A survey by conveyancing membership body Bold Legal Group (BLG) reveals widespread concern about the sustainability of the conveyancing profession, with 93% of respondents reporting the role has become more challenging or is in decline.
The majority of those surveyed (82.5%) believe regulatory and compliance demands are the biggest issue affecting daily working life, with client expectations and communication pressures (70.9%) and staff capacity (51.5%) adding further strain.
Four in five respondents said they believe the profession is in a worse state than it was five years ago, citing increasing administrative burden, resource strain and inconsistent standards. Varying levels of quality and avoidable delays caused by insufficiently trained or unqualified staff are damaging the reputation of the profession and the experience of consumers, respondents believe.
The findings are a clear call for urgent reform, BLG CEO Rob Hailstone said.
“These survey results show that the conveyancing profession is stretched almost to breaking point and that improvements cannot wait any longer, and whilst the government consultations are welcomed, they do not go far enough.”
An advisory working group has been established to coordinate industry discussions relating to the issues conveyancers have reported, with a private online forum set to launch on 17th November.
BLG has outlined a series of recommended reforms, including simplifying and clarifying regulatory requirements, mandating early conveyancer involvement in homebuying, raising minimum standards and supervision across the industry, and ensuring fees reflect the professional risk and workload involved.
‘We will feedback to the government all relevant comments and suggestions that emanate from the working group’s discussions’, Hailstone said.
Membership of the BLG Advisory Working Group is free and open to all conveyancers. For further information, email lewis@boldgroup.co.uk.
Bold Legal Group supports over 600 conveyancing firms with compliance updates, industry advocacy, practical training, and a trusted peer network, working to improve the home-moving process through collaboration with government, regulators, and stakeholders.
The survey was conducted between September and October amongst conveyancing professionals including fee earners, firm owners, directors and compliance leads in firms of all sizes across England and Wales. Full results and commentary will be shared in an upcoming report.
3 responses
This initiative is about identifying and agreeing problems, organising those problems into a priority order and, most importantly suggesting reasonable practical ways of; (i) addressing them, and (ii) establishing who is able, and who should take responsibility for fixing them (conveyancers, Government, lenders, agents, etc).
As a result of the survey responses, and in view of the fact that Government consultations are underway, the Advisory Working Group, within its own private and secure online forum, will discuss the real issues that slow the process down, including:
• Help to Buy
• CQS
• Additional Enquiries
• Grant of Probate Delays
• Source of funds
• AML
• Building Safety Act
• Rentcharges
• Management Companies
• Lender Requirements
• Auctions
• New Builds
• Demystifying Legal Terminology
I sincerely believe that the following would change property transactions for the better:
not listing properties that cannot sell immediately, in other words all properties to be “purchase ready” when listed;
If UK Finance could look at financing property transactions and create products or change their rules that mean chains aren’t necessary;
All consumer facing roles to require the “conveyancer” to be authorised;
and
Enquiries to be Title specific.
Delays in the property transaction process are NOT caused by a lack of digitised data so digitised data will not make inefficient business models efficient. The propaganda must end.
One of the biggest problems facing Solicitor firms is that there are seemingly very few equity partners who are conveyancers. A lot of equity partners deal with commercial, litigation, family, trusts/probate work. As a result, Solicitor firms fail to understand the needs and demands made of their staff and the struggles in Conveyancing. There is a willingness to accept the billing from Conveyancing but very little willingness to look at procedures, staff happiness and ways to make things better including investing in systems. The lack of equity partners in Solicitor firms in Conveyancing is not a surprise because this is a rubbish job that impacts mental and physical health. No one wants to do it! The consultant based system of firms is making matters worse and worse. I deal with a lot of local work. I am not national or even regional, I deal with returning business and we absolutely despair with consultants especially from one particular firm especially when calls, emails are not returned and we are spending 4-6 months on files with no movement. This is not just me….I see the reviews….Especially those that say clients are faced with a bill of £1000 more than the quote at the end….