Vicki Redman is head of knowledge and training for Swiitch, the conveyancing brand of Shoosmiths LLP. She is also the founder and author of GRACE (Guidance for Raising Appropriate Conveyancing Enquiries). Vicki has over 25 years of conveyancing experience and won Conveyancing Support Team Member of the Year at the British Conveyancing Awards 2024.
What was your career path to your current role?
I’ve worked in conveyancing since 1999, starting out a small high street firm that dealt with everything from debt recovery, licensing, probate, and of course property – both residential and commercial. That’s where I developed a passion for unregistered land, which I still love to this day! I then moved to a conveyancing only firm where conveyancing became my focus, passion, and career to date. Now at Shoosmiths, working for the conveyancing brand Swiitch, I have a really varied job which I love.
I’m also currently a member of the Law Society’s Conveyancing and Land Law Committee which I find really eye opening, and gives me a chance to challenge myself and importantly to give back to the profession and the industry, sharing my knowledge and working with a wide range of people who genuinely care about conveyancing and making things better for the future.
I am also the author and founder of GRACE (Guidance for Raising Appropriate Conveyancing Enquiries) which came off the back of some internal guidance and training I wrote for my team. Other conveyancers I know asked me to share it with them to use in their teams, and it spread from there into the document we have today.
I had some amazing (good and constructive) feedback on Version 1, and have been working on Version 2 since the new TA6 was launched. We are hoping to launch GRACE V2 soon, so if anyone out there is reading this and would like to be involved please reach out to me. About 50 conveyancers in firms across the country have been involved so far, and having such a large and diverse group has really helped shape the guidance and I’m excited for people to see and start using Version 2.
What keeps you motivated in your work?
In my current role, I love the variety – no two days are the same which keeps it interesting and there’s always something different or new. Of course, I’m lucky to work at Swiitch with such a supportive and collaborative team who keep me positive and always find new challenges for me.
If you could change one thing about the transaction process, what would it be?
As the author of GRACE, I suppose I have to say the enquiries, but I genuinely think there are so many things that can be developed and improved, and made fit for the modern society we live in.
What I think is really important is that we keep making changes and improvements, keep talking with each other, government and other stakeholders, and never to get complacent. I love technology, and whilst that has a place, I do believe we need the right tech, at the right time, for the right solution and it won’t be quick or easy, but that’s no reason to shy away from having difficult conversations and working on making improvements and striving for change.
What has been the best development in conveyancing in the last 20 years?
Twenty years is such a long time, and so much has changed in that time it’s hard to pick one thing. When I think back now, we’ve had some amazing developments, and I could probably write a whole article about them. The whole industry has changed so much just in the last five years, I think the person I was working in conveyancing 20 years ago, in the office every day with very few emails compared to phone calls, loads of post, and piles of physical files and paper, could not imagine where we are now.
And the worst?
I’m going to be diplomatic and avoid answering that. I like to be positive and all developments have led to where we are now, and we still have a long way to go but what seems to be great now is that firms are working together for positive change.
Do you think conveyancing will ever be fully digitalised?
Before I retire, probably not!
Do you think it should be?
I suppose that depends what it means by fully digitialised. I certainly don’t think all the amazing and hard working conveyancers will be out of a job and replaced by AI.
What’s the best piece of advice anyone ever gave you regarding your career?
I really don’t think I’ve ever had one great piece of advice. What I have had however is constructive feedback, inspirational leaders to look up to and amazing colleagues.
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3 responses
I don’t know if Vicki has a middle name, but Grace would now be very fitting if she doesn’t.
I know how much hard work Vicki has (and still does) put into developing Grace, despite the occasional negative knockbacks from a few in the industry. As Vicki says V2 will be released soon. If you haven’t yet seen it and would like to (it’s free to use) please contact Vicki (or me). It is very helpful indeed.
I have not read the article yes, but I just wanted to jump on the comments to say I used to work with Vicky in another firm, and she was a geniuinly good person, supportive and kind.
I very much echo the sentiments about Vicki having worked with her. Patient, knowledgeable and with very good people skills. I know she has done a lot of work with the firm she is with at the moment in training and she deserves all of the plaudits for the work she does. I have seen ‘Grace’ before and it is a very useful tool, one I wish people actually bothered to use. It certainly has taught me a thing or two which I do put into practice. Swiitch are very lucky to have Vicky.