Checkboard and PLS partner to ‘enhance conveyancing offering’
Onboarding and verification service Checkboard have announced a partnership with conveyancing search provider Progressive Legal Solutions (PLS). The tie up will enable firms ordering through PLS to access Checkboard’s suite of compliance and verification services. By combining Checkboard’s enhanced client due diligence checks which include Biometric ID (which is itself in line with HM Land […]
Industry boss calls on other estate agents to ‘combat material information issues’
In light of recent guidance from the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT), the owner of a leading agency is stressing the importance of providing material information upfront. Mark Ross, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Redbrik Estate Agent, said that presenting full material information early in the process will “avoid unexpected issues” […]
Estate agents must ‘enhance their skills’ to improve home buying and selling process
With the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (LUHC) Committee launching an investigation into the property transaction process in England, Managing Director at Property Academy, Danielle Nash is calling for agents to consider ways they can help improve the system. Danielle believes the main way to ensure movers have a stress-free experience when buying or selling […]
Law firms remain resilient in tough economic times – The Law Society
Against a tough economic backdrop and with the cost of living rising sharply, law firms saw profits go only marginally down, according to the Law Society’s Financial Benchmarking Survey that provides an overview of the financial performance of the legal sector. The research shows that profits per equity partner continued the pre-COVID trend, with median […]
The Property Franchise Group announces pilot expansion of Coadjute Network
The Property Franchise Group (TPFG) has announced that they will be expanding their use of the network with the view to start rolling out nationally with Coadjute, the London-based property technology business. TPFG has been piloting the solution across 12 of their branches over the last five months. The rollout will include Coadjute’s digital property […]
£150bn worth of homes sold over the last year, research reveals
New research has revealed that despite the more muted market conditions seen over the last year, home sellers across England and Wales have still transacted on £150bn worth of property and, while London remains the most valuable region, it accounts for just four of the top 10 most valuable local authorities where the total value […]
All but one big housebuilder sees decline in land bank volumes
New research has revealed that all but one of the big housebuilders has seen a reduction in the volume of land banking plots held on an annual basis. APRAO analysed the latest annual reports of the seven major UK property developers, looking at total land banking plots held* and how this total compares to the […]
LSB to review SRA regulatory actions in the lead-up to the collapse of SSB Group
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has announced an independent review of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) regulatory actions in the lead-up to the collapse of SSB Group. The LSB will add this review to the scope of its current review into regulatory events prior to SRA’s intervention into Axiom Ince (announced in December 2023). The […]
Readers have their say on updated protocol forms
Amidst much discussion surrounding the revised Law Society conveyancing protocol forms, tailored to encompass the latest directives from National Trading Standards regarding material information, Today’s Conveyancer delves into the heart of the matter, probing readers for their insights. The latest iteration of the Buyer’s and Seller’s Property Information (BASPI) schema was launched with amendments to […]
Property Insights Round Up: 15th April
There’s a noticeable shift in sentiment within the property market as recent data from various sources paints a picture of “cautious optimism”, signalling a potential return to growth in the housing sector. According to Rightmove’s weekly mortgage tracker, mortgage rates have seen an upward trajectory over the past year. The average 5-year fixed mortgage rate […]
Enquiries and instructions on the up – RICS
New sales instructions and buyer enquiries are on the up according to the latest RICS UK Residential Survey results (March 2024), predicting a ‘bounce in (the) housing market in both the near and longer term.” The number of new properties coming to market rose for the fourth consecutive month with sentiment around listings up on […]
Homebuyers hit with £3.656bn stamp duty bill last year, research reveals
New research has revealed that, as another financial year comes to a close, it’s Londoners who have paid by far the highest level of Stamp Duty Land Tax over the last year compared to homeowners across the rest of the nation. Benham and Reeves analysed sold price data from the Land Registry for homes sold […]
Rebecca Gillard and Stacey Ballinger Appointed Directors of Thomas Legal
Thomas Legal have announced the promotion of Rebecca Gillard and Stacey Ballinger to Directors – marking a new chapter in their journey, as they continue to prioritise talent development and innovation in the legal sector. Reflecting on her promotion, Rebecca Gillard said that she is “delighted to have been promoted to Director at Thomas Legal”. […]
What next for the digital identity standard?
It has been three years since HMLR introduced Safe Harbour, which provided conveyancers and landlords with a digital identity standard to protect them from property fraud. Many conveyancers have widely adopted the standard, but why have we yet to see a similar scheme for the entire homebuying chain? Despite the Government’s efforts to drive compliance […]
LSB publishes plans to strengthen regulatory oversight in the public interest
The Legal Services Board (LSB) has published plans for 2024/25 on how it will ensure regulation contributes fully to delivering legal services that better meet the needs of society. The business plan is focused on the regulatory objectives in the Legal Services Act, which the LSB and regulators have a statutory duty to promote. The […]
UK housing offers worst value for money among advanced economies, report reveals
A report by the Resolution Foundation think tank has unveiled alarming findings about the state of housing in the UK, describing it as “expensive, cramped, and ageing,” and offering the worst value for money compared to other advanced economies. The analysis compared British housing with 37 other industrialised nations within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation […]
IPSA announces new leadership structure to navigate changing landscape of property search industry
IPSA have stated that it has been a busy few weeks following the news that after seven very successful years at the helm, Chairman Andrew Prismall would be stepping down to concentrate on other activities. In Andrew’s statement to members, he explained: “It has been a privilege to lead this army of independent, enthusiastic and […]
Housing affordability shows signs of stabilisation – ONS
In 2023, full-time employees in England could expect to spend around 8.3 times their annual earnings buying a home. The equivalent figure in Wales is 6.1 times their annual earnings. At the national level, these ratios are similar to 2022, and represent a return to the pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic trend after a large increase between […]
Geospatial Commission-funded tool demonstrates potential for AI to transform decisions about land use
The Geospatial Commission, part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), has partnered with The Alan Turing Institute to explore the role that artificial intelligence (AI) can play in long-term decisions about how to use land. The UK is facing significant and competing pressures for its land. Advances in spatial data science and […]
Legal Ombudsman say ‘create a bigger picture of what’s happening in legal services, what’s going wrong, and what needs to change’
The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) reached the end of its 2020-23 strategy period in March 2023. Having put in place an interim strategy until the end of March 2024, it has now consulted on and published a new strategy for the Legal Ombudsman (LeO), which will run from 1 April 2024 to 31 March […]
