There’s many terms for those conveyancing firms who do a very small amount of business, but are still active in the sector – they are the ‘dabblers’ or the ‘occasional players’, but whatever we might call them, I think it’s fair to say that we have an extraordinary number who fulfil the terms of this brief. Indeed there are so many – numbering two/three thousand (according to the regular statistics from the Land Registry) that one might be tempted to see they are the ‘dominant force’ in UK conveyancing.
While the major volume players certainly saw considerable growth in Q2 this year – the period from which we have the latest statistics – it’s also true that the dabblers increased in number as more transactions, particularly pre-stamp duty deadline, meant many purchasers and sellers looked for any firm who might be able to conduct the business regardless of their specialisms.
One would hope these clients got the service they required but, one can’t help but feel, that for those firms who are only conducting a handful of cases each year, the ability to deliver a high-quality offering is being undermined with every passing month. Certainly, given the nature of the coneyancing process – it’s inordinate amount of regular changes that firms need to be fully on top of, the shifting sands of the housing market itself but in particular the lending market, plus the requirements in terms of searches, etc – one wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of a complicated transaction with a firm that barely completes a dozen cases each year.
However, the fact is that these smaller players might not be conducting the volume business of the bigger firms but, given they number so many, their activity does have a considerable impact on the service customers receive across the board and the perception about the efficiencies of the conveyancing process and those that carry out the work. And to me, this has always been a rather worrying part of our market because those active within it are so very different.
The big ‘warehouse’ type operations often bear the brunt of criticism from some for being soulless places offering a factory-esque service, however when it comes to choosing a conveyancing firm I would opt for these every time over the high-street/family firm that accepts the work but (quite frankly) would rather not be doing it in the first place. Some clients have that commitment to their family solicitor, and know no better, but in the great scheme of things it would be far better for the industry if the public perception of conveyancing was delivered by those specialists who understand all its many demands and are able to get a case completed within a reasonable timescale.
Part of the significant problem for conveyancers – not withstanding the often highly complicated nature of transactions especially within a chain of multiple links – is that they are only able to work as fast as the very slowest solicitors. Communication and responding to that communication with the necessary information is vital – the big volume operators do this day-in, day-out; the smaller firms do not and their commitment to the case is often someway down on what’s required. It can be like pulling teeth – the blame might lie in their direction and still you’ll have clients blaming their own solicitors for not making the magic happen.
My point is that advisers have a huge role to play here in terms of steering their client in the right conveyancing direction and recommending firms that give them the best chance of completing within their desired timescale. Even better if all those links within the chain are using firms of a similar ilk – one would hope that if all clients are using advisers who’ve recommended the ‘right’ firms then everyone has a much better chance of getting to completion on the required date, and in one piece.
Advisers should not be leaving their clients on a cliff edge when it comes to their choice of conveyancer – the non-specialists are many in number however their ability to cope with today’s cases is being severely tested, and many can be found wanting. The opportunity to recommend a conveyancer to the client is readily available and could make all the difference – it’s an easy sell for the adviser and one that means they don’t end up in the hands of a dabbler who could let everyone down.
Harpal Singh is managing director of BrokerConveyancing.co.uk