There are excellent conveyancers across England and Wales, but they lack time, tools, and structural support to deliver the service they want.
That is the view of founder and CEO of Eden Conveyancing Bruce Griffin who joins host David Opie on the latest Today’s Conveyancer Podcast.
A residential and commercial property purchase fraught with delays, poor communication, and opaque processes drove Griffin to truly put his money where his mouth is, and launch Eden Conveyancing. Quite the plunge for someone who had spent 25 years in technology and property data. Coming from a data‑driven environment, he was struck by how inconsistent, even fundamentally flawed, property information is across the UK, from address identification to planning and energy data.
Convinced he could create a positive experience around a life‑defining moment, he set about making the experience clearer, more transparent, and even enjoyable, especially for first‑time buyers; but acknowledges he was naïve coming into the sector. Collaboration, he says, is fundamental to efforts to improve the process
“I thought very naively, we could come in, create a great experience, and nothing could touch that.”
Running a conveyancing business is a constant juggling act. Property lawyers handle numerous cases simultaneously, and even with automation, their mental bandwidth is stretched. The industry expects high output while suppressing fees, leading to burnout and an exodus of experienced lawyers. Firms that aggressively undercut pricing contribute to these pressures and degrade service quality. Without industry‑wide pricing reform and alignment, conveyancers will continue to leave faster than new recruits enter.
At Eden, balancing caseloads has been an evolving process. An internal allocation algorithm considers lawyer experience, case complexity, and existing volume to distribute work appropriately. Crucially, lawyers can override this system by signalling when they are at or below capacity. Client satisfaction surveys then validate whether workloads are affecting service quality.
Looking ahead, Bruce hopes the recent government consultation will drive digital standardisation, mandating common data formats, practices, and ultimately a fully digital conveyancing workflow. Incremental change, not a big‑bang overhaul, is key. He predicts more consolidation in the sector; firms unprepared for digitisation may exit the market. Eden, meanwhile, intends to scale, focusing especially on transforming the first‑time buyer experience and creating a rewarding working environment to attract and retain conveyancers.
The Today’s Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software, Moneypenny and Compass.
