Upfront information is coming. The real question is whether the industry is ready for it.
For years, the property industry has circled the same uncomfortable truths. Transactions take too long, too many fall apart, consumers lose money, professionals lose time, and confidence in the process continues to erode. Around one in three UK property transactions still fail before completion. Collectively, fall-throughs are estimated to cost consumers and the industry an […]
Is your compliance framework fit for purpose? Here’s how to find out
In 20 years of working with law firms, we’ve seen a consistent pattern: firms that proactively assess their compliance frameworks sleep better at night. Those that don’t? They’re usually the ones scrambling when the SRA comes knocking or a client complaint escalates into something more serious. The regulatory landscape for law firms has never been […]
Verified at the door, not at the last minute
Between April 2024 and March 2025, Action Fraud recorded 143 cases of conveyancing fraud, with total losses of £11.7 million. The average loss per case was £78,393. Almost every case followed the same pattern: a buyer, seller, or solicitor receives an apparently routine email asking them to send funds to a new bank account. By […]
Home buying and selling reform – the detail
The roadmap for reforming the home buying and selling process has been published by the government, in its response to the two consultations launched in October 2025. Late and inconsistent information for buyers, too little commitment, a lack of transparency around delays, process repetition and a lack of digitalisation are amongst the reasons the government […]
Home buying and selling reform: Industry reaction
Conveyancers and professionals across the property ecosystem have shared their reactions to the government’s roadmap for home buying and selling reform. Beth Rudolf, director of delivery at the Conveyancing Association, presented a balanced view. “Home buying and selling reform is about removing the current delay and uncertainty and reducing risk. It is about giving conveyancers the […]
Treasury publishes response to consultation on transferring AML supervision to FCA
HM Treasury has published its consultation response to the transfer of anti-money laundering (AML) supervision to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Announced as part of a “blitz on pointless admin” by chancellor Rachel Reeves, the FCA is to become the single professional services supervisor (SPSS) for AML by 2029. Much of the current expectations on […]
Government unveils major home buying and selling reforms with ‘digitalisation at their heart’
The government has released its agenda for changes to the home buying and selling process, with “a major shift” to digitalisation at their heart, and reduced duplication through AI-assisted conveyancing. The reforms will cut delays, reduce and digitalise paperwork and stop sales collapsing, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said, centred around digital […]
Law firms may be required to notify the SRA when planning M&A activity
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has launched a consultation into plans for law firms to notify the regulator of proposed merger and acquisition activity, as part of its next phase of work examining client money and consumer protection. Expanding on the work already done around requiring law firms to provide more regular accounts and separating […]
HMLR launches new ‘business unit’ view to simplify reporting
HM Land Registry has launched a new reporting feature on its customer portal that will allow users to generate a report of all application details submitted by all individuals within a business unit. The tool has been designed to give customers greater visibility of their applications and has been built in conjunction with customers following […]
Employee ownership trusts: What’s all the fuss about?
How do law firm owners pass on their business? Their culture and legacy? At a time when private equity investment is increasingly popular and offers a potentially lucrative route to exit, firms are also exploring the opportunities presented by alternatives; including employee ownership trusts (EOTs). As Mark Slade, former CEO and current CTO of Fidler […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer – Should we charge to answer enquiries?
After the comments I spotted on my diary submission last week, the issue of additional and unnecessary enquiries has continued to go round my head. It was interesting to read comments about AI generated enquiries, enquiries the client may or may not have specifically asked and whether we should we be answering them. When faced […]