Webinar on HM Land registry
HM Land Registry plays an essential role in every property purchase, yet many property lawyers have limited understanding of its requirements for registration applications. This often leads to requisitions and delays in completing registrations. To assist lawyers, Stewart Title is working with IQ Legal Training to present a free webinar featuring guests from the HMLR Customer Training Team on […]
iamproperty launches exchange-ready Premium Conveyancing service
iamproperty has launched what it is calling its ‘Premium Conveyancing’ service to be offered as an enhanced conveyancing option within its movebutler solution. The firms says it is designed to offer a route to ‘speedier, smoother and more successful’ private treaty sales by ensuring properties are exchange-ready faster. Having run auctions sales via Modern Method […]
HMLR Survey: Help Shape the Future of Digital Conveyancing
An online survey has been launched by HM Land Registry to understand the extent of digital adoption among conveyancing firms. In particular the survey asks questions about firms’s current experience of digital tools, including third parties to order ID and AML checks, searches, and post-completion services to HMLR; and what plans firms have to adopt […]
Reassessing Client Account Interest: Navigating Regulatory Changes for Financial Stability
Handling client money is a core responsibility for law firms, with an associated obligation to pay a fair sum of interest to clients. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) requires firms to account to clients for interest earned on funds held on their behalf, in line with the principle of fairness outlined in the SRA Accounts […]
Cyber security tools for conveyancers from the experts
For all its awfulness, it’s clear there is never a time when conveyancing firms, and their clients, aren’t – at the very least – being considered by fraudsters as a potential target, or actively being probed for areas of weakness, particularly from a cyber point of view. That will not be anything new to conveyancing […]
“More haste, less speed” in submissions to avoid requisitions says SLC Chair
Conveyancers have their own roles to play in making conveyancing more efficient and professional and reducing simple errors which cost the profession millions of pounds each year. Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC) Chair Simon Law has published a statement supporting the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) findings in its latest Risk Agenda that post completion […]
How AI is Transforming Billing Models and Client Relationships in Law Firms
The legal industry is undergoing a huge shift, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). While much of the focus has been on AI’s ability to enhance operational efficiency, its impact on billing practices and client relationships is equally transformative. In a sector long-dominated by traditional hourly billing, AI offers a path to new, outcome-based […]
“No one better placed to connect the home moving journey”
“Houseful” is probably best known for the property portal Zoopla, but the technology giant is steadily building an array of property and data businesses and has under it’s umbrella estate agent software Alto, new homes software Yourkeys and Hometrack, a UK provider of automated valuations and property insights. Their latest venture, Movemnt, launched in July […]
Diary of High Street Conveyancer – What a way to make a living
I saw a post on LinkedIn during the week about conveyancers working nine to five; or rather a post asking if conveyancers work nine to five? I will be honest and say I do not remember the last time I worked a nine to five day. I cannot remember the last time I finished early […]
The Secret Diary of A High Street Conveyancer: Chat GPT answers why the conveyancing process takes so long
I have seen so much over the last few weeks, even months, as to why does it take so long to move house? I am sure that we all have our own thoughts as to the reasons but I decided that I would ask trusted AI to tell us all the reasons why So here […]
Property Patter: What does the Budget mean for property?
James Stewart and Lewis Currie from our Tax Team catch up with Emma Humphreys to digest the first Labour Government budget since 2010. In this episode, we will be looking into the implications the Budget will have on the world of property. What are the key tax changes for those with property investments? Is there any positive news for business tenants, particularly […]
What is Horizontal Digital Integration: And why is it relevant to conveyancers?
In the complex world of home buying and selling, where multiple stakeholders work together—from lenders to conveyancers, surveyors, and estate agents—a new digital transformation approach is emerging: Horizontal Digital Integration (HDI). Developed as a strategic methodology, HDI isn’t a single technology or platform. Instead, it serves as a framework for building a connected ecosystem where […]
The Secret Diary of A High Street Conveyancer: Navigating Stamp Duty surprises and the constantly shifting landscape
I think that one of the skills of being a good conveyancer is being able to deal with anything which is thrown at you on any day. We all know that not each day is the same. What starts as an issue in the morning resolves itself within an hour; what is moving along nicely […]
The train has left the station…
Having talked about keeping the search industry on its toes in their previous appearance on the podcast, Kevin Johnson and Jeremy Dorkins of On Point Data join the latest Today’s Conveyancer Podcast to provide update on their progress over the last 18 months, climate change, the quality of search information and advice for practitioners, and […]
Average five-year fixed mortgage rate down
The average 5-year fixed mortgage rate is now 4.64 per cent, down from 5.36 per cent a year ago according to the latest figures from Rightmove. The average 2-year fixed mortgage rate is now 4.91%, down from 5.81% a year ago and the average 85% LTV 5-year fixed mortgage rate is now 4.66%, down from […]
Budget announcement on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief reform
Following the Chancellor’s Budget announcements today on Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief reform, Idina Glyn, Partner at Mishcon de Reya, has spoken on the reforms. The restriction of Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) has been threatened many times, but the Budget today has executed a swift blow to the […]
Legal Tech experts say conveyancers can ‘turn the tide’ as complaints to the ombudsman rise for a third year running
A recent conveyancing market report has documented a host of insights from industry experts on what conveyancers can do and how the property purchase process can change to help firms deliver an exceptional client experience, following data from the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) showing complaints have risen for a third year running. In Access Legal’s annual report, ‘The state […]
What a clown – they use technology
The “clown” emoji is the latest weapon of choice for some of the noisier participants of social media, using it to describe other lawyers who, in their opinion, should not be carrying out conveyancing. These typically accompany the accusation that these “clowns” have an over-reliance on technology, and are the cause of the delays we […]
Diary of High Street Conveyancer – What are the funniest typos you’ve seen?
There is so much negativity out there at the moment; so this week, let’s laugh. And let’s discuss typos in letters or emails. I mention this because I was on the telephone to another solicitor and he told me about the time when he made a typo error in an email to a client. It […]
Tributes flood in for “True Inspiration”
After the announcement last week of the death of Sarah Edmundson, tributes have flooded in from across the sector for the property industry advocate and driving force behind the Agents Together charity who lost her battle with breast cancer aged 38. An ongoing fundraising campaign for Breast Cancer Now, prominent at the recent ESTAS Awards, […]