So, we have just days to go before this General Election campaign is over. We might refer to it as the Election that was never supposed to happen, indeed Theresa May told us so many times that it wouldn’t be happening, that part of me will be surprised to see the polls open on Thursday. Perhaps it’s all been a dream, and we’ll all awaken to find Boris Johnson in the shower (that’s a very hip, cutting-edge Dallas reference for those who might be wondering what the hell I’m on about.)
One can only look at the campaign to date with some level of bemusement. Whatever your political inclination, I’m wondering if (like me) you aren’t left feeling that this election was completely unnecessary. There has been plenty of talk about ‘strong and stable’ which leads me to wonder whether the one thing which would have provided both strength and stability would have been the government of the day to continue in office for the duration of its five-year (lest we forget) fixed-term Parliament. How fanciful that seems now.
In terms of our own sector, and the political engagement with it, well I would have liked nothing better for the housing market and the conveyancing process to be in the thick of the debate right the way throughout the campaign.
The fact is that housing has been an issue – in terms of lack of supply – but pretty much every party has a plan of some sort to build more homes. The big question will be, of course, whether any of them can actually meet their commitments – I’m a very positive person but on this one I can’t help feeling rather pessimistic. Indeed, part of me believes, that some parties – naming no names – would actually prefer lower levels of supply in order to support the house values of its core vote. But there you go.
What should hopefully come out of the result – regardless of who makes up the government – is a commitment to reforming the home-buying/conveyancing process. I’m not of the opinion that it needs radical reform – it certainly doesn’t need the baby throwing out of the bath water – but there are clearly areas which could be tightened and areas which would fully benefit from the use of tech systems and processes in order to bring it into the 21st century.
In a wider sense, a little common sense would go a long way. I’ve long been an advocate of getting things done far earlier in the process – especially the completion of the property information form – and despite some push back against such suggestions, I still can’t think of a single practical reason against doing this. Anything, that gets the process moving in a quicker timeframe has to be a benefit for all concerned, doesn’t it? When you understand that it currently takes between 12-16 weeks to complete the process – and I suspect we’re being slightly conservative here – anything that can take two to four weeks off that, must surely be worth the effort?
And let’s not forget the role of the broker in all of this. I’ve yet to come across a case which wasn’t in some way helped by having an adviser involved and in control of their client, their choice of conveyancer, and ultimately therefore the whole process. Given the recent furore around ‘free legals’ conveyancers and the problems there – don’t get me started – it makes even more sense to steer your client away from making such a potentially disastrous decision. If your clients needed any motivation then point them in the direction of service websites like Trust Pilot to see the kind of problems many consumers are facing. It simply isn’t worth it.
So, while the fate of the next government is – apart from your single vote – effectively out of your hands, make sure you’ve got complete control for you and your client in other areas. Whatever happens, the political landscape is going to be changed on the morning of 9 June, but what comes next is currently something of a shot in the dark. Don’t leave your clients in a similar position when it comes to their conveyancing needs.
Harpal Singh is managing director of Broker Conveyancing