevent them exists. The question is whether transaction participants choose to use it.

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Linda Powers consults with real estate agencies on transaction efficiency and technology adoption. Her 25-year career included countless settlement experiences that inform her perspective on what works.