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  The  Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 superseded the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991 in 2013, effectively requiring estate agents to provide ‘material information’ for the benefit of […]

Property market still on the up says RICS

Buyer demand remains broadly stable and a slight increase in positive sentiment around agreed sales is the story of the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) monthly residential market report.  The RICS Residential Market Survey is a monthly sentiment survey of Chartered Surveyors who operate in the residential sales and lettings markets providing a […]

LMS – Pilot Update Webinar

Since the launch of a first-of-its-kind pilot in September, LMS has been working closely with Moverly, TM Group, Connells, Peter Alan and multiple law firms to showcase the benefits of cross-industry collaboration to create greater efficiencies and enhance transparency for all key stakeholders. Join our webinar hosted by Commercial Director, Travis Scholes and Chief Technology […]

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 […]

“Contrived” MDR claim leaves £80,000 SDLT bill

A ‘contrived’ attempt to claim Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR) on a property has left the owner’s with an £80,000 tax bill after a first tier tribunal (FTT) ruled MDR did not apply. The property in question, a six-bedroom home in Upper Basildon, Berkshire, was transacted in August 2020. The tribunal was told the solicitors for […]

Help Your Clients Better Navigate Brownfield Land: Brownfield Passports and More

Redeveloping brownfield sites in England and Wales can be hugely beneficial for both community and industry. The question is, how do you help your firm’s  clients take well-informed advantage of these opportunities in their area?  This article, produced by On Point Data partners, Groundsure, will unpack the government’s proposed ‘Brownfield Passports’ scheme and provide solutions […]

“Spurious” SDLT claims under the microscope

The Law Society of England and Wales says it is being contacted by conveyancers concerned by ‘spurious’ claims and agents ‘pushing boundaries’ when it comes to stamp duty land tax (SDLT) claims and repayment.  It says purchasers and conveyancers are being contacted by organisations with ‘little or no expertise in the tax and pay little […]

Property Market Trends Q3 2024

Today's Conveyancer Podcast

The Today’s Conveyancer Podcast once again brings you the results of the latest Property Trends Report, published by Landmark. Host David Opie is joined by regular guest Ben Robinson, Managing Director of Landmark Estate Agency Services. This time Landmark Divisional Director Mike Holden joins to lend his expertise to the discussion which looks at the […]

Bank delays could put paid to simultaneous exchange and completion

Clearly one of the big stories over the last couple of weeks – presuming you are not a civil servant paid more than the Prime Minister stepping down to avoid being the centre of attention – has been the new powers that are going to be afforded to banks to allow them to pause payments […]

The State of the UK Conveyancing Market

Today's Conveyancer Podcast

Ryan Sparrow, a digital content specialist in the legal division of The Access Group joins podcast host David Opie to discuss a newly published report on the current state of conveyancing. “The State of the UK Conveyancing Market“, now in its third year, draws on data and expertise from a range of sources including HM […]

TA6 Consultation: Law Soc launches expert webinars

The Law Society of England and Wales have launched two webinars as part of its consultation and engagement around the TA6 fifth edition updates.  The webinars will be pre-recorded and will be published during Property Week (14 to 18 October) covering topic areas where members have asked questions or expressed concern. The Law Society are […]

The Commercial CON29DW – everything you need to know

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Drainage and Water Searches Network (DWSN) has developed a series of webinars delving into the questions contained within a CON29DW search. Our second webinar, held on 27th June 2024, CON29DW Commercial: Everything you need to know, explored the complexities of the CON29DW Commercial. The recording from the webinar is […]

Where have all the Conveyancers Gone?

In the last few years the number of UK Conveyancing firms has dropped significantly – where are they, and what does this mean for the market as a whole? The IRN ‘UK Residential Conveyancing Market Report’ released in November 2023 made for sobering reading. According to its numbers, the number of conveyancing professionals undertaking transactions […]

Q&A reveals what is in, and out, of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024

A question & answer document provided by the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) has revealed what is included, and more importantly what is not included, in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. The act scraped through Parliament on the final day of the Conservative government ahead of the General Election in July. Despite […]

‘Pure’ protection market under review by FCA

Practices around protections designed to offer peace of mind and financial security to those most vulnerable are being probed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) after it said it concerns had been raised that competition is ‘not working well’ in the market.  Pure protection, a long term insurance which pays out in the event of […]

The first Bank of England rate cut in four years

At the beginning of August, the Bank of England announced a cut in the base rate of 0.25% from 5.25% to 5% – the first rate cut in four years, although the decision was a narrow one in favour of the cut. So, how has the market responded? There is a report from Rightmove of […]