The conversation has started, but turning frustration into meaningful reform is the real challenge. Following the launch of the Conveyancing Improvement Council, Rob Hailstone explains how front-line professionals are being invited to identify the causes of delay, share practical solutions and help shape a more efficient home-moving process.
So, having read last week’s article, what happens next?
The CIC is intended to provide a forum where the people involved in residential property transactions can talk openly about what is happening on the front line, identify the problems that regularly cause unnecessary delay and, importantly, consider what can realistically be done about them.
The first CIC roadshow was held in Solihull in September and brought together around 20 front-line conveyancers. The session was scheduled to last two hours, but there was so much to discuss that it could easily have continued for considerably longer.
There was, inevitably, some frustration about the current state of the process and plenty of examples of things that simply don’t work as well as they should. But what was perhaps most encouraging was that the mood was surprisingly upbeat.
There was a real appetite to improve things, if those involved in the process are given the opportunity to have their say and work together rather than simply being told what the solution is.
The CIC doesn’t have all the answers, but what it can do is provide an opportunity for people involved in residential property transactions to identify the problems they encounter, distinguish between genuine legal or regulatory requirements and unnecessary friction, and put forward practical ideas for improvement.
Some of those ideas may involve technology. Some may involve changes to regulation or lender requirements. Others may require better communication, better information or simply doing things differently. Some may be surprisingly simple.
The intention is to take what we hear from the people working on the front line and feed it into the wider debate with lenders, regulators, professional bodies, Government and other stakeholders.
The first roadshow was only the beginning.
Further CIC sessions will take place in towns and cities across the country between now and May 2027. Each will be open to anyone involved in residential property transactions, whether you are a conveyancer, estate agent, lender, broker or anyone else who believes the process could work better.
We want to hear from people who deal with the process every day and establish:
- What causes unnecessary delay?
- What creates additional work without adding any real protection?
- What information is routinely missing?
- Where do chains break down?
- Which requirements genuinely protect the consumer, and which create unnecessary friction?
- What could we change tomorrow that would make the next transaction work a little better?
The roadshows will culminate in a detailed panel session involving the main stakeholders at the Bold Legal Group Conveyancing Conference & Soirée in June 2027.
By then, the aim is to have gathered views and experiences from across the country and turned them into something constructive: a clearer picture of what is going wrong, what can be improved and who needs to be involved in making those improvements happen.
If you would like to be kept informed about future roadshows, would like the CIC to come to your area or can join us in Leeds on the 25th November, please get in touch: info@improveconveyancing.org
This is a conversation for the whole industry. We’d like you to be part of it.
About the author
Rob Hailstone is founder of Bold Legal Group, which serves as a help, advice, information and support network for conveyancers. Formerly a residential conveyancer for over 30 years, his specialities include residential conveyancing, LSA, ABS, OFR, CQS, PII, lender panels, chancel repair and overriding interests and unilateral notices.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of Today’s Conveyancer.
