Ask An Expert: Could Changing Consumer Behaviour Radically Affect Conveyancing?
At a time when simplifying the home move is high on the agenda, adopting technology has yet to deliver much meaningful change to transaction times. Today’s Conveyancer has recently been introduced to Alex Beagrie principal at Exchangetrain.co.uk who thinks he might have an unusual and unique solution. He recently spoke to David Opie and shared […]
Job Insecurity Now The Biggest Barrier To Home Ownership
Figures from the Building Societies Association (BSA) have revealed that for the first time in a decade, the largest barrier to home ownership is job insecurity. For the last ten years, people wishing to buy a home have found the biggest barrier to be raising the deposit. Whilst many first time buyers are able to […]
MPs Urged To Help Lawyers Who Slipped Through Covid-19 Support Gap
The UK Government has seemingly done its utmost to ensure people’s livelihoods hadn’t been completely destroyed by the coronavirus pandemic. The furlough scheme and coronavirus loans have been one way people have attempted to prevent their businesses from going under. However, in some aspects of the economy, certain sectors feels they have slipped through the […]
Savills Forecast Has Gloomy Outlook
Savills have released their latest forecast, and it can make for some glum reading. Whereas most of the news is now populated with positive stories of the ‘bounce back’ of the property market, Savills is shedding a new light on the situation, with their five year forecast. Savills said: “We published our first note on […]
Redbrick Solutions Continue To Offer Insights To Help Conveyancers Post Lockdown
Redbrick Solutions, the award winning conveyancing case management provider, has released the second edition of their new ‘Insights’ service, designed to help conveyancing firms compete and succeed in a post lockdown world. ‘Redbrick Insights’ is a data driven intelligence service which provides analytics and reports on a range of key success based factors. The service […]
Over 35% Of Properties In Mio Now Receiving An Automated Milestone Update
The sales progression platform mio has announced that over 35% of the properties in mio are now receiving an automated milestone update via a data feed from a conveyancing, mortgage broking or surveying business. Commenting on the announcement, mio MD, Emma Vigus said: “Agents are really busy dealing with a surge in new enquiries. This […]
Nudge Theory Is Now More Prevalent
For those of us from a certain generation the words ‘Nudge, nudge…’ will undoubtedly be followed by ‘…wink, wink, say no more…’ as we conjure up images of Eric Idle and a bemused Terry Jones in their famous Monty Python sketch. However, from a psychology point of view ‘nudge’ means something rather different and, in […]
What!?! Conveyancers Should Consider Using Mediation?!
I have now attended at two seminars (via Zoom in what is now the new norm), one from a London set of chambers and the other from a Manchester set of chambers, which have discussed the problems faced by property lawyers as a result of COVID-19. The conclusion from both was: COVID 19 would not invoke […]
Landmark Information Adds Coal Risk Identification Feature To RiskView Residential Reports
Landmark Information – the property, land and environmental information specialist – has introduced a new coal risk indicator to its market-leading RiskView Residential report, to support property lawyers and conveyancers in easily identifying risks relating to a property, as part of the conveyancing process. In 2019, almost a quarter (23%) of property transactions took place […]
CQS Refunds For Members
The Law Society has revealed that CQS members are due to get refunds in the coming weeks. A Law Society spokesperson said: “Between 1 April and 31 December, we are offering a 75% fee discount to CQS members. Those who have already paid will get a 75% refund. We have started rolling out the refunds […]
CMA Seeks Further Disqualifications
Following on from the Competition Markets Authority (CMA) successfully disqualifying two Directors from estate agents, it has been revealed that there are further investigations being conducted in the hope of netting further disqualifications. A statement from the CMA read: “The CMA is also seeking director disqualifications in two further separate proceedings before the court. One […]
Remortgage Cancellations Increase In June
Conveyancing service provider LMS have found that remortgage cancellations have continued to rise, which it describes as ‘a cause for quite concern’ that will need to be monitored over the coming months. In the first week of June, remortgage cancellations increased by 45.8% compared to the first week in May, and was 92% higher than […]
Are Solicitors Still Unsure About Transparency Rules?
In December 2018, new rules entered the legal services sector which required firms and free lance solicitors to publish their prices on their website, to enable clients to gain an understanding of the cost of legal services. 18 months on, a survey conducted by law firm consultant DG Legal has revealed that 90% of firms […]
Using Facebook Marketplace To Market Properties
A free webinar promoting the importance of agents using Facebook Marketplace is being hosted by OneDome at 9.30am on Thursday 18th June 2020. The webinar will provide attendees with information from Facebook Marketplace guests, who will explain about the key benefits of using OneDome and its sister website Nethouseprices to list properties on the social […]
Remortgage Instructions Continue To Grow
Rightmove released data this week which showed that estate agents had managed to agree no fewer than 40,000 sales in the last four weeks. With new home sales, comes the task of looking and applying for mortgages, although part of this step is already undertaken first. As such LMS, the conveyancing solutions provider has published […]
Law Society Wants Your Views On PC Fee
Last week, the Law Society has launched their annual consultation with solicitors about their Practising Certificate (PC) Fee. The Law Society has announced that it has reduced it’s share of the fee by 10%, resulting in them receiving less than 30%. This has been driven by the challenges faced by solicitors and firms as a […]
Estate Agent Directors Disqualified
Stephen Jones Director at Richard Worth Estate Agents and Neil Mackenzie Director at Michael Hardy Estate Agents have been disqualified by the Competitive Market’s Authority (CMA) after they both took part in an illegal price fixing cartel. The pair worked at the agencies from September 2008 to May 2015. A CMA investigation discovered, that it […]
Hackers For Hire Target Law Firms
Law firms are still the firm favourites and proverbial jewel in the crown for cyber criminals. It appears, in the latest cyber report that hackers for hire, named ‘Dark Basin’ by researchers, have set their sights on the legal industry. The group is said to have used the notoriously common and most successful cyber crime […]
Wilford Smith On What Clients Want From Conveyancers In 2020
The typical homebuyer is savvier than ever; they want a proactive service with quick turnarounds and regular updates, and they have the tools at their fingertips to help them find a service that meets these requirements. As the demand for efficiency and innovation in the conveyancing process increases, market disruptors are stepping in to meet […]
The ESTAS Awards Goes Virtual For 2020
The biggest awards for the agency sector – The ESTAS which was due to take place on 15th May will now be a virtual event on Friday 3rd July and will be free to watch. Founder of The ESTAS Group Simon Brown explains: “We thought long and hard about holding a postponed live event and […]
