CLC seeks practitioner input for its Quarterly Confidence Tracker
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is once again running its Quarterly Confidence Tracker to gather the views of the profession on the current state of home buying and selling. The regulator hopes the survey will become a regular health check for the industry, monitoring the sentiment and expectations of conveyancers every quarter. Contributors in […]
LMS remortgage report finds low swap rates and increased lender confidence
The March remortgage snapshot from national conveyancers LMS reveals ‘the lowest swap rates in recent years’, giving lenders ‘the confidence to price competitively’. The report from the national conveyancing company found that new instructions increased by 23% in March compared to the previous month, with a 10% pipeline increase. Remortgages were down 20% on February […]
Bold Legal conference to connect conveyancers in London this June
The Bold Legal Group will stage its annual conveyancing conference at Regent’s University London on 11th June, with a barbecue lunch and evening drinks. The BLG Conference & Soirée: A Day of Professional Development, Networking, and Industry Insight aims to bring together around 300 professionals from the conveyancing sector ‘for a day of connection, collaboration, […]
Estate agents ‘concerned’ about housing targets
The professional body for estate agents says its members are ‘concerned’ about the UK government and devolved administrations meeting housebuilding targets, with most believing planning restrictions will present the biggest obstacle. A lack of a skilled workforce, population growth and not having the necessary infrastructure to support housebuilding were also cited as potential factors that […]
Government trials AI tool to digitise planning records ‘in 40 seconds’
The government has begun testing an AI tool it says could convert planning documents into digital records in just 40 seconds, in what it says is ‘a vital step’ to helping councils meet the 1.5 million new homes target. Extract is a generative AI tool that will turn documents such as old maps and handwritten […]
HMRC collected £18.3 billion in stamp taxes in 2024-25, up 23% on previous year
Figures released by HMRC reveal a £3.4 billion rise in stamp taxes this year, with receipts totalling £18.3 billion between April 2024 and March 2025. The rush to complete before the SLDT deadline saw a two thirds year-on-year increase in March receipts from £864 million in 2024 to £1.4 billion in 2025. HMRC said of […]
‘Soaring demand’ for shared ownership behind Just Mortgages’ growth
The national broker Just Mortgages is expanding to meet what it calls a ‘soaring demand’ for shared ownership schemes. The firm’s specialist new build division has more than doubled to meet demand in the last three years, growing from 16 to 34 dedicated new build advisers. After a continued escalation in the number of shared […]
Twenty7tec sees surge in buy-to-let demand, with March mortgage searches at record high
Financial tech platform Twenty7tec has reported record numbers of remortgage searches, with a 22.9% month-on-month rise in buy-to-let mortgage searches leading to the highest seven-day totals ever recorded by the company. The searches for mortgages in the £150,000–£250,000 bracket were significantly higher than the 6.4% growth in residential enquiries, with 18th March being the company’s […]
Consumer confidence in housing market declines, affordability still key factor
Fewer than one in five people in the UK believe it’s a good time to buy a home, according to the latest Property Tracker survey from the Building Societies Association (BSA). The data from the BSA, which represents all building societies and mutual-owned banks in the UK, reveals that just 17% of respondents agree that […]
3,300 new staff bring HMLR backlog within 12 months
The Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has reiterated HM Land Registry’s commitment to reducing waiting times, and claims a combination of 3300 new staff and the automation of routine tasks will continue to drive down delays. In a written answer to Labour MP Amanda Hack, who asked the minister what steps […]
Sort Group announces black tie ball to celebrate industry excellence
Property, legal and financial services provider Sort Group has announced its inaugural Sort Ball on the 15th October in Manchester. The black tie event at the city’s Albert Hall is being held ‘to celebrate industry excellence and bring together key figures from property and financial services’. The evening will include a three-course dinner, signature cocktails […]
Actionstep expands UK team and signals ‘deep connection’ to legal sector
Legal software provider Actionstep has expanded its UK team from five to 20 people, with new hires in senior leadership and engineering to support the company’s record growth. Since the company with more than 50,000 global users launched in the UK, its practice management platform has been adopted by over 50 law firms including Dutton […]
HMLR chief: ‘We’re making headway but have a long way to go’
The chief executive of HM Land Registry has outlined the improvements made by the service and promised no complacency in the ongoing drive to reduce registration times. ‘I know that improving the speed of registration is our customers’ number one concern,’ Simon Hayes wrote in a blog published last week. ‘It is the same for […]
Scam warning as conveyancing firm targeted with fake reviews
Scammers have targeted a conveyancing firm and posted fake one-star reviews after the founder refused to provide sensitive and personal information. Rose Davis, founder and Director at Davis & Co Property Lawyers, has warned firms of the scam which sees scammers post fake one-star reviews, and leave scathing comments, after she refused to share her […]
SRA issues £59,000 in AML fines as deterrent for ‘high-risk’ conveyancers
Breaches of anti-money laundering (AML) regulations by conveyancers have incurred fines of over £59,000 since the start of April, with the Solicitors Regulation Authority insisting the penalties are in the public interest and must act as a deterrent. Notices published by the SRA within the last two weeks list a string of offences that have […]
OPDA launches accreditation programme in drive for data consistency
The Open Property Data Association (OPDA) has launched an accreditation programme for members, in what it calls ‘a key milestone’ in its drive to achieve greater data transparency, consistency and accessibility across the UK’s property industry. Accreditation will demonstrate OPDA members’ commitment to improving how property data is shared and used, the independent trade body […]
Costly penalties await failure to apply correct rates of SDLT – Warning
Following the end of March many conveyancers would be forgiven for being happy to never hear or talk about SDLT again. But, says one firm, SDLT is something which should always be given due consideration. The warning comes from Relatus, a specialist in SDLT who say incorrectly calculating SDLT can result in costly penalties and […]
MHCLG workers strike over office closures and mandatory office attendance
Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will take industrial action from today (Tuesday 22nd April) in a dispute over office closures and mandatory office attendance. A ballot of over 1000 civil servants earlier in April resulted in a vote for strike action after the […]
Property listings at seven-year high; sales agreed up 9.3%
The first quarter of 2025 saw 451,000 new properties listed for sale, according to the latest insight from property data analysts TwentyCi – the highest number of Q1 listings in the last seven years. As well as a 4% rise in new instructions, TwentyCi’s figures reveal the number of sales agreed is up year-on-year, with […]
L&G data reveals promising signs, with interest from older first time buyers up by 80%
L&G says there has been a ‘significant increase’ in first-time buyer searches for mortgages, including a sharp rise in older buyers who want to get on the property ladder. Quarter one data from L&G’s Ignite mortgage platform showed an increase of 45% for first-time buyers compared to figures from Q4 of 2024, with searches by […]
