Sophisticated Law Firm Email Domain Impersonation Fraud Concerning
A plethora of email scams using legitimate law firm details have been increasing in recent months. In September alone, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has issued three separate and sophisticated fraudulent emails using the details of SRA regulated firms and solicitors. The fake emails are an excellent example of the sophisticated social engineering tactics employed […]
Superstition Stalls The Property Market As Completions Drop Nearly 40% On Friday 13th
This Friday 13th could put the housing and commercial property markets on pause according to analysis by Search Acumen, the property data and technology provider, which shows a double-digit drop in both residential and commercial sales on Friday 13th. HM Land Registry data shows that the average Friday workload for conveyancers and commercial property lawyers […]
Property Market Stakeholder Sentiment Slumps In August
The majority of stakeholders in the property market feel despondent about the near future of the sector. The uncertainty caused by Brexit is leading to reduced public confidence in the property market, deterring many from buying and selling property until the Brexit storm passes. According to the RICS Residential Market Survey report for August, the […]
Guild Of Property Professionals Will Complete Regular Referral Fee Transparency Checks
Over the weekend the Government amended their ‘How to’ buy and sell guides to reflect the recent changes to referral fee transparency; a change the Guild of Property Professionals fully endorse. The Guild released a statement reiterating the importance of ensuring all buyers and sellers are aware of the referrals process. They have also committed […]
poweredbypie Launches Document Portal To Enable Secure Exchange Of Sensitive Client Data
Search and software provider poweredbypie has announced the launch of Document Portal, a new solution for solicitors to enable the secure electronic exchange of all documentation within the conveyancing process. By removing the need to ‘print and post’, Document Portal offers a simple, secure solution to speed-up the exchange of documentation between solicitors and clients. […]
Government Pledges £62 Million To Bolster Flood Defences
The Government has pledged £62 million worth of flood defence investment in a new round of spending announcements. The Environment Secretary, Theresa Villiers, announced that the investment will be used to help more than 9,000 homes and will bolster flood defences for communities in Yorkshire, Cumbria, the North East and the South East of England. […]
Superstitious Buyers Avoid Property Completions Today
Despite already living through a seemingly never-ending Brexit induced nightmare causing buyers and sellers to flee the property market in their droves, throwing in an additional superstitious grenade of Friday 13th is deterring even more from completing today. According to data collated by Search Acumen, many residential and commercial property stakeholders could sleep through, delaying […]
Solve Problems At The Beginning For Better Solutions
There are some problems that if you take them back to their core state can essentially be solved with a catch-all solution. That’s essentially how I think we need to look at many of the issues we face as conveyancers because while I’m not suggesting that ‘all’ problems are fixable in this way, I do […]
Unforeseen Effects Of Climate Change On Ground Stability
When buying a house, most purchasers view the transaction as a long-term commitment and investment. In the excitement of buying my first home, I was more interested with the decor and layout of the property than what was below the surface. However, the recent changeable weather patterns have made me reflect, perhaps we should be […]
FTBs Remain Dominant Buying Force And Target Family Housing Stock
First-time buyers (FTB) are expected to remain the largest purchasing group in the property market this year despite a shift in their buying preferences. FTB sales are predicted to overtake the 36% market share in property transactions during 2018 according to research by Zoopla. Sidestepping smaller one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments or flats, over two thirds […]
English Transactions Plummet 5.2% Since Referendum Result
In the two years and nine months since the referendum, housing transactions in England have fallen by 5.2% when compared with the same time frame prior to the 23rd June 2019 EU withdrawal result. To a large extent, the decline of English property is comprised of southern regions and London boroughs. In fact, 90% of […]
Webinar: Why going ‘Paper-Lite’ Is Essential For Your Firms Information Security
Law firms have traditionally been ‘paper-heavy’ environments and while firms are better aware of the benefits of going ‘Paper-Lite’, making it a reality has been easier said than done. A new entrant to the legal services market has made it their mission to enable law firms to digitise paper documents easily and inexpensively. This allows […]
Can the Lifetime ISA Really Replace The Help to Buy ISA?
The Help to Buy ISA has been helping first-time buyers get a foot on the property ladder since 2015, but with the Government scheme soon coming to an end, we take a look at whether the Lifetime ISA (LISA) really is a suitable replacement for home buyers. Sara Best, a Partner and Residential Property Lawyer […]
OneSearch Direct Launch Hybrid No-Search Insurance And Big Data Report With 24 Hour Turnaround
OneSearch Direct, the largest local search data company in the UK, has announced its partnership with leading Legal Indemnity Insurance Broker Northcott Beaton, in the provision of data to create OneSearch Express: a no-search insurance policy with the addition of a property data report. This unique policy, backed by Aviva, the UK’s largest insurance company, […]
Free CPD Event For Property Lawyers Courtesy Of SearchFlow
On Tuesday 17th September 2019, SearchFlow are hosting a free CPD event, that will provide property lawyers, conveyancers and legal secretaries with guidance on emerging technologies, cyber security and Anti-Money Laundering (AML). Some of the key speakers include: Greg Roach, Director at Searches Group who will cover mitigating risk and protecting your clients when it […]
Conveyancing Regulator Announces 30% Regulatory Fees Reduction
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is set to reduce its regulatory fees and practice fee rates by 30%. The consultation on the 2020 practice fee rates in May indicated that fees could be reduced by a fifth. However, the CLC have now applied to the Legal Services Board (LSB) to gain approval for a […]
Key Dates For Your Diary This Autumn
Now that the summer has drawn to a close, and the autumn is slowly drawing in, it’s time to take a look at what Bold Legal have in store over the next few months. First up, is Bold Legal LIVE!, the group’s first annual conference which is then followed by the prestigious ESTAS Conveyancer Awards […]
New Home Registrations Fall 9% Annually
New homes registered to be built in the UK during July have fallen by 9% when compared with the figures from 2018. In July, 14,262 new homes were registered. However, 15,719 homes were registered during the same month in 2018, according to figures obtained from the National House Building Council (NHBC). Of this total, 10,398 […]
No-Deal Scenario Could Force House Prices To Fall 7%
Leaving the EU without a viable and agreed Brexit deal at the end of October could cause house prices to fall by more than 5%. A no-deal scenario could trigger prices to decrease between 5.4% and 7.5% on average, according to accountancy specialists KPMG. Speculation regarding a no-deal scenario has gained momentum in recent weeks […]
Bold Legal Group Roadshows – The Future Of Conveyancing
The Bold Legal Group and Unconventional Legal Events have teamed up to deliver a thought-provoking series of events for conveyancers this autumn. The Bold Legal Convey2030 Roadshow will look at the future of conveyancing with a focus on how technology is changing the way the industry works. As well as new developments on the horizon, […]