‘Cautious optimism’ after new build activity falls to lowest levels since 2014
An uplift in the number of homes developers have registered their intention to build has given rise to ‘cautious optimism’ from UK house builders according to figures released by the National House Building Council (NHBC). But the picture is tempered by 9% reduction in the number of properties completed by comparison to the same time […]
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 […]
Dual TA6 form approach extended
The Law Society of England and Wales have confirmed conveyancers and property lawyers can continue to use both the 4th and 5th edition of the TA6 Property Information protocol form beyond the current 15th January 2025 deadline. Following uproar at the introduction of the updated form, in June the Law Society confirmed the proposed mandatory […]
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 […]
Consultant fee sharing models now employ 4,000 lawyers – Report
Consultant or platform law firms continue to grow with 4000 lawyers reported to be operating under the fee sharing model in England and Wales according to the latest insight. Despite it remaining a small fraction of the overall legal market; the sector is growing and developing into new areas of law according to a new […]
End of “fleecehold”? Government responds to CMA
The government will continue to consult on the most appropriate way to ‘address the injustice of ‘fleecehold’ private estates’ and bring forward a new consumer code for housebuilders as part of it’s response to a Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation and plans to build 1.5m new homes in this Parliamentary term. The CMA’s final […]
Property fall throughs on the rise – analysis
Analysis of property market withdrawals and fall through suggests both are on the up in the first half of 2024. A fall-through is generally considered to be a property transaction that collapses after an offer has already been made and accepted. Meanwhile, a withdrawal refers to instances where a seller decides to remove their property […]
ONP Solicitors expands its Leeds operation
ONP Solicitors is expanding its Leeds operation in response to ‘increasing demand for its conveyancing and remortgage services.’ Since opening its Leeds office in May 2022, ONP has seen organic growth to a team of 50+. The firm says it now aims to accelerate this expansion further, with a vision to grow its team by […]
Conveyancing Week NI proves to be outstanding success
Conveyancing Week Northern Ireland 2024 has provided ‘the perfect platform to highlight conveyancing and parties involved in Northern Ireland’ say organisers the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s, Conveyancing and Property Committee. The focus of this year’s Conveyancing Week has been on providing support, building relationships, widening engagement through a series of events including student events at […]
March deadline looms as FTB relief unlikely to be extended
Reports indicate Chancellor Rachel Reeves will not extend the current SDLT relief for first time buyers (FTBs), creating another ‘cliff-edge’ for conveyancers and property lawyers in March 2025 as transactions are pushed through ahead of the deadline. The Labour government has suggested the upcoming budget, on 30th October, will need find the right balance of […]
Open letter calls on government to adopt UPRN to “transform the property market”
Decisive action and the implementation of Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRN) across the residential property market is essential in ‘transforming the property market, enhancing transparency, improving market efficiency, and driving significant benefits for both the public and private sectors, as well as consumers.’ An open letter sent by a collection of organisations from across the […]
Review powered awards showcases customer service excellence
Customer service awards The ESTAS crowned their winners at the 21st edition of the ceremony at The Grosvenor Hotel, London on Friday in a ceremony attended by 1,000 property professionals from across the UK. The ESTAS, sponsored for the first time by joint headline partners Reapit & PayProp, sees agents, conveyancers, mortgage brokers and suppliers […]
Property Market Trends Q3 2024
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 […]
£68m commitment to unlock brownfield sites for housing
54 councils across the UK will receive a share of £68m to unlock and develop brownfield sites. The funding will be used to deliver on the government’s pledge to build 1.5m homes over the course of this Parliament and deliver on its election promises to help families on to the housing ladder. The funding is […]
Joint venture to provide home move, legal and ancillary services under one roof
North East property businesses, Hello Mortgage, Estatio and Sort Legal have joined forces to provide home movers with what they are describing as a ‘super agency’ to handle every aspect of a home move, plus legal and ancillary services. Newly launched offices in South Shields and Teesside will each house estate agency, mortgage and protection […]
Home movers ‘pause’ ahead of budget
Home movers may be ‘pausing’ ahead of the next budget with sold-subject-to-contract (SSTC) numbers and completions remaining low against the rising number of new listings coming to market. The latest numbers from Landmark’s Q3 Residential Property Trends report suggests despite high levels of supply, and tentative signs of progressed demand at SSTC, buyers are still […]
Conveyancers respond to new powers to delay suspected fraudulent payments
New powers enabling banks to delay transactions by up to four days to further investigate fraud have been criticised by conveyancing representative bodies. The new powers, which were originally due to come into effect in early October, will allow banks to delay payments for up to 72 hours where there is reasonable grounds to suspect […]
Century Capital’s most recent Breakfast Briefing in Mayfair show cautious optimism for the UK property market
Despite Keir Starmer warning the UK public of tough times ahead, and suggesting that some parts of the government’s upcoming Autumn Budget will be ‘painful’ for many to hear, the leaders of London’s property industry maintain a cautious optimism about the immediate and mid–term future of the UK property market. Century Capital’s most recent Breakfast […]
Climate change guidance consultation launched
A consultation on updated guidance for conveyancers around what to advise clients on climate risk has been launched by the Law Society of England and Wales. In April 2023 conveyancers were told it was their duty to advise clients on climate legal risks when acting in transactions; although they “should not advise on climate change […]
Monthly forum to address the Building Safety Act launched
A monthly forum to address the challenges presented by the Building Safety Act has been launched to help conveyancers understand the implications of the legislation, and navigate their way around its intricacies. Conveyancing trainer and author Ian Quayle of IQ Legal Training will lead the interactive forum which encourages contributors to ask questions and seek […]