AI is here to stay – and firms must take the lead or lose control
Firms are being urged to embrace the adoption of AI and oversee its use within the workplace, with a warning that failure to do so could lead to unnecessary and avoidable risk for both firms and clients. The rapid advance of AI was discussed by a panel at the Law Society Property Conference last week, with […]
Home survey app now offers post-inspection support from professional surveyor
An app that guides sellers, buyers and estate agents through the steps of a property survey, allowing them to assess a property’s condition before committing to an offer, has added post-inspection support from a professional surveyor to its functions. The new service in the premium ‘Genie’ package of Survey Shack will connect users with a […]
‘Keep calm and carry on’ – market reacts to inflation and ONS house price index
A ‘keep calm and carry on’ approach to business is needed despite inflation being nearly double the government’s target of 2%. Following the news inflation hit 3.8% in the last month the “housing market remains in a strong place, and more aspiring buyers than ever are realising that they can get on the ladder sooner” […]
PII trends and reducing risk: Insight from the Law Society Property Conference
Creating an open culture in which people feel able to highlight mistakes without fear of recrimination is one of the key ways firms can help to combat fraud and reduce risk, insurance industry experts have said. In a discussion during the Law Society Property Conference last week, Dan Blundell (senior vice president, Paragon), Claire Revell […]
Latest research shows FTBs largely uninformed of home buying process
Around one in eight first time buyers say they ‘fully understand’ the home buying process, while 29% said they felt ‘daunted’ by the legal process. Parents are the most trusted source of advice when purchasing a home, with more than a third (34%) of respondents saying they’d trust their mum and dad. That number increases to […]
Gilson Gray appoints Jeremy Davy as head of residential conveyancing
Full-service UK law firm Gilson Gray has appointed Jeremy Davy as partner and head of its residential conveyancing division for England and Wales. Based in Lincoln, Davy will oversee Gilson Gray’s residential conveyancing division, with a focus on expanding the team’s operations, enhancing efficiency through technology and AI, and growing its headcount in key locations. […]
Cheltenham’s Montpellier Legal named best conveyancers at ESTAS Awards
Property service excellence awards The ESTAS named Cheltenham-based Montpellier Legal the Best Conveyancer Office in the UK at its 2025 ceremony on Friday. Now in their 22nd year, the ESTAS are determined by customer reviews and feedback to reflect the real experience of people using the services of conveyancers, estate agents, mortgage brokers and suppliers. […]
SSB case reflects ‘deeper vulnerabilities’ in legal services with regulatory overhaul needed
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) must ‘overhaul its complaints handling and risk assessment processes,’ introduce better safeguarding measures for clients, be more proactive about redress for consumers, and embed a consumer culture for better outcomes as the fallout from the report into the failure of SSB Group continues. A report published by the Legal Services […]
Housing Minister’s ‘job on the line’ if government fails to deliver 1.5m homes
Housing Minister Steve Reed has said he expected to be held to account over the government’s stated ambitions to build 1.5m homes in this Parliament. The commitment was part of the Labour party’s manifesto and is frequently cited as part of the government’s ‘plan for change.’ In a Panorama interview aired on BBC Reed said ‘my […]
Inaugural Wellbeing at Work week recognises the impact of mental health on conveyancing
A week designed to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing in the property profession has formally concluded with an extensive range of resources shared throughout the week now available online and on-demand for review. Wellbeing at Work week was created by the Conveyancing Foundation, the not-for-profit charity focused on providing better outcomes for conveyancers […]
British Geological Survey join Conveyancing Information Executive
The British Geological Survey (BGS) has joined data quality and standards collective the Conveyancing Information Executive as its latest industry partner BGS, the oldest national geological survey in the world having been founded in 1835, joins CIE to provide objective and authoritative geoscientific data, and information and knowledge to help society use its natural resources […]
‘Increasingly standard’ climate risk reports can’t be avoided in conveyancing, Law Society panel says
Future climate risk reports are becoming increasingly standard in homebuying reports, according to practitioners working at the forefront of the field. In a plenary session at the Law Society Property Conference on Wednesday, Keith Davidson, partner at Irwin Mitchell, Sarah Sargent, partner and head of residential property at Flint Bishop, and panel chair Warren Gordon, […]
Uncertainty triggers September dip in demand, but annual figures still ahead – Rightmove
Rightmove’s September House Price Index paints a mixed picture of the housing market, with a drop in demand compared to the same month a year ago, but an overall increase for 2025 compared to the first nine months of last year. New buyer demand and the number of new sellers coming to market are both […]
Infrastructure projects will be speeded up under new proposals, chancellor says
New roads, reservoirs, airports and railways held up by lengthy legal challenges will be completed more quickly under new proposals announced by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves. The government says it will work with the judiciary to cut the amount of time it takes for judicial reviews of nationally critical infrastructure projects to move through the […]
Success of inaugural Sort Ball will see it become annual event
Guests from across the property and finance sectors enjoyed a musical line up featuring Heather Small and the Bootleg Beatles at Manchester’s Albert Hall last week, as part of the inaugural Sort Ball. Hosted by Sort Group, a national provider of property, legal and financial services, the 250 conveyancers, solicitors, surveyors and data providers from […]
Law Society shares details of sixth edition of TA6; additional ‘TA6 MI’ isn’t ruled out
The Law Society Conveyancing and Land Law Committee has revealed details of the sixth edition of the TA6, which will be mandated for use on 30th March 2026. Government proposals for home buying reform and any changes to requirements for material information will be monitored, the committee said, with a second ‘TA6 MI’ form not […]
Property market ‘in a state of suspended animation’, says Landmark
The property market is in a state of suspended animation, with speculation around potential property tax reform causing uncertainty amongst buyers and sellers, the latest residential property trends from Landmark Information Group suggests. While market activity in July and August reflected the usual summer slowdown, the anticipated September rebound failed to materialise, according to the […]
RICS releases insight paper on flooding for property professionals
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published a landmark practice information paper, Flooding and its implications for property professionals, to provide a comprehensive overview of the growing challenges and responsibilities associated with flood risk across the UK. Authored by Charles Cowap (Harper Adams University) with contributions from Michael Chichester, James Ginley, Ben Sharp, […]
Legal AI tool LawY ‘30% more accurate’ than ChatGPT and Gemini
An AI platform purpose-built for legal professionals outperformed ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini when tested on legal accuracy, scoring 30% higher than the mainstream generative AI models. Legal AI research assistant LawY was tested on a broad range of typical legal questions across multiple areas of law, achieving 86% overall accuracy. In comparison, popular off-the-shelf AI […]
Talbots Law appoints head of real estate development as it aims for £40m revenue
Midlands firm Talbots Law has appointed Clare Regan as new head of real estate development, with associate and solicitor Lucy George also joining the expanding team. The appointments signal ‘a statement of intent’ in the region’s property market, as the firm aims to reach £40 million in revenue. Based at Talbots’ Stourbridge office, Regan (pictured, […]