Flint Bishop acquires Yorkshire firm Lupton Fawcett LLP and sets sights on UK Top 100
Yorkshire firm Lupton Fawcett, which has had a presence in the county since 1895, has been acquired by Flint Bishop as part of the latter’s ‘ambitious growth strategy’. The transaction, due to complete at the end of September, will see Flint Bishop acquire the business and assets of the Yorkshire-based firm, enhancing its capabilities across […]
New housing secretary, new slogan: ‘Build, baby, build’
Housing secretary Steve Reed has launched his tenure with a vow to ‘build, baby, build’ and a commitment to ‘leaving no stone unturned’ in the pursuit of meeting the government’s target to build 1.5 million new homes. In what was described as ‘a call to arms’ in a government statement, Reed and housing minister Matthew […]
British Conveyancing Awards 2026 launches at iconic new venue
The British Conveyancing Awards 2026 formally launches today with a special early bird entry rate, and entries are encouraged from across the conveyancing profession. After five years in London, this year’s awards will be held in Manchester on 12th March, at the iconic Manchester Cathedral. Awards host Today’s Media, publisher of Today’s Conveyancer, is delighted […]
New charter aims for 28-day ‘sale agreed to exchange’ timescale for transactions
An industry led charter setting out a ‘bold and practical blueprint’ to improve the home buying and selling process has been launched, with the ambition to achieve 28-day ‘sale agreed to exchange’ timescales for property transactions. Project28 is the work of 23 organisations across the property sector spanning lending, conveyancing and estate agents. Participating organisations […]
‘Conveyancing is a sector caught between confidence and confusion’ – report
A survey of residential conveyancing professionals reveals ‘a sector caught between confidence and confusion’ and bearing ‘all the ingredients for transformation but lacking the recipe to transform them effectively’. The Residential Conveyancing Pricing & Attitudes Survey 2025, compiled by Big Yellow Penguin and Bold Legal Group, describes a ‘confidence paradox’, with 80% of the conveyancers […]
‘A quarter of agreed sales fall through’, as property tax speculation sees more buyers pull out
Data shared by property platform View My Chain suggests a quarter of agreed sales in the UK this year have fallen through, with 214,052 sales failing to complete between January and August. The analysis, using residential property data collected by insight and analytics company TwentyCi, places the overall fall-through rate of UK home purchases at […]
‘Reckless’ solicitor who tried to blame junior for conveyancing errors fined £40,000
A managing partner who blamed a junior colleague for multiple breaches of conveyancing protocol in a residential property transaction has been fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £28,000, following a hearing at the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal. The tribunal found that the conduct of Ajaz Ali, admitted to the Roll in 2010, had been […]
RICS survey ‘shows a market under pressure and decline in demand’
The August Residential Market Survey from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) shows a market under pressure, the organisation says. The monthly sentiment survey of chartered surveyors operating in the residential sales and lettings market suggests most parts of the UK are seeing a decline in the volume of new buyer enquiries, which RICS […]
PEXA completes £200m in remortgage transactions in UK milestone
Digital property exchange platform PEXA has processed over £200 million in UK remortgage transactions, just seven months after reaching the £100 million milestone and four times as fast. The increase demonstrates the appetite for technological innovation, the company said, and showcases the value of a platform that delivers secure and efficient transactions. ‘In January this […]
Low deposit mortgage choices at 17-year high
The latest UK Mortgage Trends Treasury Report from Moneyfacts reveals the combined choice of higher loan-to-value mortgages (90% and 95% LTV) is at its highest count in 17 years. Combined, the deals represent 19% of the residential mortgage market overall, with the total choice at an 18-year high. The combination in availability of deals at both […]
A quarter of homebuyers prepared to move over 10 miles for the right property
Analysis from Zoopla reveals how far homebuyers are prepared to cast the net when searching for a property. The average search radius is now 3.4 miles, down from 4.3 miles in 2021 – but 26% of buyers are prepared to move beyond a 10 mile radius. Buyers in the South East and East of England […]
RICS to require surveyors to declare use of AI to clients
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published the first global professional standard for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in surveying practice, in what the organisation describes as a ‘decisive move to guide the profession through the rapid evolution of AI technologies’. As part of the adoption of AI in surveying, firms […]
Ofqual-accredited level 5 diploma launched for paralegals
A new Ofqual-accredited paralegal qualification has been launched by The National Association of Licensed Paralegals (NALP). The Diploma for Senior Associate Paralegals is the first Ofqual regulated Level 5 paralegal qualification and joins NALP’s suite of Ofqual regulated paralegal qualifications. Qualifications includes the Level 3 Certificate for Paralegal technicians, Level 4 Certificate for Associate Paralegals, […]
Light at the end of the tunnel for ‘alarming’ rates of requisitions
HM Land Registry continue to grapple with an ‘alarming’ number of requisitions despite efforts to improve the quality of data submitted to the agency. The number of requisitions sent to conveyancers varied from 2.9 per 100 applications to 237 according to analysis of the publicly available data. Technology consultancy Novus Strategy took an average for […]
HMLR receives award for Land Registration Academy
HM Land Registry has achieved a Princess Royal Training Award in recognition of its work in designing and implementing the Land Registration Academy training programme. The programme was designed to provide training and development to address the loss of experienced staff, and was singled out for recognition for the meaningful impact it has had on […]
Help reshape legal services at LSB’s London event
The Legal Services Board (LSB) is hosting an in-person event in London on 16th September to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the legal services sector. ‘Reshaping Legal Services’, hosted by Clifford Chance at the law firm’s 10 Upper Bank Street offices, will discuss the impact of AI and other innovative approaches to delivering services. […]
House prices rise at steady pace amid improving affordability and resilient demand
The Halifax has reported the third consecutive monthly increase in the average house price in the UK, which the building society says is supported by improving affordability and resilient demand. An increase of 0.3% in August takes the average UK property price to £299,331 – an annual growth rate of 2.2% (down from 2.5% in […]
Mortgage searches slow in August as lenders compete with record number of products
New data from mortgage product platform Twenty7tec shows a slowdown in mortgage searches over the traditionally quiet August period, with the total number falling 13.95% compared to July. The decrease took overall search activity to its lowest rate since June 2024, representing a 1% dip compared to August last year. Demand from first time buyers […]
Conveyancing Foundation launches inaugural Wellbeing at Work Week
A week dedicated to raising awareness around mental health and overall wellbeing across the property industry has been announced by conveyancing charity the Conveyancing Foundation. The awareness week will take place from 6th to 10th October 2025 to coincide with World Mental Health Day on Friday 10th October. Wellbeing at Work will champion mental health […]
BREAKING NEWS: Angela Rayner resigns over stamp duty ‘error’
Angela Rayner has resigned as the UK deputy prime minister after admitting underpaying stamp duty on the purchase of an £800,000 flat. Rayner resigned this morning after Sir Keir Starmer received a report into the circumstances surrounding the purchase of the flat and the advice sought by Rayner in relation to her personal financial affairs. […]