Does Fracking Pose a Risk to Your Commercial Property Interests?
Hydraulic fracturing (also known as ‘fracking’) is nothing new in the UK; indeed, it has been used actively in North Sea oil and gas wells since the 1970s. The more recent phenomenon and one that has garnered a great deal of negative press and controversy is the extraction of shale gas using fracking techniques, which […]
Who’s First On The Ladder In Your Area?
This week Nested.com have revealed their inaugural first-time buyer (FTB) age index, giving conveyancers a little insight into the average age of the clients they’ll be liaising with. The survey found that FTBs in the Scottish city of Edinburgh were the oldest to join the ladder at 30 years of age. Whereas, the stereotypical ‘no […]
New Build Construction Starts Fall For Three Consecutive Quarters
New build starts in England have fallen for the fifth out of six quarters and the third consecutive quarter as the construction sector remains concerned by political uncertainty. The 37,220 building starts in the second quarter of 2019 represented a 2% decrease on the opening quarter’s construction output. Furthermore, new build starts are down 8% […]
Cyber Security Is Not Just A Concern For IT Managers
Regulatory Changes All Legal Partners And Senior Managers Should Be Aware Of 2019 has been an overwhelming area of transition for the United Kingdom (UK). A definitive break from the EU has already been delayed once with a further extension unlikely. Amidst this uncertainty, regulators have considered the future of the legal sector and updated […]
Searches, AML And Legal Tech Discussed at LawBizTech 2019
The LawBizTech Conference and Exhibition took place on 1st October, kicking off it’s tour at the NEC in Birmingham, with the final leg scheduled for 22nd-23rd October in London. SearchFlow took part in the event and focused on the topics of efficiency and risk management relating to the property search process. The LawBizTech event is […]
How To Overcome The Legal Skills Shortage
In the UK, unemployment has fallen to the lowest level since 1975 with employers now facing a skills shortage. Employees are choosing to move to greener pastures and the inability to replace a good employee may now pose an existential threat to businesses. Technology can help law firms do more work with the same number […]
Mortgage Rates Improve Whilst Affordability Gap Increases
The housing sector has been kind to those lucky enough to gain a foothold on the property ladder over the past decade. Similarly, first-time buyers acquiring property for the first time in 2019 are benefiting from falling mortgage rates. Since 2008, the average UK property price has increased by 43% whilst the average UK income […]
HMLR Migrate Another Local Authority To Digital Register
Lambeth council are the latest local authority to migrate their information to HM Land Registry’s (HMLR) digital local land charges (LLC) register. Over the past 14 months seven local authorities have fully digitised their systems using HMLR. After Warwick District Council migrated in August 2018, Liverpool City Council, the City of London Corporation, Blackpool Council, […]
5 Steps To Winning More Business From Existing Enquiries
Here are our top five steps to winning more business from existing enquiries. Build Rapport First and foremost… pick up the phone! In a digital age the telephone is still the most effective way to win new business. Remember, for most people purchasing a property will be the single largest expense they will ever make. […]
Swinging The Odds In Your Favour
Top tips to stand out against your competition when it comes to quoting. If you could increase the number of case files you open, without increasing the number of enquires you have to generate, what would that mean to your business? Or, to put it another way, what if without increasing spend, you could increase […]
The New Terrafirma Ground Report – Taking Subsidence Risk Assessment To The Next Level
Terrafirma is launching a major update to its standard-setting Ground Report, making it the first domestic search product to provide detailed, property-specific information on the risks from clay-related subsidence and trees – a major cause of building damage in the UK. As part of its research and development programme, Terrafirma has been working with cutting-edge […]
Search Acumen Comments On The Digitisation of the Local Land Charges Register For The London Borough of Lambeth
Since 2015, there have been 19,954 property transactions in the London Borough of Lambeth valuing just over £13.5bn Of those, around 85% (16,872) were residential property transactions, totalling nearly £10bn. Lambeth has experienced 3,082 commercial real estate transactions since 2015, totalling £3.4bn In the first half of 2019, the number of property transactions in Lambeth […]
Conveyancing Sentiment Optimistic Despite Brexit
Sentiment amongst conveyancers remains strong with 45% anticipating an increase in their workload over the next 12 months. 42% of the 212 law firms regulated by the Council of Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), participating in the Annual Regulatory Return (ARR) 2018/19, were confident the work each firm will receive will remain the same whilst 13% are […]
Buyer And Seller Numbers Reach Highest Levels Since Referendum
Buyers are returning to the property market in their droves as the ‘wait and see’ approach to Brexit is dropped by property market stakeholders. Although many buyers remain anxious about Brexit and the impact it will have on the economy and property prices, NAEA Propertymark’s Housing Report for August has found that house hunters registered […]
Confidence High Amongst CLC Regulated Community, Research Finds
New research published by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) today reports strong levels of business confidence amongst its regulated community, with almost a half of practices (45%) expecting their work volumes to rise over the next 12 months. A further 42% expected work volumes to remain the same, with just 13% expecting work to […]
Elderly Homeowners Forced To Sell 406 Homes Per Week
On average, 406 older home owners are being forced to sell their homes every week to fund their social care costs. According to new research by Independent Age, 21,120 homes were sold in 2018 with the funds being used to pay for the vital care all people should be entitles to as we age. In […]
Experts Discuss The Property Sector’s Three Demons: Brexit, Cyber Crime And Fraud
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) cited Brexit, cyber crime and fraud/money laundering as the three main challenges to the property sector in 2019. Throughout September, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) issued a new scam alert every other day as unscrupulous criminals targeted the perceived rich pickings from law firms and their clients. The scams […]
Pali And Groundsure Announce Free Webinar – Which Residential Report For Which Scenario?
Pali, in conjunction with Groundsure, would like to invite you to join our free CPD webinar – Which Residential Report For Which Scenario? Webinar details When: Tuesday 1st October 2019 Time: 11:00am Duration: Approx 1 hour CPD: 1 CPD Point To register for this webinar please CLICK HERE This presentation will provide a dedicated look […]
Freehold Premium Gap Reaches Eight Year High
The gap between the price paid for freehold and leasehold property has reached the widest margin since the property market recovery in 2011. According to HM Land Registry data, analysed by estates agents Benham and Reeves, the difference between a freehold property and equivalent leasehold property is now 12.3%. Although this percentage difference is 2.1% […]
Young Homeowners Specifically Targeted By Fraudsters
First-time buyers and younger home owners are at increasingly high risk of cyber crime. According to Experian, the number of financial applications made by third party fraudsters between January and June was 14% higher when compared with the same time in 2018. Third party fraud occurs when sensitive information is stolen from a person and […]