Only two out of five UK adults are aware of what conveyancing is, while the number for those who are already homeowners is still only just over half, analysis has revealed.
The research amongst 2,000 UK adults was conducted by the HomeOwners Alliance, on behalf of National Conveyancing Week (NCW) which begins today.
It also asked how UK homeowners found their conveyancer, their satisfaction with the service, and what improvements they would like to see to the process.
The research revealed that 48% of respondents were unaware the conveyancer acts on behalf of both them and the mortgage lender while 40%, wrongly think, the conveyancer checks the structure of the property is sound.
Despite the lack of awareness, there were still high levels of consumer satisfaction with the service they received, with 72% stating they were satisfied with the service provided by their conveyancer.
Another 74% of those who had bought a home within the last five years said they would use the same conveyancing firm again.
A majority said their experience of the conveyancing process could have been improved, with 38% of those saying they simply wanted it to be faster, 31% wanting more frequent communication from their conveyancer, and 21% wanting a clearer explanation of the legal process and the issues that arose.
Common delays experienced by consumers included delays in the chain; legal issues such as a lack of paperwork/guarantees/certifications and permissions; seller delays in coming back on enquiries; mortgage/lender delays.
National Conveyancing Week is taking place between the 11 and 15 March 2024 and aims to raise awareness of the conveyancing process among UK consumers, growing understanding of what conveyancers do, where to find conveyancing services and what to expect from the conveyancing process.
Throughout the week, and specifically on Wednesday 13 March conveyancing firms are being encouraged to open their doors and invite and engage with a wide range of stakeholders including consumers, referrers, mortgage advisers, and estate agents through a ‘Collaboration Coffee Morning’
Rob Hailstone, organiser of National Conveyancing Week, said: ““Part of the focus of National Conveyancing Week will be about highlighting ‘best in class’ conveyancing firms which consumers can have confidence in instructing, but also trying to help firms themselves improve their service either through better communication, or explaining the process in simpler terms and managing expectations about how long it does take to complete in today’s market.
“Overall, we want to educate consumers so they go into this process clear and confident on who to use, the service they are receiving, what they pay for, and to ultimately be satisfied with the end result.”
Paula Higgins, Chief Executive of HomeOwners Alliance, added: “You can’t buy or sell a home without using a conveyancer and while it’s great to receive good news that the conveyancing service is improving for consumers, more needs to be done to raise awareness of what conveyancers do. I’m particularly alarmed that 40% of people wrongly believe the conveyancer will check the structure of the building. This is the job of the surveyor, not the conveyancer.”
For further information on National Conveyancing Week 2024, including how to register or how to become a sponsor visit: www.conveyancingweek.co.uk
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More than 1 in 4 indicated they were not satisfied.
And it's being hailed as a positive.
4/10 unsatisfied with the speed of the transaction.
1/3 unsatisfied with communication
And this is an 'improving picture'.
These are the best results after an extremely slow last 12months for the market. When Conveyancers are hardly being pushed?
Flippin Eck,
The questions that need answering Matt are, why are transactions slow, why is communicating so difficult at times? I am sure that (as a non-conveyancer) you have the answers.
Also, I wonder what percentage of people are satisfied with their removal firm?
That Rob is data I'd like to see too.
The truth is that EA's, Conveyancers and Moving companies, ultimately aren't held to account properly enough.
We all know that needs to change. It won't however.
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