NRL great Ben Ikin joins Queensland PropTech firm SearchX as CEO to lead national growth
- 21 hours ago
- 2 min read
Proptech Australia member Search X has announced the appointment of Ben Ikin as Chief Executive Officer, marking a major milestone in the company’s continued expansion across the property technology, compliance and professional services sectors.
Mr Ikin will lead the next phase of growth for SearchX and its expanding group of PropRT businesses, including SignedX, PropRT Conveyancing and WealthApp.
The appointment brings together one of Queensland’s most recognised leaders in sport, media and executive management with one of the state’s fastest-growing property compliance technology companies.
Mr Ikin joins SearchX after 3 years as CEO of the Queensland Rugby League and 2 years as Head of Football at the Brisbane Broncos, which followed a decade-long tenure at Fox Sports. Mr Ikin is also an experienced board director and has worked in a variety of senior commercial roles in the property sector.
SearchX Co-Founder Riley Neaton said the appointment reflected the company’s ambition to scale nationally and continue building industry-leading businesses across the real estate and property ecosystem.
“Ben is a proven leader with an incredible ability to build high-performing organisations, strong cultures and trusted brands,” Mr Neaton said.
“He understands Queensland, he understands people, and he understands how to lead organisations through periods of rapid growth and transformation.
“As SearchX continues to expand beyond seller disclosure into broader property technology and professional services through the PropRT group, we are excited to have someone of Ben’s calibre leading that journey.”
SearchX Co-Founder Timothy Neville said the business had experienced significant growth over the past 12 months and was now entering a new phase of strategic expansion.
“We built SearchX to modernise and simplify compliance and property services for the real estate industry,” Mr Neville said.
“The appointment of Ben as CEO represents a significant step forward as we continue expanding our technology, legal and service offerings through businesses like SignedX, PropRT Conveyancing and WealthApp.”
“Ben brings strategic leadership experience at the highest level, and we believe he is the ideal person to lead the business into its next chapter.”
Incoming Chief Executive Officer Ben Ikin said he was excited by the scale of opportunity ahead for SearchX and the broader PropRT group.
“What SearchX has built in a very short period of time is incredibly impressive,” Mr Ikin said.
“The business has identified real problems within the property industry and created technology-driven solutions that are fast, practical and scalable.”
“I’m excited to join Riley, Tim and the wider team to help accelerate the next phase of growth across SearchX and the broader PropRT businesses. There is an enormous opportunity ahead.”
