Keep up pressure on completion to help vulnerable buyers, says iamproperty co-founder
Ben Ridgway, co-founder of estate agent software company iamproperty, has urged the property industry to achieve faster completions and a more efficient homebuying process in the wake of the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) deadline. Failing to do so, he warns, will place strain on vulnerable buyers already faced with an extra £34 million in […]
Market ‘resilient’ market after SDLT surge
The first property trends report of the year from Landmark Information Group reflects ongoing industry positivity following SDLT threshold changes, with continued optimism pointing to a resilient market. The data from Landmark reveals an overall 30% rise in completions in England and Wales for the first quarter of 2025, with an ‘abnormally high’ 71% year-on-year […]
Sort Legal marks five years since Cardiff expansion and outlines Gosforth plans
Sort Legal is celebrating five years since the opening of its Cardiff office, marking ‘a key milestone’ in the conveyancing firm’s national expansion. Originally established in Derby in 2017, Sort Legal says its Cardiff office ‘was a pivotal moment’ in the firm’s growth and has enabled further expansion into Teesside and South Shields. A fifth […]
The Evolving Landscape of Legal Recruitment and Employment
The legal sector, traditionally known for its steadfastness, is undergoing a profound transformation. As a recruitment agency specialising in this dynamic field, we’ve witnessed firsthand the seismic shifts reshaping how firms attract, retain, and engage talent. Three months into our journey, we’re sharing our insights on the evolving landscape. One of the most polarising debates […]
DPMSG to publish second version of digital conveyancing roadmap
Progress on plans to digitise the property property market has been shared by the Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG) ahead of an anticipated second version of their Roadmap which is expected to be published in the coming weeks. DPMSG is a collaboration of government, regulators, membership bodies and pressure groups who all have a […]
Funding boost for conveyancing apprenticeships driving uplift in interest
In a boost for firms looking to develop their own staff government funding some apprenticeship programmes have been increased; leading to an uplift in the number of applications say training providers. Employer funding for Licensed Conveyancer apprenticeships has increased to a maximum of £18,000 and Legal Technician apprenticeships funding has increased to a maximum of […]
Low buyer demand and tariff uncertainty weaken market but likely to be ‘short-lived’ – RICS
The latest UK Residential Property Survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reveals weak buyer demand across the country, with ongoing tariff wars creating an ‘increasingly challenging macro backdrop’. New buyer demand slipped to -32% in March, down from -16% in February – the weakest return since September 2023. ‘Virtually all parts of […]
Post completion training now available for conveyancers
A partnership between Property Conveyancing Consultancy (PCC) and Today’s Media will provide a range of post-completion training opportunities for conveyancers. PCC Training Hub will provide bitesize training for practitioners on the intricacies of post completion work based on all HM Land Registry’s 83 practice guides, through Today’s Training. The sessions will cover topics including : […]
20% increase in year-on-year sales agreed could see market through post-SDLT blip
A 20% increase on agreed sales year on year could see the property market through any potential blip after the end of SLDT reliefs at the end of March. Although Propertymark’s latest Housing Insight Report paints a mixed picture of the sales market, with a decrease in the number of prospective buyers, there is a […]
Record numbers of transactions as conveyancers meet SDLT challenge
Conveyancers up and down the country broke records last week as the latest SDLT deadline passed on 31st March 2025. A sizeable spike in transaction numbers was inevitable following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision not to extend the stamp duty reliefs in the Labour Budget in October 2024. From 1st April the threshold at which SDLT […]
Cost of fall throughs breaks £1bn in 2024
An estimated 300,000 aborted sales, at a cost of just under £3500 means fall throughs cost home buyers over £1bn in 2024 according to newly released analysis by estate agency eXp. The estate agency says an estimated 70,641 fall throughs occurred in Q4 2024 according to data from the TwentyCi Property & Homemover Report, down […]
FTBs account for over £100bn of property sales in 2024
First time buyers accounted for over £106bn worth of property sales in 2024 after a resurgence of activity in the sector after a fall in numbers in 2021. Reporting on figures produced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in 2023 the overall number of new first-time buyer (FTB) […]
Now the dust has settled, what about post-completion?
As post-completion is the final part of a conveyancing transaction, there is a risk that this part of the process can be seen as less important and not given the required care and attention that it requires, which is also imposed by the regulatory bodies. If post-completion formalities are not carried out to the required […]
One month of completions in five days
Tales of the heroics conveyancers delivered in the final days of March in the run up to the stamp duty deadline have started to unfold as firms recover from the latest SDLT cliff edge. The culmination of months of effort and diligence by property lawyers up and down the country came down to just a […]
Sixth iteration of BASPI released
The sixth iteration of the Buying dataset, known as BASPI, has been published by trade and representative bodies representing the legal, surveying, estate agency and property management sectors, including The Conveyancing Association.The updates include tweaks to existing questions and new ones focused on electric charging points, flat roofs on properties, energy-efficiency retrofitting activity, and further information […]
Conveyancers perform miracles ahead of Manic Monday
Conveyancers up and down the country have pulled out all the stops to help homeowners beat the SDLT deadline. With just a few hours to go until the latest stamp duty cliff edge, tales of heroics have been shared with this publication, and on social media. Daventry-based Simply Conveyancing clocked up 146 completions in one […]
February transaction numbers 24% up on 2024 with more to come
February’s transaction numbers provide a glimpse of the scale of activity in the residential property with volumes up a quarter on the same time last year, and 10% up on January 2025. With the SDLT deadline today (31st March 2025) there is no doubt February’s numbers are an indicator of what can be expected once […]
Three quarters of councils to introduce second home council tax surcharge
New powers to introduce higher rates of council tax for additional homes to effect from 1st April, with nearly three quarters of councils set to take advantage. It is estimated 500,000 second home owners could be affected after the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act gave local authorities the power to charge up to double the rates […]
Community-led housing another route to deliver on government’s plans to build 1.5m new homes
As much as £50m could be invested into community-led house building following a further funding announcement from the government. A £20m package for community groups, such as community land trusts and housing co-operatives has been allocated by Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook; with hopes of up to £30 million in match-funding from the private sector as […]
Recruitment agency focusing on conveyancing launched in North East
A new recruitment agency focusing on conveyancing and legal services has been launched with offices in located in South Shields and Gosforth in the North East, and Derby in the Midlands. Let’s Recruit says it will operate nationally and will be headed up by legal recruiter Sam Bailey. The ambition of Let’s Recruit is to […]