Estate agents are being urged to be supportive after a LinkedIn post highlighted the current pressures that conveyancers are under to get transactions through exchange and completion.
Karl Willmott-Post, a partner at law firm Dean Wilson, said in a post on the social media platform this week that conveyancing feels like a “constant battle against your inbox/telephone and actually doing the legal work.”
He said: “I would think even the most organised and scheduled conveyancer must struggle to balance the two
“Setting expectations is so important, but trying to remind and enforce them feels nay on impossible…
“So many of us have left the industry I wonder whether the Solicitors Regulation Authority is truly listening to our concerns.”
His concerns were echoed by comments on the post that complained about the levels of emails and inquiries, lack of staff and expectations of instant response.
It comes as the typical conveyancing period has hit 150 days to get a transaction complete, much to the ire of buyers, sellers, agents and also lawyers.
Rob Hailstone, chief executive of Bold Legal Group, told Estate Agent Today: “The pressure on conveyancers, and many others of course, over the last two and a half years has taken its toll.
“Many are leaving and not enough are coming in as replacements. We aren’t quite at a crisis point, but not far off it. Like or loathe conveyancers, this is not good for the home buying and selling process, and there is no quick fix.
“Some could do things better, for example use more tech or use the tech they have better than they do, but I urge all estate agents to bear in mind the current situation and try to work out a way with their conveyancing contacts that they can work with conveyancers in the most productive way possible.”
Hailstone highlighted that Bold Legal Group will be holding a National Conveyancing Week (NCW) next spring to raise the profile of conveyancers and conveyancing to attract people to the profession.
He added: “We would really like estate agents to be a constructive part of NCW.”
