With the government once again outlining plans to reform the way property is conveyed in the UK, Janine Wellington, managing director of Convey Law, believes the focus should be less on replacing the existing system and more on making better use of proven processes. She sets out the practical steps Convey Law has taken to achieve 10-week transactions as standard.
While many continue to argue that conveyancing is fundamentally broken, our results at Convey Law suggest otherwise. Our conveyancers regularly achieve average exchange times of under 10 weeks for freehold transactions and under 14 weeks for leasehold matters, demonstrating that efficient, client-focused practices can deliver consistently faster outcomes.
Conveyancing has often been criticised for being slow and stressful, with industry commentators and successive governments proposing reforms designed to reduce delays.
However, the profession already has many of the tools needed to improve transaction times. Rather than introducing wholesale changes, the industry should focus on adopting practical, consistent working methods that remove unnecessary delays and improve communication throughout the transaction.
Effective client onboarding
One of the most significant improvements comes at the very beginning of the conveyancing process. Clients are onboarded through our Convey365 online portal, allowing them to complete paperwork digitally and return their welcome packs much more quickly than with traditional paper-based methods.
This streamlined approach has reduced the average time taken to receive completed welcome packs by around two weeks, enabling legal work to begin far earlier in the transaction.
Immediate AML and risk compliance
We also prioritise identity verification, source of funds and proof of wealth checks as soon as clients are instructed. Completing these regulatory requirements at the outset means there is no need for last-minute compliance checks immediately before exchange, removing one of the most common causes of avoidable delays.
By dealing with these essential requirements early, our clients and our conveyancers can progress the transaction with greater confidence and fewer interruptions.
Venditor caveat
Contracts are prepared and issued within 48 hours of receiving the completed welcome pack, allowing legal work to begin immediately. On sale transactions, we take a proactive approach by raising enquiries with its own clients rather than waiting for questions from the buyer’s solicitor.
This ensures potential issues are identified and resolved at an early stage instead of becoming obstacles later in the transaction. Early preparation allows both parties to progress simultaneously rather than sequentially, significantly reducing overall timescales.
Personal search agents
Property searches are also ordered as soon as the initial documentation has been received. Working with reliable personal search providers ensures that search delays rarely prevent exchange.
Rather than waiting for other stages of the transaction to conclude, we progress multiple workstreams at the same time, helping to maintain momentum and reducing unnecessary periods of inactivity.
Relevant enquiries
Another key factor is our approach to legal enquiries. Rather than raising lengthy or overly cautious lists of questions, our conveyancers focus on relevant, property specific enquiries while maintaining a risk-averse approach.
This avoids unnecessary correspondence between practices, reduces friction within the transaction, and enables genuine legal issues to be resolved more efficiently without compromising the quality of advice provided to clients.
Great client communication
Clients are kept fully informed throughout the process, with reports on contracts, title documents, searches, mortgage offers and leasehold management information provided as soon as they become available.
Delivering information progressively means clients have more time to consider their documents and raise any questions, reducing the likelihood of urgent enquiries immediately before exchange.
Proactive conveyancing
Our conveyancers also actively chase outstanding documentation rather than waiting for other parties to respond. By maintaining regular communication with all parties involved and following up missing information promptly, transactions continue to move forward instead of stalling while documents remain outstanding.
This proactive case management helps ensure that avoidable delays are minimised wherever possible.
Leading the transaction
Preparing clients for exchange at the earliest opportunity is another important principle. Rather than waiting for the rest of the chain to dictate progress, Convey Law aims to place its clients in a position where they are legally ready to exchange as soon as possible.
We also seek to lead the exchange process within property chains, encouraging other parties to work towards agreed timescales and reducing uncertainty for everyone involved.
Projected exchanges
Forward planning also plays a significant role. Proposed exchange dates are projected at least one month in advance, providing clients, estate agents, introducers and fellow conveyancers with a clear target to work towards.
Having agreed milestones encourages better communication, allows issues to be identified earlier and creates greater accountability across the entire chain.
Conveyancing technology
Supporting all of these processes is Convey365, Convey Law’s proprietary case management platform.
The technology enables conveyancers to monitor key performance indicators, manage workloads efficiently, automate routine administrative tasks and maintain regular communication with clients.
By combining experienced legal professionals with purpose-built technology, we have created a process that delivers greater consistency without compromising service quality.
Practical steps forward
Many of these practices are already followed by high-performing conveyancing practices across the country. The challenge is not that the conveyancing system itself is fundamentally flawed, but that consistent adoption of these best practices is still lacking across the wider profession.
There are, however, some areas where reform could make a meaningful difference.
The universal adoption of electronic deed signatures would improve efficiency, provided appropriate safeguards remain in place.
HM Land Registry has made progress in this area, but a fully flexible system allowing both sides of a transaction to choose either electronic or traditional execution would remove unnecessary administrative barriers while maintaining security.
It is also important to recognise that England and Wales operate within one of the few property markets in the world where long transaction chains are common, allowing multiple buyers and sellers to complete and move on the same day.
While these chains naturally introduce complexity, they also make effective communication, early preparation and proactive case management even more important.
The takeaway is clear: faster conveyancing is already achievable. Rather than reinventing the system, the industry should focus on consistently applying proven processes, embracing practical technology and ensuring conveyancers remain at the centre of decision-making.
With the right preparation, proactive communication and efficient case management, 10-week exchanges are not an aspiration – they are already a reality.
About the author
“Janine Wellington is Managing Director of Convey Law, with over 25 years of experience in property law. An award-winning conveyancer and respected industry leader, she is passionate about innovation, exceptional client service, and advancing best practice across the conveyancing sector.” .
