The British Conveyancing Awards, sponsored by Dye & Durham, simply would not happen without the support of the industry.
Thank you to all those who have entered and sponsored the event which this year is hosted as a hybrid event; with an in-person ceremony at the stunning Church House in London, simultaneously live streamed via The British Conveyancing Awards website.
Our 2022 ceremony is a departure from the focus of the 2021 awards. To simply repeat the 2021 awards would miss the point of where the conveyancing industry is going. We are entering a different phase for conveyancers with a flatter market, increasing on and offline fraud risks, PII, the balance of flexible working and continued digitisation all presenting new and different challenges.
Our 2022 categories and supporters reflect this shift in emphasis, and we are delighted to introduce them through a series of Supporter in Focus pieces. Alongside Boutique Conveyancer of the Year sponsors X-Press Legal Services www.xpresslegal.co.uk, we look forward to recognising the very best our industry has to offer.
First of all, tell us who you are and what you do
X-Press Legal Services is a leading provider of regulated property searches and reports. Our 27 independently owned offices provide expert reports to hundreds of solicitors and conveyancing professionals across England and Wales.
What prompted you to support The British Conveyancing Awards (again) this year?
We are really proud to be sponsoring The British Conveyancing awards again this year. The conveyancing sector has experienced challenging times recently and we felt that we wanted to give back and recognise everyone who has worked so hard during this intense period.
Why did Boutique Conveyancer of the Year stand out for you as one to throw your support behind?
As an independent provider of property searches, we recognised ourselves in this category! We align with smaller conveyancers, whose aim is to offer exceptional service with a very personable feel.
How do you see the 2022 conveyancing market shaping up?
Our offices are not really seeing a major slowdown in search orders so far this year: in fact, it is continuing to be a buoyant market and we anticipate it will be a positive year. Despite all the issues facing everyone with higher energy bills and less disposable income, people are still seeing the benefits of the security of buying or investing in property.
What changes or improvements do you see need to be made in the conveyancing sector over the next 12-18 months?
There has been a spotlight on conveyancing, particularly during the SDLT holiday, and everyone has been flat out. But now, the sector needs to take time to reflect on what changes could be made to the conveyancing process. We have already seen new developments being introduced and how quickly conveyancers have adapted to keep up with demand. Now is the time to take the opportunity to plan for the future – what has worked well and what needs to change – with everyone working together to move the sector forward.
What are you doing to lead or be part of that change?
We are continually innovating upon what we offer and have adopted and developed all the latest IT and digital ways of working, especially in securing client data and helping to mitigate risk. We now have Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation which gives peace of mind for our clients knowing that our systems are secure. Moving to more digital ways of working will become the default and we want to make this process as easy as possible for our clients – never forgetting the personal service which is so much a part of what we do.
Do you have any messages for the sector and the firms and individuals entering this year’s awards?
After all you have been through, keeping up with all the demands made upon your time, you have risen to the challenges amazing well – so it is a perfect year to celebrate and enjoy what you have all achieved.
Thank you to X-Press Legal Services for their support at The British Conveyancing Awards 2022.
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