AIIC Group acquires stake in Taylor Rose Australia
AIIC Group (AIIC), the holding company behind leading independent law firm Taylor Rose, has completed the acquisition of 15 per cent of Taylor Rose Australia, its joint venture with the Australian firm, GTC Legal (“GTC”), for a consideration of $2.2m AUD. The joint venture was announced in April 2023 to expand AIIC’s legal consultancy model […]
MPowered Mortgages cuts three-year fixed rates for second time in two weeks, just in time for Christmas
MPowered Mortgages, the lender issuing instant offers, for the second time in two weeks has cut its three-year fixed rate mortgages for new purchase and remortgage residential customers. Two weeks ago, the lender cut both its two and three-year fixed rates by up to 0.28%. Today it cuts its three-year fixed rates by up to […]
Law Society publishes guidance on disability terminology
To coincide with Disability History Month (14th November – 20th December), the Law Society of England and Wales has published guidance on disability terminology and language to support employers and employees in the workplace. There are a significant number of words, phrases and acronyms that appear when talking about disability, which often change depending on […]
Labour government signals major push for UK seniors housing growth with landmark taskforce report
Global real estate consultancy Knight Frank has called for create collective leadership to drive change after the government’s taskforce report has outlined ten recommendations to transform the housing sector for the elderly. The consultancy firm has suggested that after their findings, building 10 per cent of Labour’s 1.5million target for seniors would save the NHS […]
First-of-its-kind survey launches to capture the voice of women in property
A survey to capture the voice of women working in property has been launched with women from across the residential property sectors encouraged to contribute. Survey author Susan Gregory describes the ambition of the survey to capture the voice and experience of women working across the property sector and is one of, if not the, […]
Windsor lawyer retires after 43 years
Windsor-based residential and commercial property partner John Humphreys will retire from the profession after 43 years to spend more time with his family and his engage in his passion for rugby. Humphreys joined Charles Coleman in 1981 after qualifying. He has remained with the firm for the duration of his career, becoming a partner in […]
Firms strengthen conveyancing teams – latest hires and promotions
ONP Solicitors, part of home moving group Movera, has appointed Gemma Etheridge as their new Conveyancing Team Manager to lead their team in Leeds. With over 20 years experience in conveyancing Gemma will be responsible for recruiting and managing the growing team of conveyancers, with eight new members already confirmed. ONP say her immediate priorities […]
Landmark update residential environmental reports
‘Remastered’ environmental reports will help with streamlining property transactions following feedback from clients and homebuyers say Landmark Information Group. The environmental search provider says it hopes the updated reports will help conveyancers with the pressures coming ahead of the the first time buyer stamp duty relief deadline in March 2025. The makeover, which covers reports […]
Conveyancing membership body pushes back on climate change
Professional membership body the Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) have responded to the Law Society’s consultation on climate change defending the profession against the ‘burden’ placed on conveyancers, and advising firms to exclude any liability from the terms and conditions. In 2023 The Law Society published guidance confirming conveyancing solicitors’ overall duty to advise on […]
Partnership aims to speed up issues with properties not connected to mains drainage
A partnership between enquiries management platform Legalito and Off Mains Solutions will ‘reduce the time spent dealing with specialist drainage enquiries’ say the two parties. Enquiries management technology solution Legalito has partnered with Off Mains Solutions to identify and obtain information about properties without mains drainage. Off Main Solutions is a consultancy offering advice and […]
Agents still failing to provide material and up front information
Recently conducted research has concluded estate agents continue to fail to provide material and up front information for would-be home buyers, falling foul of consumer protection regulations. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 superseded the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991 in 2013, effectively requiring estate agents to provide ‘material information’ for the benefit of […]
‘Optimism’ as Bank of England slashes base rate and UK homebuying market ‘remains competitive’
After the Monetary Policy Committee lowered the Bank Rate to five per cent amid mixed inflation signals the homebuying community has expressed ‘optimism’ at a potential surge in property interst. The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided on July 31 to reduce the Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, bringing it to five […]
Sort Group hosts third conveyancing ‘levelling up’ forum
Industry leaders gathered at the Birmingham Conference & Events Centre (BCEC) on the 17th October for the third in a series of Levelling Up Conveyancing Forums aimed at addressing key issues within the conveyancing sector. The event forms part of a wider initiative spearheaded by Kevin Tunnicliffe, CEO of property and legal specialists, Sort Group. […]
Rightmove experimenting with AI-powered location tool
Rightmove is testing a new AI-powered location tool in a small number of areas across Great Britain, that will help potential buyers learn more about a home’s surrounding location at the point of sending a lead. The new tool is powered by Google Gemini, an AI-model, and will sit at the bottom of all property […]
Upgraded AML and EDI courses to support firms in compliance and inclusion
Leading provider of software and services to the legal market, Access Legal, recently upgraded its catalogue of legal learning courses with fully refreshed versions of its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) content. The new courses will support firms with their compliance requirements and help them to understand the latest guidance in […]
Insurance Broker Miller Joins the Conveyancing Foundation as a Charity Partner to Boost Industry Wellbeing
The Conveyancing Foundation has announced an exciting new Charity Partnership with Miller Insurance Services LLP. This collaboration marks a significant step in the Foundation’s ongoing mission to promote wellbeing within the conveyancing sector and to support charitable causes close to the industry’s heart. With over 120 years of expertise, Miller is a specialist independent insurance […]
Industry reacts to Labour’s first budget in 14 years
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has unveiled changes to property taxation and housing investment aimed at reshaping the UK’s housing landscape. This budget presented a bold response to ongoing housing shortages and affordability challenges, pairing an expanded stamp duty surcharge on second homes with a £5 billion commitment to increasing affordable housing supply across the country. Reeves […]
Updated: Second home buyers to face stamp duty surcharge rise
Today Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled Labour’s first budget since being elected to government – with a focus on slashing national debt, boosting the UK economy and protections for working Brits. Reeves announced there would be an increase in Stamp Duty for second homes. The government has also confirmed the position on first time buyer reliefs […]
Requisitions could cost conveyancers £19m a year say Land Registry
‘Simple errors’ could be costing conveyancers millions of pounds in administrative time and effort say Land Registry, acknowledging that while the department still has work to do themselves, there are ways practitioners could reduce the number of requisitions. In a blog published on the HMLR website Land Registry’s head of directorate planning, Ilia Bowles, stressed […]
Latest Geovation cohort welcomed on to funding programme
The innovation arm of Ordnance Survey has welcomed the latest cohort of GeoTech and PropTech startups to its accelerator programme Geovation; the 19th group to go through the incubator. Geovation’s Accelerator Programme was launched in 2009 as a collaboration between Ordnance Survey and HM Land Registry to provide start-ups with expertise and support to help […]
