Proptech Podcast: Discover the story of how Avenue Bank has digitised bank guarantees
- Proptech Australia
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
In a throwback to late 2025, we present a podcast featuring Proptech Australia president Kylie Davis with the then Head of Growth at start-up Avenue Bank, Lawrence Williamson.
Lawrence has since started a new role, but his insights in Avenue Bank are revealing for all founders and entrepreneurs in the Proptech sector.
Avenue Bank is a specialised proptech that holds a banking licence and focuses specifically on bank guarantees, which is a niche yet vital area of commercial property.
Their conversation provides a detailed look into how Avenue Bank has approached an industry segment that has remained largely unchanged for decades. Traditionally, obtaining a bank guarantee for a commercial lease is a slow, paper-based process that can take weeks to finalise. This delay often holds up lease agreements and complicates the move-in process for tenants.
Williamson explains how Avenue Bank has digitised this workflow. By moving the process online, the bank can now issue cash-backed bank guarantees in less than 24 hours.
For startups and proptech founders, the episode serves as a practical case study on the value of being "an inch wide and a mile deep" – solving a specific, narrow problem with high efficiency rather than attempting to disrupt an entire sector.
The discussion also addresses the practical hurdles of innovation in a traditional field. Williamson describes the "muscle memory anxiety" found within the industry, where stakeholders often prefer physical documents and established claims processes despite their inefficiency. Overcoming these entrenched habits is a significant part of the bank’s journey.
Following their win at the 2025 Proptech Awards, Avenue Bank has continued to scale its operations.
This episode offers a straightforward look at how digitisation is finally reaching the more technical corners of commercial property finance, providing a more streamlined experience for landlords, tenants and brokers alike.
Listen to the Full Episode
To hear the full discussion and learn more about how digitisation is reaching the technical corners of property finance, click the link below.
