Diary of a high street conveyancer: 11th July 2023
I went to a property conference this week. I always find the sponsors at such events an interesting mix. What struck me was how many companies were offering services, and it is clearly the case that there are lots of tech companies who believe that they have the magic wand which they can sell to […]
PEXA: UK-specific route to digital conveyancing needed despite Australian success
Lessons learned from the digital transformation of conveyancing in Australia are valuable, but we need a local approach in the UK, says James Bawa, UK CEO, PEXA Australia’s conveyancing sector has come a long way from the days of queuing at the land registry to update a title. In today’s tech-first world, it’s hard to […]
Interview: Nick Hale, CEO at ONP Group
In the latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast host David Opie is joined by Nick Hale, CEO of ONP Group. In a wide-ranging interview Nick discusses his introduction in to the conveyancing world since his appointment in April 2022, and the journey he and ONP Group have been on. The opening part of the discussion explores the […]
Law Society sets out its vision for legal sector’s role in AI advancement
The Law Society of England and Wales has set out its vision for the “important role” that the legal profession must play in the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), including the implementation of standards and regulation. “We encourage the Government to adopt a nuanced, balanced approach to the development and use of AI with the […]
The Ombudsman’s Corner: July 2023
An issue that all ombudsman schemes face is that it is difficult to forecast the level of demand on its service. During the pandemic most schemes saw an increase in demand for two reasons – people having time to reflect on the service they received from providers and then time to raise complaints about it, […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 3rd July 2023
I was disappointed to read this week that a conveyancing firm is closing. Whatever the size of the firm, I am always saddened to hear of firms closing, and I think about the staff and the clients, and the different upheavals they will now go through. However, when you see the way in which this […]
Conveyancers must shout louder – and together – if we are to see change
If you were in any doubt about the importance of the housing and mortgage markets to the UK economy, then recent weeks should have disavowed you of that notion. Currently, the heat has been turned up significantly as the rise in interest rates meets the cost of living crisis, and borrowers come to terms with […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 26th June 2023
I had a transaction this week where on the sale of a standard semi detached house, I received fifty (yes, fifty, 5 – 0) enquiries. The word to describe my reaction was disbelief. With all that I see on LinkedIn about enquiries, is this still really happening? Are firms still asking me if I have […]
Building Safety Act: ‘We’re not going to ask conveyancers to take out a tape measure’
Amidst ongoing disquiet regarding leasehold properties affected by the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA), conveyancers have been told that lenders are not expecting them to “take out a tape measure” in confirming the height of a building. Nationwide’s Part 2 to the UK Finance Mortgage Lenders’ Handbook question 5.14.17 still states that conveyancers “must check that, […]
High interest rates or inflation – what’s the answer?
The nonsensical increase in interest rate rises continues with the Bank of England sending shock waves across the financial world by increasing interest rates by 0.5% to 5% this week – supposedly in an attempt to curb inflation – and leading to calls for government intervention. Raising interest rates is in itself inflationary as it […]
Understanding, implementing and evolving: The three steps to AML compliance
The number of AML-related fines in the UK rose from four to fourteen last year as financial institutions were fined $5bn globally for money laundering violations. The Financial Conduct Authority has heightened its attention on companies in charge of anti-money laundering compliance through enforcement actions, such as fines and investigations, and in severe cases, prosecution. […]
AI: What does it mean for conveyancing? | Collaborative Conveyancing
By putting those at the cutting edge of innovation in the artificial intelligence (AI) arena under the microscope, a clearer view of how AI might influence conveyancing both now and in years to come will emerge. Orbital Witness, who are automating leasehold title checks as part of an effort to cut the time conveyancers spend […]
Work life matters: Wellbeing
If your organisation is following the established patterns over the past couple of years, you’re probably drowning in wellbeing advice, support and guidance. And that’s a really good thing. Helping staff with their wellbeing – in all its guises – is the RIGHT thing to do. So instead of me re-hashing some of the information […]
Diary of a high street conveyancer: 19th June 2023
There has been a lot of talk about ChatGPT as of late. As such, I have not written my diary this week, instead handing over the responsibility to an invisible conveyancer – more invisible and secret than me! I have never used the facility before, but it is scary how quickly the below was written […]
Branding is so much more than your logo
If we thought branding was about logos and then we’re absolutely wrong… it’s about reputation, meaning, culture, service and so much more according to Matt Davies who joins host David Opie on the latest Today’s Conveyancer podcast. Matt lives and breathes branding and his enthusiasm for the subject comes across through this discussion which provides […]