Gethin Lloyd is a partner in the residential property team at Knights, having joined the firm in 2014 to start the residential property department in the Chester Office. His focus is service, communication and speed. If a client wants to get a transaction done quickly, he will do everything he can to achieve that. He deals with all types of residential properties from starter homes and apartments, through to celebrity mansions and whole housing developments. He deals with sales, purchases, leases, remortgages, transfers of equity, plot sales and lease extensions.
What was your career path to your current role?
I studied media at university before deciding on a career change to law aged 21. I then did the CPE legal conversion course before the LPC and a training contract. Property was the main area I worked in during my training, so it felt the right area to qualify into and I also enjoyed the regular client interaction. I then spent the next few years building up a client base and network of contacts and other professionals before joining Knights in 2014 to start the conveyancing team in the newly opened Chester office.
What keeps you motivated in your work?
Doing the best job possible for my clients, treating every transaction as if it were my own.
If you could change one thing about the transaction process, what would it be?
There needs to be more visibility on chains for all parties involved. Chains always seem to be the biggest cause of delays. So, for example, setting up an all-parties email chain or weekly call for all lawyers and agents involved in a chain would very useful.
What has been the best development in conveyancing in the last 20 years?
Advances in technology have enabled transactions to move quicker – such as being able to download Land Registry documents, order searches on line, emailing instead of letters in the post.
And the worst?
The avoidance of a good old phone call. Although advances in technology have made things quicker there is now a tendency for some professionals involved in the process not to use the phone. A phone call can often sort out what might take multiple emails backwards and forwards. Also you can’t beat a good old face to face meeting with a client to make sure they understand everything.
Do you think conveyancing will ever be fully digitalised?
Yes, eventually but I think we are a few years away yet.
Do you think it should be?
Eventually, when everyone is ready, but at the moment, there are still clients who prefer to sign in wet ink and mortgage lenders who insist on wet ink signing.
What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you regarding your career?
Don’t count the days, make the days count. I just love this motivational quote from the great Muhammad Ali.
What’s the best piece of advice you’d like to give to someone just starting out?
Don’t count the days, make the days count.
Tell us something people may be surprised to know about you…
My weekend job is coaching football having been involved with the same youth team for the last 10 years. This bring different challenges to my legal work but is very rewarding.
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