Single first-time buyers struggle to buy a house of their own
Over the past two decades even though the percentage of new house purchase loans taken out by FTB’s has continued to increase, high house prices and affordability issues have meant that there has been a big reduction in the proportion of mortgages taken out by single first-time buyers. In 2006 the proportion of loans taken […]
Are we in the midst of a conveyancing cold war?
Half a century next year. 50 years of being heavily involved with conveyancing, conveyancers, and estate agents. As the saying goes, I would have got less time for murder! Those 50 years included moving from the 20th Century to the 21st Century, and the job and the conveyancing process is more difficult, challenging, and frustrating […]
Unlocking the potential of Upfront Information in conveyancing
Earlier this month, the newly-created Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG) held its first conference and in a wide-ranging series of sessions there was plenty of positivity about what could be achieved by improved use of digital services within the conveyancing process, and a series of discussions about the potential barriers to change. As you […]
AI and conveyancing; the art of the possible
The latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast welcomes Orbital Witness CEO Ed Boulle on to discuss how the explosion of technologies using artificial intelligence is being harnessed to benefit conveyancing lawyers. Far from technology replacing lawyers, the work being done by organisations like Orbital Witness is designed to enhance the role of the lawyer say Ed; removing […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 25th September 2023
It can be tricky for those of us who work in the industry. We know that all parties in a chain and all professionals involved in the chain have to work together to achieve the clients’ dream of moving house. But it can be difficult when we know what is going on behind the […]
Seamless property transactions – vision or reality?
Conveyo is currently a participant in the Geovation Accelerator Programme – a programme backed by HM Land Registry and Ordnance Survey which provides geospatial and property technology (PropTech) start-ups with grant funding and 12 months of support. Why create Conveyo? Conveyo prepares properties to be legally ready before listing, making home sales more certain and […]
Organising the biggest awards in the industry – the inside story
The ESTAS team and I are now on the final countdown to Friday 20th October. Having run the event for twenty years now, the team and I have learned a lot about processes, time management and planning. In fact, we don’t just apply those learnings in the few weeks in the lead up to ‘the […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 18th September 2023
I have been on holiday for a week – only a week, but I think we would all agree that in conveyancing land, a week is a long time. And is it really a holiday when you take your laptop with you and check emails sporadically throughout the day? When criticism is levelled at conveyancing […]
The Benefits of Upfront Information: Why Conveyancers Should Engage Homemovers Sooner
The requirement and desire for Upfront Information in the property sector is building momentum. With the National Trading Standards’ three-phase project on Material Information affecting estate agents well underway, there are many industry groups encouraging conveyancers to follow suit and provide information earlier in the homemoving journey. You have the Home Buying and Selling Group […]
AML is acronym hell…
Following a break for the Summer, the Today’s Conveyancer Podcast returns with more insight and discussion from across the property profession. In this latest podcast host David Opie is joined by founder and Director Olly Thornton-Berry of Thirdfort, a “Know Your Client” (KYC) “Anti-Money Laundering” (AML) and “Source of Funds” (SoF) platform. The discussion centres […]
Prioritising Client Care at the Centre of Conveyancing
Conveyancing is a legal maze that requires the guidance of professionals to navigate successfully. For most individuals the purchase of a property represents one of the most significant financial transactions in their lives. However, beyond the legalities and paperwork of property law, one aspect which has become crucial and very topical in recent years is […]
Upfront information and claims and liability
Introduction The purpose of this paper is to consider the background to and lessons to be learned since the introduction of the Home Report in Scotland in December 2008. In particular, the paper contains a consideration of what is now referred to as Up Front Information (“UFI”) and whether or not it has had an […]
Digital ID: The benefits of an efficient orchestration service
Anyone who has been through the homemoving process knows how repetitive and time-consuming the verification of identity process (“VOI”). Even with the introduction of digital ID providers into the market, the experience for consumers is still onerous where they might have to download multiple different digital identity apps and complete the same process multiple times. […]
The Ombudsman’s Corner: September 2023
Our approach to unbundling The idea of “unbundling” legal services has been discussed in the sector for several years. In a nutshell, it’s where a service provider takes on only those aspects of work that are reserved legal activities, with their client undertaking the rest. Work variously carried out by the Legal Services Board, Legal […]
Auction is proof that upfront information is the key to speed and security
The industry has shared mixed feelings about the changes to Material Information, with Parts B & C expected to come into play from the autumn. Some are behind it and see the opportunity it brings, but some are dubious about the impact that it could have on transactions, and what it means for them from […]
Is the DPMSG necessary – and does it deserve the industry’s support?
In June next year, I will have been working in and around conveyancing for 50 years – half a century! I really enjoyed the first 20 or so years of my 30 years at the “coalface”. However, sadly, conveyancing is no longer what it was. In a recent survey, only 39 out of 202 conveyancers […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 4th September 2023
There are so many things that us conveyancing solicitors have to deal with. I often find myself writing about the same things, week in, week out – costs, enquiries, being kind to other solicitors – but I know that I am not alone in my musings. And then this week, I was greeted with a […]
The DPMSG is necessary – and it deserves the industry’s support
As we’re all acutely aware, there is no such thing as any sort of “Summer slowdown” when it comes to the focus on UK housing, and given the prominent position it holds from both an economic and political perspective, we should always anticipate new announcements, new legislation, new technological advancements, new attitudes towards it. August […]
Confessions of a cyber conveyancer: Good tech doesn’t mean ‘dumbing down’ conveyancing
As it was summer and everyone seemed to be on holiday, I thought I’d contact lots of lawyers and talk about how they manage enquiries. I know this might not spring to mind as the best entertainment that a wet August in England has to offer, but I had few options. Concerns were raised on […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 28th August 2023
We all know that conveyancing seems to be getting more argumentative – the estate agent rings the bell and battle commences! But this week, something really positive happened in my conveyancing world and it led me to reflect on how things used to be done. I had completed the sale of a property some weeks […]