The Covid-19 pandemic made remote working the norm, but while lockdowns may be a distant memory, many conveyancers still prefer to work from home. Warren Martin, director of operations at Movera, explains how the high-volume conveyancing company instils a sense of culture and belonging in its remote workforce, while ensuring a wide talent pool from all corners of the UK.
The business world, and in particular the conveyancing sector, continues to be divided about the benefits of remote working. Like many companies, at ONP Solicitors we adopted a hybrid model at the end of the pandemic, preferring colleagues to be in the office at least two days a week. As a company where culture is key, we were firmly of the belief that it is much easier to build culture in person.
But recently we decided to embrace a remote structure for additional teams, including our conveyancing teams. Not only has this allowed us to nationally recruit the very best conveyancing talent, but we’ve been able to meet these property lawyers where they are in their careers and embrace their personal working practices and needs.
In doing so, we found that with the right support and planning, remote conveyancers can feel they belong to the Movera family just as much as their office-based colleagues.
We were careful not to rush into it, though. Our hesitation wasn’t about whether our conveyancers could work effectively from home. It was about whether we, as a business, had the leadership, infrastructure and cultural foundation to support them properly. We didn’t want anyone to miss out on the Movera charm or feel like an afterthought. We wanted them to feel part of something that was designed with them in mind.
Making that a reality meant working on two fronts simultaneously: the systems and infrastructure that make remote work possible, and the human touches that make it feel worthwhile.
Systems and infrastructure
First, we knew we also needed to get the right people in place to support this change and we began by hiring managers who had previous experience running and nurturing remote teams. With these leaders in place, we could rest assured that our conveyancers would feel included and supported to meet objectives without feeling over-monitored.
At the same time, we were also conscious that remote working shouldn’t mean feeling isolated. Thankfully, as hybrid working was already embedded within Movera, many of internal our communications were already delivered online. That made it much easier for remote colleagues to feel included and involved from the get-go.
Training is another area where remote models can struggle. A single remote participant dialling in to an in-person onboarding session rarely gets the same experience as those in the room. For us, the solution was to build a dedicated remote academy for our conveyancers so that remote cohorts could train together in the same environment. We also have trainers located throughout the UK, allowing the flexibility to have in-person sessions at any of our six hubs if the candidates prefer that option.
We also make sure remote employees have the right set up from day one. They’re provided with all the equipment they need to create a proper home office – they aren’t just expected to make do with a laptop at the dining room table.
Of course, not every role translates seamlessly into a remote environment. Entry level and trainee positions require more hands-on coaching, so we’ve focused primarily on hiring more experienced property lawyers who are comfortable managing their own workload. That said, career progression remains open to everyone. Remote conveyancers can progress through multiple bands into senior and management roles, in the same way as their hybrid counterparts.
The human touch
Once we had the remote structure in place, we then needed to make sure our company culture translated to these remote roles. Our culture is always noted by new employees, and we didn’t want our remote conveyancers to miss out on anything that hybrid team members were getting to enjoy.
So, to make sure no one misses out, we allocate a monthly social budget per team member – remote or otherwise – and encourage managers to think creatively about how they use it. One of our remote conveyancing managers showed us all how it was done early on by using her budget to send Christmas and Valentine’s packages directly to her team’s homes. It’s easy to pop out and buy Easter eggs or other treats for an in-office team, but those small gestures can be easily forgotten when it comes to remote working and go a long way. Making a conscious effort to include everyone makes a real difference, and that’s something we knew our remote-experienced managers would have the skills to deliver.
For bigger events, like the company-wide annual party, we wanted to make sure distance wasn’t a barrier, so we offered to cover all travel costs for remote colleagues who wanted to attend, wherever they were based.
Ultimately, for us it all comes down to flexibility, so conveyancers who initially join on a remote basis are welcome to work at any of our regional hubs at any time, if they like.
What we’ve learnt
Over the last 18 months, this approach has helped us to build three teams of remote property lawyers based throughout the UK. We’ve also recently started recruiting remote remortgage managers as well, showing that what works for one section of the business can translate to others too.
What this process has taught us is that remote working doesn’t fail because of the people doing it, it fails because of the foundations built around them. When people are onboarded thoughtfully, supported by experienced managers, rewarded fairly and given genuine choice, much of what businesses fear about remote working simply doesn’t materialise. What began as a cautious step for us has gone from strength to strength, and now we’re onboarding new remote conveyancers every few days. That shift reflects something bigger: remote working is no longer a curiosity, it’s a philosophy we’ve built our business around.
Successful remote working isn’t just doing the same job in a different location. It’s requires building a bridge to a company’s values, leadership and community – deliberately and consistently. Get that foundation in place and the rest tends to follow.
About the author
Warren Martin is director of operations at Movera, where he leads large-scale, high-volume legal operations specialising in conveyancing and remortgage delivery across national, multi-site teams. At ONP Solicitors, part of the Movera brand, he is responsible for operational performance, including capacity planning, service delivery, operational risk and compliance and the design of incentive frameworks that drive both productivity and quality. With over 20 years’ experience across mortgage lending and conveyancing, Warren has held senior leadership roles at Countrywide Conveyancing Services and Nationwide Building Society, where he built and scaled high-performing teams and delivered major operational transformation.
