Conveyancing Association director of delivery Beth Rudolf looks behind the headline figures in the latest CLC Workplace and Diversity Survey and finds a profession that cares deeply but is working at capacity.
The latest Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) Workplace and Diversity Survey provides a largely positive picture of the profession. Seven in 10 conveyancing professionals say they have been satisfied in their role over the past 12 months, while positive working environments, supportive employers and rewarding work all rank highly among the reasons why people enjoy what they do.
These findings clearly matter as they reflect a profession which continues to attract committed people who want to help consumers through one of the most important transactions of their lives. They also show the strength and resilience of firms that have adapted to significant change over recent years, whether driven by market conditions, regulation, fraud prevention or changing client expectations.
Pause for thought
However, beneath those positive findings sits a message that should give everyone involved in the home moving process pause for thought. More than half of respondents say they frequently work beyond their contracted hours, while almost one in five say they frequently feel unable to cope with their workload. Perhaps most significantly, 45% are concerned commercial pressures sometimes or frequently make it difficult to provide good customer service.
Those figures should not be viewed as criticism of firms or the people working within them. Rather, they show the reality of operating within a system that continues to place huge pressure on conveyancers while expecting ever higher levels of service.
For many years, there has been an assumption by conveyancers and estate agents that consumers select conveyancers mainly on price. This has too often resulted in a race to the bottom, where firms feel compelled to keep fees low while also managing rising workloads, greater risk, growing compliance duties and higher client expectations. Yet recent consumer research suggests the reality is rather different.
Fees, caseloads and service quality are linked
Research undertaken by Access Legal found only 28% of consumers put lower costs above all other factors. Collectively, 56% place greater value on faster turnaround times, better communication and empathy throughout the process. We should take note of this; if consumers are telling us communication, speed and service matter more than simply finding the lowest fee, then it may be time to rethink how conveyancing services are delivered, priced and valued.
This is the point that cannot be ignored. Firms cannot deliver better service, faster updates, lower stress levels and stronger client care if the commercial model does not support it. Appropriate fees are not about charging more for the sake of it. They are about creating the conditions in which firms can do the job properly. That means having the capacity to invest in skilled people, better training, stronger systems, digital tools and caseloads that allow conveyancers to give each matter the attention it needs.
It also means creating an environment in which new entrants to the profession can be properly developed. Conveyancing is not simply a process-driven activity. It requires legal knowledge, commercial judgement, communication skills and the confidence to engage constructively with clients and fellow professionals. Those capabilities are built through training, mentoring and experience, all of which require time and investment.
Consistency and good practice
The CA’s Technical Protocol was developed in part to support consistency and good practice across the sector, helping every level of conveyancing staff understand what is required at each stage of the transaction and reducing unnecessary enquiries, duplication and delay. However, resources such as these are most effective when firms have the capacity to support learning and professional development alongside day-to-day casework.
Where fees are too low, firms are forced to rely on higher volumes to make the numbers work. That can increase pressure on staff, reduce the time available for client care and make it harder to deal with problems before they grow. It also makes it more difficult for firms to invest in the very changes consumers say they want.
This is why the debate should not be framed as a choice between value and price. The real issue is whether the fee allows the firm to deliver the service the client expects. A low fee may look attractive at the outset, but it is poor value if it leads to delays, poor communication, staff pressure or a weaker client experience. Equally, a fairer fee can represent better value if it supports clearer updates, better use of technology, more experienced staff and a smoother transaction. As a sector, I feel we should have more confidence in making that case.
Better service requires investment
The improvements consumers want cannot be delivered without investment. Faster transaction times require better systems and more efficient processes. Improved communication requires technology that keeps clients informed without creating extra admin. Better service requires teams with manageable caseloads who have the time to focus on the client experience rather than simply processing the next file.
That investment must also extend to attracting and retaining the next generation of conveyancers. As transactions become increasingly complex and client expectations continue to rise, firms need people who can apply professional judgement, communicate effectively and resolve issues pragmatically rather than simply move matters from one stage to the next.
And of course, firms have to deal with a raft of new legislation and duplicated regulation raining down upon them. A sustainable sector depends not only on technology and process improvement, but also on developing the skilled professionals who will lead it in the future. The CLC survey suggests many professionals are already working at, or beyond, capacity. Continuing to rely on increasing volumes to compensate for low margins is unlikely to provide a long-term answer.
This is where the work of The Conveyancing Association (CA) and our members is so important. We have long argued that a better home-moving process depends on upfront information, greater use of digital processes, more secure data sharing and a more joined-up approach across the market. Those changes will help firms, but they also need to be supported by business models that allow them to be adopted properly.
Digitalisation must now deliver
The good news is the industry is not standing still. Recent work across the Digital Property Market Steering Group, together with the progress being made through the Open Property Data Association and its industry hackathons, is showing how verifiable data can be shared more effectively across the transaction process. Access to trusted information earlier in the process has the potential to reduce repeated requests, cut delays and improve certainty for all parties.
Alongside this, the ongoing drive towards upfront information is helping to ensure key property data is available earlier, reducing the risk of avoidable surprises further down the line and allowing buyers to make more informed decisions from the outset.
At the same time, consumer attitudes towards technology continue to change. The Access research found firms embedding digital tools effectively reduce call volumes significantly while also improving client satisfaction. Consumers value online document signing, digital payments and access to case updates because these tools provide transparency and convenience throughout the transaction.
A better future
Meaningful reform requires more than asking firms to work harder or process more cases. It requires a system that supports better outcomes for home movers and a sustainable working model for the people delivering those outcomes. We need better upfront information, wider adoption of digital processes, improved data sharing and a market which recognises the link between fair fees, sensible caseloads and service quality.
The positive message from both the CLC and the consumer research is the foundations already exist. We have a committed profession that cares deeply about delivering good outcomes, and we have consumers who are telling us they value quality, communication, speed and empathy. The next step is ensuring firms have the confidence, resources and operating environment needed to meet those expectations.
About the author
Beth Rudolf is director of delivery at The Conveyancing Association. After starting working life as an estate agent, she became a licensed conveyancer and now works with the Conveyancing Association to improve the home-moving process for the consumer.
