Curtis Thomson on winning hearts and minds, systemising the chaos, and reimagining property management

“We’ve always done it this way” — the inertia problem

One of the biggest hurdles to progress? Inertia.

Curtis shares a story about a customer who admitted their agency hadn’t changed its processes in 20 years. Not because things were working perfectly — but because no one had taken a step back to ask why they were doing things a certain way.

“A lot of the time, we just keep doing it this way because that’s the way we’ve always done it. But if it’s not adding value to the landlord, tenant, or the business — why are we doing it at all?”

This kind of honest questioning is where transformation begins.

Adoption starts with winning hearts and minds

Curtis makes it clear: introducing a new platform or process is never just a tech project — it’s a people project.

If you want your team to adopt change, you have to earn their buy-in. That means:

• Giving them time to prepare and understand the change
• Clearly communicating the why behind it
• Showing them how their day-to-day work will become easier, less stressful, and more rewarding

“People don’t resist change because they’re lazy,” Curtis says. “They resist it because they’re already busy, and they’re not sure it’s worth it.”

When your team sees how the change will reduce admin, eliminate repetitive tasks, and free up time for meaningful work — real adoption starts to happen.

Reimagining trust accounting — without the manual mess

Trust accounting is one of the most risk-heavy, compliance-sensitive parts of running a property management business — and it’s often still done with a combination of manual reconciliation, spreadsheets, and cross-checking.

OurProperty takes a different approach. Trust processes are integrated and automated within the system, handling:

• Reconciliations
• Disbursements
• Compliance tracking
• Audit preparation

By removing human error from the equation and shifting the compliance burden onto the platform itself, agencies reduce risk and free up valuable time — all without sacrificing control.

Untangling maintenance coordination through automation

Maintenance is notoriously messy — requests coming from multiple sources, chasing trades for keys, waiting for approvals, quoting delays, and manual follow-ups.

Curtis explains how automation solves these problems at scale:

• Jobs are triaged and routed based on landlord preferences and urgency
• The system chases quotes, assigns jobs, and handles approvals
• Key handovers are logged and tracked automatically
• Performance data helps allocate the right tradie for the right job

“Why am I chasing a tradie to return the keys? The system should be doing that for me.”

It’s about taking the busywork off your team’s shoulders so they can focus on what actually moves the business forward.

Arrears management with AI — personalised, not robotic

Chasing arrears is uncomfortable — and usually inefficient. Many agencies rely on templated reminders or manual phone calls, which rarely work at scale.

Curtis explains how OurProperty uses AI to handle arrears with more nuance:

• Communications are tailored to each tenant’s history and behaviour
• The system determines the best tone (firm or soft) and channel (SMS or email)
• AI steps in with guidance when human involvement is needed

The result? Fewer awkward conversations, faster resolution, and significantly reduced arrears rates.

Focus on outcomes, not just pain points

Technology is only as useful as the outcomes it drives.

Curtis encourages agency leaders to focus on what they’re really trying to achieve — not just patch up frustrations.

“You need to have specific goals. What are you trying to actually achieve? Then design the system, the process, and the change around that.”

This means involving your team early, staying focused on the end result, and communicating that bigger picture clearly. When your team can see how change gets them closer to less stress, more time, and better results — they’ll get behind it.

Ready to reimagine what your agency could look like?

This conversation is packed with honest insights, practical advice, and plenty of lightbulb moments — whether you’re a business owner, department head, or property manager ready for something better.

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