In defence of Caveat Emptor
Introduction Interactions between lawyers and non-lawyers on social media indicate a clear divide concerning the principle of “caveat emptor” or “let the buyer beware.” Many non-lawyers consider caveat emptor to be antiquated and advocate, in effect, that the principle be reversed to “caveat venditor,” or “let the seller beware.” This is particularly evident in the […]
4 in 10 estate agents not advising on material information
A survey of 2,000 home movers suggests as many as four in ten (37%) estate agents are failing to advise clients on their obligations in regard to the provision of material information. 23% of home movers were unsure or had only provided some of the information relating to council tax band and tenure; required information […]
Future proofing your firm is not just about technology
At the tail-end of last year, there was some interesting research released by TwentyConvey which looked at retention rates for conveyancers in England and Wales and questioned why they might be so low. According to the research, following an examination of close to 30,000 live sales transactions, ‘only 11% of the time did the selling […]
Google taken to task over fake reviews
Google has been taken to task by the Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) over the ability of consumers to trust in its reviews. In response the search giant has committed to introducing enhanced processes to tackle fake and misleading reviews. It has also agreed it will enforce sanctions on organisations who attempt to benefit from […]
PEXA hits £100m remortgage transactions
PEXA has surpassed £100m in remortgage transactions, a ‘significant milestone’ say the property settlement platform demonstrating ‘the increasing appetite among stakeholders to overhaul the technology and back-end infrastructure that supports the sector.’ PEXA say it follows a year of growth for the Australian business which launched its remortgage service in 2022 and can now deliver […]
Strong start but bigger picture ‘uncertain’ – Rightmove
Record numbers of homes listed and buyer registrations point to a positive start to 2025 according to Rightmove; but, the portal warns, the speed at which the Bank of England reduces interest rates, the impact of the end of stamp duty incentives from April 2025 onwards, and unexpectedly high’ mortgage rates all point to bigger […]
Law Society update on TA6 consultation progress
The Law Society has written to members advising of progress on the TA6 property information form consultation conducted in the wake of the furore arising from the launch of the fifth edition. The timing of the update coincides with the deadline the Law Society initially set out on when the fifth edition would become mandatory […]
Latest Property Trends Report underlines new normal in 2025
The latest Property Trends Report from environmental and data business Landmark suggests the property market has settled into a “new normal” around one third below volumes seen in 2019; the benchmark for the report and the last time the property market is considered to have been “normal” before impact of COVID-19 and the turbulence since. […]
Property market off to a flying start – Zoopla
Property portal Zoopla says its performance since Christmas suggests buyer demand is tracking 14% ahead of January 2024 and the number of new sales agreed is up 2015 on the same time last year. As reported extensively on Today’s Conveyancer since the turn of the year, Zoopla adds its weight to positive market sentiment; adding […]
Building on the Novus AI Six-Pillar Framework in Conveyancing
In our previous article, we introduced a six-pillar framework—Vision, Value, Cost, Risk, Adoption, and Transformation—as a step-by-step approach to implementing AI in conveyancing. We emphasised the importance of aligning AI projects with broader organisational goals, understanding the total cost of ownership (TCO), and managing risks, particularly around regulation and data security. Now, let’s dig deeper […]
Home movers say they want more proactivity – Survey
Solicitors and estate agents are in the firing line from consumers as research reveals a lack of proactivity on the part of professionals is causing half of home movers delays in their transaction. A survey conducted amongst 1000 home movers who have had an offer accepted on a home within the last three months and […]
Conveyancing Association announce full details of 2025 Annual Conference agenda
The Conveyancing Association (CA) Conference 2025 will cover economy and housing market predictions for 2025; data, technology and artificial intelligence; social media and marketing; and pricing model in a packed agenda confirmed this week. ‘Past, present and future – where is the conveyancing industry up to and what can we expect in the future?’ will […]
Homeowner demand up 4.2% on same time last year – Report
A quarterly ‘Hotspot Index’ by estate agent comparison site, GetAgent.co.uk, suggests an overall increase in demand for home buying over the course of 2024. GetAgent’s Hotspots Demand Index monitors homebuyer demand across England on a quarterly basis. Current demand is based on the proportion of stock listed as already sold (sold subject to contract or […]
Diary of a High Street Conveyancer: Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you all! I looked back at what I wrote this time last year as I had a recollection that I had set out the top five New Year resolutions; I thought, as we enter a new year, that it would be interesting to go back and see how many of those […]
Strong finish to 2024 with transactions up 13% year on year
November housing transactions demonstrated an element of seasonality with a strong end to 2024 on the cards. Despite a slow start to the year, the non-seasonally adjusted estimate of the number of UK residential transactions in November 2024 is 104,440, 19% higher than November 2023 and 6% lower than October 2024. “With more competitive interest […]
Interview: Janine Wellington takes the reins at Convey Law
Janine Wellington has been appointed as Managing Director of Newport-based Convey Law, taking the reins from outgoing MD and founder Lloyd Davies. No stranger to a challenge, having worked as a specialist residential and commercial Conveyancer for over 25 years, Janine has sizeable shoes to fill in Davies who recently oversaw the firm’s 20th birthday […]
Property portal Zoopla adds crime rates, flood and planning information to listings
Property portal Zoopla, part of home moving technology business Houseful, has announced additions to its property listings pages enabling home movers to view information regarding crime rates, flood risk, and planning applications in the locale of the property. The portal says the feature is available through ‘connections with third-party data providers and local council authorities’ […]
ABS fined more than £25,000 for AML failings
A Birmingham law firm has been fined more than the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) stated £25,000 for ‘traditional’ firms for anti-money laundering (AML) failures because of it’s status as an alternative business structure (ABS). Tyndallwoods Solicitors, has been fined £27,813 by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for failing to implement proper anti-money laundering (AML) measures […]
Land Registry workers will not cover for colleagues during industrial action starting 21st January 2025
HM Land Registry (HMLR) staff who voted to take industrial action in response to the Government’s directive to return to working in the office for 60% of their working time have said they will not cover for colleagues or take on extra work out of their job description or pay grade from 21st January 2025. […]
Complete and Correct Applications to HMLR – CLC Webinars
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) have announced a series of webinars to be hosted in conjunction with HMLR to tackle what it describes as the ‘variable quality of title registration applications across the regulated community.’ The CLC’s 2024 Risk Agenda identified requisitions as an area of focus for the regulator in 2025 and has […]