Technology adoption in conveyancing
In a roundtable hosted by SearchFlow that focused on Technology Transformation in Global Real Estate, LegalTech consultant Brian Kennedy considers the future evolution of the property lawyer profession as a result of technology adoption. Here, Adam Groom from SearchFlow asks four questions about the impact of technology with property transactions. Adam Groom: “What observations are […]
HMLR Practice Guide updates: PG50, PG19, PG80 & PG78
Here are the latest practice guide updates issued by HM Land Registry. Requisition and cancellation procedures (PG50) Page summary: Advice on how to avoid requisitions on applications and our procedures where they do need to be raised (practice guide 50). Change made: Section 2 has been amended to include details of a change to the […]
Poll finds conveyancers have better work/life balance during lockdown but miss the office printer!
Many of us have quickly adapted to spending the past 12 months working from home, however for those handling property transactions there were regulatory and legal barriers to overcome as well as mastering Zoom. X-Press Legal Services is a property search firm with a network of 26 regional offices and recently polled its conveyancing clients […]
Time for the industry to focus on the BASPI
Can you remember what you were doing on the 9th December last year? Me neither. But I can tell you it was a momentous day for all of us, because on that day, the very first vaccination against coronavirus took place in Coventry – Margaret Keenan became the first person to receive the vaccine and, […]
Home Buying & Selling Group announce launch of BASPI dataset
The Home Buying & Selling Group (HBSG), charged with improving the home purchase process for consumers, has today (15th March 2021) announced it has produced a dataset for its Buying and Selling Property Information (BASPI). The BASPI is a dataset designed to be the ‘one source of truth’ when it comes to upfront information about […]
Headline sponsor revealed for 2021 British Conveyancing Awards
We are excited to announce that Lawyer Checker, an exclusive risk management solution provider, are the headline sponsors of the first ever British Conveyancing Awards 2021. The exclusive awards takes place on 25th May 2021 and seeks to discover and recognise outstanding achievements, highlights progressions and champions innovations amongst firms and individual private professionals across […]
HM Land Registry first Digital Identity Standard launches
HM Land Registry’s first Digital Identity Standard has launched today (Friday 12th March) which allows homebuyers to use their mobile phone to prove their identity. HM Land Registry paves the way with new standard for secure digital ID checks by providing a step-by-step list of requirements for conveyancers’ use of digital services to securely and […]
A positive outlook for conveyancing market
Following the Spring 2021 Budget, market leaders and organisations in the industry voiced their future insights of the property market with great positivity. In the Chancellor’s Budget it was announced that Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) holiday will be extended to the end of June – followed by a tapering of the SDLT with the […]
New cladding guidance announced
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has issued new guidance to lenders which will ultimately lessen the number of wall safety surveys taking place on blocks of flats. The guidance issued clarifies to banks and building societies which properties require valuers to complete an EWS1 form and which do not. RICS’ aim is to […]
Is law still a man’s world? Not in conveyancing
‘Staff are by far our finest asset – many of them working mothers – let’s start treating them that way.’ When I told my company director before Christmas that I was pregnant, I must admit, I felt nervous. Not because I thought she would be anything other than 100% supportive, which she was, but because […]
Stamp Duty holiday fuels recovery in construction activity
Volume of new private housing output jumps 2.7% over most recent three months compared to previous three months1 Andy Sommerville, Director at Search Acumen, says: “This latest data reveals the impact the anticipated earlier end date for the Stamp Duty holiday has had on activity in the construction industry before the announced extension. “The slight […]
Ground stability hazards around Greater London
London is a particular hotspot for subsidence. A large number of properties in the Greater London area are built on London Clay, which is one of the most shrinkable of soil types as it’s highly susceptible to changes in volume caused by variation in water content1. This is reflected in the deformation of ground by […]
HMLR Updates
HM Land Registry (HMLR) have provided guidance for conveyancers on how to register unregistered estates in land for the first time (practice guide 1). Section 4.4.4.1 has been amended to clarify existing practice and Section 4.4.3 has been amended to reflect current practice. This guide deals with the procedure to be followed when applying for […]
Feel Good Friday : Robertsons, BDB Pitmans & Prosperity Law
There have been lots of positive things happening across the sector this week, so we wanted to share these good vibes with you as part of our ‘Feel Good Friday’ news items. Here is a little snap shot of what’s been going on. Cardiff law firm, Robertsons has strengthened their conveyancing team with Senior Associate […]
SearchFlow gifts goodies to paediatric unit at Maidstone Hospital
The Riverbank children’s unit at Maidstone Hospital has recently taken delivery of a shipment of gifts from Kings Hill-based SearchFlow. SearchFlow had a surplus of branded goodies that it wanted to rehome, following a recent rebrand. This included soft cuddly owls, as well as notebooks, pens, lip balms, eco-reusable cups, highlighter pens, sticky notepads and […]
SearchFlow launches AI whitepaper: Natural Language Processing for Property Lawyers
SearchFlow, the UK’s largest provider of legal due diligence data for residential and commercial property transactions, has released a new edition of its PropTech AI Whitepaper series, which focuses on providing lawyers with an insight on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and its implication on legal practice. It considers the practical applications of NLP and provides […]
Don’t be fooled! Customer service is not the same as customer experience.
Recently some people in the industry have said to me that customer service is not relevant anymore, today apparently it’s all about the customer experience or ‘CX’ as it’s often termed – sounds much sexier doesn’t it? “Yes the customer experience is important but the service your team deliver is what sets you apart from […]
Why are Easements important?
Easements exist in the majority of freehold titles and so they are important to conveyancers and buyers alike. Easements are certain rights that a person has over another’s land. Rights range from very widespread forms of rights of way, most rights to use service conduits such as telecommunications cables, power supply lines, supply pipes and […]
3 changes the property industry need to make TODAY to prepare for a more sustainable future
As part of a tm:tv series on climate change, in partnership with Terrafirma, the ‘Mining our way to a greener future’ episode brought together an expert panel to discuss how the property industry need to start making changes today, to prepare for the sustainability challenges of tomorrow. Hosted by Martin Manning, Head of Account Management […]
Category Sponsors announced for British Conveyancing Awards
We’re excited to announce some of our award category sponsors for the upcoming British Conveyancing Awards which are taking the virtual center stage on 25th May 2021 led by broadcast journalist Samira Ahmed. Introducing our award category sponsors The following awards have been sponsored: Best IT Team Sponsored by CTS, who are the managed cloud […]