‘Severe sanctions’ for lawyers who fail to verify AI research, with a warning for managers
A High Court ruling related to the use of AI in legal proceedings has warned there will be ‘severe sanctions’ for lawyers who fail to comply with their professional obligations when using the technology. Managing partners and heads of chambers must demonstrate that ‘practical and effective measures’ have been taken to ensure every person providing […]
SLC backs digital signatures, but calls for a re-think on TR1
The Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) has backed the use of digital signatures during the conveyancing process, but is calling on HM Land Registry to amend its position on the TR1 process. In a position statement issued this week, SLC said it ‘fully supports the adoption and use of digital signatures, including Qualified Electronic Signatures […]
Bank of England mortgage figures reveal ‘nuanced market’ with ongoing pressures
The Mortgage Lenders and Administrators Statistics from the Bank of England reveal the total value of gross mortgage advances in Q1 increased by 12.8% from the previous quarter – up to £77.6 billion, the highest for new advances since 2022 Q4 and 50.4% higher than a year earlier. New mortgage commitments (agreed lending yet to […]
Housing delivery will fall to just 840,000 homes over five years – Savills
A forecast from Savills suggests only 840,000 new homes will be completed in the next five years – well below the government’s target of 1.5 million. According to a recent report by the real estate adviser, planning reforms will lead to an increase in the supply of consented land ‘but this will take time to […]
Council AI tool that will ‘fix broken planning system’ is officially launched by PM
An AI tool that will ‘slash planning delays’ has been officially unveiled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at London Tech Week, after a trial of the software was announced in April. Extract, which is expected to be made available to all councils by Spring 2026, will process up to 100 planning records a day, freeing […]
Law Society says Invest 2035 could be a ‘game changer’ for legal sector
Richard Atkinson, the president of the Law Society of England and Wales, says the government’s Invest 2035 industrial strategy has the potential to be ‘a game-changer for the UK economy and the legal sector’. The UK’s modern industrial strategy, announced by chancellor Rachel Reeves at the end of last year and set to be launched […]
Former journalist appointed as new Law Society deputy vice president
Former journalist Dana Denis-Smith OBE has been elected as the new deputy vice president of the Law Society of England and Wales, taking office from October 2025. Denis-Smith OBE spent a decade as a journalist before qualifying as a solicitor with Linklaters and is currently CEO of Obelisk Support, a legal services provider offering flexible legal solutions. She is […]
Older homeowners support digital homebuying, OPDA research finds
An OPDA survey of 5,000 homebuyers and sellers has found strong support for digitising the homebuying process amongst older movers, with a large majority of buyers aged 65 and over agreeing it’s a good idea. The Censuswide survey of people who had bought or sold a property within the last five years found that 70% […]
Signs of market momentum despite ongoing affordability issues – UK Finance
A modest year-on-year increase in mortgage applications is a sign of residual momentum in the housing market after the stamp duty deadline, but affordability remains ‘very stretched’, according to the latest Household Finance Review from UK Finance. The report reveals an expected surge in mortgage lending in the first quarter of 2025, driven by homebuyers […]
Local government ‘losing out on millions’ in council tax revenue due to second home loophole
A rule that lets second home owners avoid paying council tax if they rent their properties out for just 10 weeks a year is costing central and local government an annual £334 million in revenue, according to commercial real estate company Colliers. The loophole allows owners to ‘flip’ their holiday homes into the business rates […]
Communication is key when dealing with delays, says Legal Ombudsman in new guidance
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has set out its expectations for service providers when dealing with third-party delays, which stress the importance of effective communication. The LeO says almost half of the complaints it receives are about communication and delays, with a ‘common feature’ being whether the delay could have been caused or influenced by a […]
Australian conveyancers raise concerns after property market outages
Conveyancers in Australia have called for authorities to investigate what they describe as the ‘de-facto monopoly’ of the electronic lodgement network operator (ELNO) following a recent outage on the Jellyfish app. In a scenario reminiscent of the latest banking outages to impact conveyancers and home movers in the UK, the Jellyfish app, which is used […]
Home ownership aspiration sinks to a decade-long low, with buying process ‘a well-known joke’
The homebuying process, stamp duty rates and the leasehold system have all been cited as ‘major housing concerns’, according to new research by the HomeOwners Alliance. The organisation, which has been tracking UK housing concerns for the past 10 years, says issues that were significant in 2015 continue to plague the market in 2025. While […]
More advice for homeowners on use of ‘highly effective’ spray foam
A consumer guide to understanding spray foam insulation has been released by a collaboration involving the Insulation Manufacturers Association (IMA) and the Property Care Association (PCA), after the PCA warned homeowners against using the foam earlier this year. The new guide, developed with contributions from the Residential Property Surveyors Association, Bangor University, Andy Wilson Financial […]
Smaller builders ‘will benefit from streamlined processes to speed up housing progress’
The Government is proposing reforms across land, regulation and finance that will create simpler rules and faster decision-making to benefit small and medium sized housebuilders, it has said. ‘Complex’ planning rules will be streamlined and ‘onerous’ regulatory burdens eased, the government said, in a bid to build thousands of homes faster on smaller sites across […]
Highest buyer demand since 2022, with 437,000 sales agreed this year
Figures from property data specialists TwentyEA, gathered by real-time tracking of over 99% of property listings, reveal that buyer demand is 7% higher than this time last year. Demand is highest in the North West, which saw year-on-year growth of 12% across the region, followed by Wales with 10%. Increases were seen across all price […]
Consultant model ‘a fundamental part of the UK legal fabric’
Alternative legal platform providers, otherwise known as consultant-model law firms, continue to demonstrate ‘importance that lawyers are placing on autonomy, work-life balance, and the ability to build a practice supported by strong infrastructure’ say the authors of a report into the size and structure of the market. The sector hit over 4,000 practitioners last year, […]
Homebuyers believe conveyancers are ‘primary culprits’ in a frustrating process – OPDA
A report from the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) reveals ‘widespread frustration’ with the homebuying process, with almost half of the 5,300 recent homebuyers surveyed saying property lawyers and conveyancers were the ‘primary culprits’. Just over 60% of respondents said they had been asked to provide the same information or documents two or three times, […]
CIE responds to climate change practice note: ‘An opportunity, not a requirement’
The Law Society of England & Wales published the practice note ‘Climate Change and Property’ on 12th May 2025. This practice note follows from initial guidance ‘The Impact of Climate Change on Solicitors’ which was published on 19th April 2023. The practice note represents the Law Society’s view of good practice, in relation to climate […]
April lull in buyer demand is temporary and will bounce back, says Rightmove
A 4% drop in buyer demand reported in Rightmove’s April house price index is a ‘temporary lull’ that will bounce back in May, the property portal reports. Despite the fall, year-to-date buyer demand is 3% ahead of the same period last year, sales agreed are 4% up for the same period, and Rightmove says its […]
