Many people are of the opinion that choosing a Settlement Agent is their locality is an important consideration when choosing a Settlement Agent .

In fact, this is not such an important consideration. In reality, most communication between a Settlement Agent and their client is undertaken either by mail, or over the phone. Interestingly, less that 10% of our client ever visit our offices.

However, on the day of settlement, location can be critical. All settlements are conducted in the city centre, generally either at a bank's head office or the Department of Land Information. Settlements are booked at 15 minute intervals, (e.g. 10.30am; 10.45am;11.00am etc.)

Prompt attendance at the scheduled location and time is critical and late arrival can cause a settlement to be delayed, ( if a problem arises at a 10.30am settlement occurs that delays a settlement agent from arriving at a 10.45am booking, the 10.45am settlement could be called off.)

In the case of Mint Settlements, all staff attending settlements have mobile phones. If a problem arises at one settlement, a call is placed to the office and another person is sent out to attend to the subsequent settlement. We can only do this as we are city based, and have sufficient staff to cover these situations. We also have the flexibiliy to use all available booking times.

In the case of a surburban settlement agency, one staff member may be allocated to attend to all settlements on a particular day. If one settlement is delayed, or called off for a minor technicality, they may not be able to to get to the next settlement on time, (thereby causing it to be called off,) or may not be able to rectify a minor problem and re arrange the settlement on the same day, (as this may require a trip back to their office and back into the city.) Due to distance from the city centre, they are also unable to arrange for another staff member to attend to the next settlement booked.

From a client's point of view, we believe they need some certainty that having been advised their settlement has been booked, (and then probably having made the necessary removal arrangements based on that booking,) their settlement will proceed as planned. Further, if the settlement is called off for a minor technicality, they would want to know that wherever possible, their settlement agent would be in a position to rectify the problem and rearrange the settlement for that day.