Is the property market in an extended lockdown too?
In 2020, life as we knew it was turned upside down as the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the world. There were major changes in every aspect of daily life including work patterns, shopping habits, schooling, socialising and travel. The property market was also hit as the first lockdown meant that no house viewings or surveys could […]
Gazeal announced as Platinum Partner for The ESTAS
ESTAS the customer review and awards platform for the property industry has announced Gazeal as a Platinum Partner for The ESTAS Forum & Awards 2021. Founder of The ESTAS Group Simon Brown explains: “The ESTAS Awards 2021 will be a landmark event for the property sector as we gather the best agents, conveyancers and brokers […]
Legal firms among the best performers in call waiting time survey
Legal companies are among the best performing businesses for customer care and low call waiting times, according to new research. The survey of 1000 people by leading outsourced comms company Moneypenny revealed that just 6% of survey respondents feel legal firms have poor call handling times – compared with utility companies (33%) doctors (27%), banks […]
British Conveyancing Awards set to honour sector
Today’s Conveyancer is proud to introduce the British Conveyancing Awards 2021, which is coming to a screen near you on Tuesday 25 May 2021! 2020 was an unprecedented time for the property sector, and we would like to give something back to our legal community and celebrate the achievements of those in the sector who have […]
No let up for law firms from the regulators
Partners and managers at law firms face a constantly shifting regulatory picture from the regulators as Covid-19 continues to make its presence felt both professionally and personally. With 212 pages of new guidance on AML from LSAG recently released and a series of high profile fines and stories of non-compliance hitting the press in the […]
Land Registry advises conveyancers on how to solve requisition problems
Every day HM Land Registry receives around 18,000 applications to update the register. The majority of these applications are submitted correctly with all the necessary information included for our land registration experts to complete the requested change. However, for one in five applications – over three and a half thousand applications every day – some […]
Outsourcing – The Underestimated Business Model in Conveyancing
Outsourcing is a business model that has shown its worth especially during the coronavirus pandemic, especially in conveyancing firms/departments where good quality work has been delivered by outsourced companies. This article aims to dispel some of the myths surrounding outsourcing and why in today’s climate, where conveyancing is such an aggressive market to profit from, […]
Is there a need for Reservation Agreements?
With the stamp duty holiday deadline looming in just over 6 weeks time, the pressure is mounting on the residential property market, causing logjams and delays in conveyancing transactions, so, should reservation agreements be introduced? Back in the 2019 the proposed implementation of reservation agreements was high on the Governments agenda in a bid to […]
Government maps out future use of digital identities
The Government has today published new plans which will govern the use of digital identities and revolutionise conveyancing transactions when proving identity. The Government’s new draft rules is to help build trust in the use of digital identities without the need for physical documents. The aim is to make it quicker and easier for people […]
Can Reservation Agreements Help in this Unprecedented Conveyancing Market?
Conveyancers are currently working in the eye of the storm. They are facing unprecedented volumes of work due to the SDLT ‘holiday’ combined with the pressures and uncertainty of working in a market which is restricted by a lockdown. A huge challenge which conveyancers and their clients are now facing is the significant delays to […]
Founder of The Bold Legal Group takes a light hearted look at lockdown
I live in Torquay and am lucky enough to live very close to the sea, the town centre and the railway station. Until the first lockdown I was happy working from home and sharing an office with my wife. She wasn’t quite so happy with that arrangement; I have no idea why. When lockdown arrived, […]
SDLT hope on the horizon?
Reports from a national newspaper over the weekend have suggested that there could be a glimmer of hope for buyers and sellers in relation to the ever nearing stamp duty land tax (SDLT) holiday deadline on 31 March 2021. The Daily Telegraph has quoted an unnamed government source, who describes the Chancellor possibly extending the deadline […]
Roses are red…I no longer want this house with you
Roses are red, Violets are blue, I no longer want this house with you…isn’t the love poem we’re used to or want to hear any day of the week, let alone on Valentines day. Yes Homebuyers asked home sellers what the main reason was for their move and found that divorce or a relationship ending […]
Construction industry remains resilient amid pandemic disruption
• New private housing output up 6.7% over the last quarter1 Andy Sommerville, Director at Search Acumen, says: “These latest figures show the construction industry is one of the most resilient sectors of the UK economy. “The uptick in private housing output over the last quarter has been partly driven by housebuilders responding to elevated […]
What you need to know about the new Insurance Distribution Directive
There is an ever-increasing need for insurance products in conveyancing and this need should be considered as managing risk and not just as selling products. Search and indemnity insurance is bought by conveyancers on behalf of their clients and with the new Insurance Distribution Directive (EU legislation that sets regulatory requirements for firms designing and […]
OneSearch Direct urge local authorities to address “postcode lottery” for homebuyers
OneSearch Direct, the largest local search data company in the UK, has warned that the disparity in search delays is creating a postcode lottery where an increasing number of homebuyers are being unfairly penalised. OneSearch believe some local authorities are failing to prioritise the homebuying process at a time when the housing market is one […]
Report says clear flood resilience targets needed
The continual wet weather and subsequent flooding issues that have affected all parts of the UK, are adding to the continual outcry for more measures to be implemented to help the property market tackle the issue. Recently, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee has published a report which calls for clear flood-resilience […]
SearchFlow’s Customer Service leader recognised in CX Stars 2021 initiative
SearchFlow, the UK’s largest provider of legal due diligence data for residential and commercial property transactions, is delighted to confirm that Head of Customer Service, Katriona O’Hare has been recognised in the top 20 of the CX Stars 2021, which is an annual list of the UK’s most dedicated customer experience professionals. Organised by Customer […]
Industry reacts to extra funding promised for cladding issue
Addressing Parliament this afternoon, Robert Jenrick has promised an extra £3.5bn of funding to remove unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings over 18m “at no cost to residents”. Jonathan Frankel, head of the Property Litigation Dept at Cavendish Legal Group, said: “The £3.5bn announced today is completely insufficient to deal with even a fraction of the […]
A service you can rely on ahead of stamp duty deadline
With the deadline for the stamp duty holiday looming ever larger on the horizon, already over stretched property professionals are coming under more pressure than ever before. Last summer, the government suspended stamp duty on the first £500,000 of all property sales in England and Northern Ireland, leading to an explosion in demand. As a […]
