Upfront information is often described as a necessary step for the homebuying process; as a means of cutting fall-throughs while speeding up transactions.
It’s clear that consumers want it, the studies suggest it will succeed in reducing fall-throughs, and there is no doubt that progress is being made.
However, there is still work to be done. Beth Rudolf, Director of Delivery at the Conveyancing Association, recently wrote in Today’s Conveyancer that there are issues “in terms of both comprehension and preparation”, pointing out several of the roadblocks to adoption firms are facing.
There is a perceived lack of clarity as to what upfront information is, how it differs from material information and property packs, what it looks like in practice, where it fits in with onboarding, what role logbooks will play, and ultimately what role conveyancers will play.
This has led to frustration from key stakeholders around the introduction of upfront information to the industry, with one commentator suggesting that “someone is going to have to grab control of it and sort it out”. Another went as far as describing it as “an utter car crash”.
As such, Today’s Conveyancer is gathering the views of its readers on the current position of upfront information. Please take less than five minutes to complete the below survey. All submissions are anonymous and will remain so.
