Bold Legal Group, a nationwide association of 700 conveyancing law firms is launching a new online forum designed to foster better relationships between conveyancing practitioners and estate agents.
Founder and CEO Rob Hailstone has recently written extensively about the need for greater collaboration between conveyancers and estate agents, as the March and June (and no doubt September) SDLT deadline placed relationships under pressure.
In their regular diary update, the Today’s Conveyancer anonymous High Street Conveyancer this week discussed the challenges of collaboration
“As we came into July, I was filled with hope that there was going to be a new way of working between conveyancers, estate agents, brokers, home movers – we had pulled together to get people moved, and I believed that there had been an element of mutual understanding from estate agents as to what was involved in the conveyancing part – we just pull everything together and make sure that everything is in order so that people can buy their dream homes.”
“How wrong was I?”
Commenting on the launch of the forum, Rob Hailstone says
“When I was a conveyancer, back in the late 70s, 80s and 90s, I worked with a lot of estate agents, from single independent high street firms to some of the big corporates. On the whole the relationships were great. Beneficial to both parties, often fun and most importantly, helpful to both the seller and buyer.”
“Over the last decade or so relationships between the two have become at best distant, and at worst, often detrimental to each other and the seller and buyer.”
“The Bold Legal Group has an existing forum for members which has been running for nearly 18 months and provides a fantastic resource for firms who have technical questions to raise, comments to post, suggestions to make and even to air grievances. ”
“I have now set up a joint online forum for conveyancers and estate agents to use. Membership is free for BLG members and free for all estate agents.”
“The main purpose of the forum is to allow members to ask questions, post comments, make suggestions, give explanations and reasons (for processes and of problems), and air grievances in an informal but constructive and polite arena.”
“I hope the forum will give both agents and conveyancers the opportunity to understand the issues and pressures they both face.”
“Ultimately, I hope it will pave the way for a more respectful and fruitful way of working, which may even help transactions progress more smoothly, ensuring that the client gets a more ‘joined up’ service.”
For more information about how to join the forum please contact Rob Hailstone on rh@boldgroup.co.uk
