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Daniel Hamilton-Charlton

Director

143 Profile Views

About Me

Committed to speeding up property transactions.
Beautiful wife, three children, two dogs, one cat, two fish, one Degu and a motorbike or two.

my expertise in the industry

Started in Estate agency in 1993 with General Accident Property Services in Southampton before heading to London and working for Ludlow Thompson and then Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward. Then in 2001 worked across Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire with independent Estate Agency brands.
Worked at Move with Us as a Property Consultant, legal network development manager and Probate Legal Network development manager from 2007 to 2015 before heading in to the Search Industry with PIE/PSG.
Now established as an independent National Supplier of Searches and related reports for Home Movers delivering to Solicitors and recently, Home Movers Direct. We are determined to look at ways to speed up the conveyancing process and not have Searches as the reason for a sale not to exchange sooner. Searches will no longer be the excuse that people can hide behind.

Daniel's Recent Activity

I feel it is fair to interject to stop this crazy war on words between Jan and Algarve Investor. It is turning in to a measuring competition. People handle situations in their own way. For one person, the transaction falling through 'could' be a catastrophe and something that does seriously rock their world in a negative way. Thankfully we are not all the same and manage situations differently. How anyone can bring the stress of war and compare that to a house move is ridiculous, BUT, no one can deny that people in either situation will react in their own ways and, just maybe, need support. One persons mental health is not the same as the next persons, no matter how much you wish to argue about it. Surely the point has been missed.....some people do get stressed, and those people might need some support and advice. If that is not you, fantastic. But don't belittle those that are affected otherwise it becomes too difficult for them to speak up and get help for fear of being ridiculed or being accused of being weak....which is far from fair and tantamount to bullying. So please, reel it in.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 22 October 2020 13:59 PM

Your comment does bring to life the true issue with agents needing information. IF they are not provided with an answer within the timeframe that they believe is reasonable, they email again and then again. IF you can imagine what that volume looks like when you times your emails by the amount of transactions they are handling surely you can see that you are exacerbating an already problematic situation, which is going to get worse by your actions. This is how Conveyancers are invariably treated and then everyone screams at them asking why they take so long.....is because they are dealing with high volumes of transactions and even higher volumes of people hounding them for information to see if they are doing their job.....which of course they are. Just imagine how stressful the situation would be on the receiving end of those emails when all you want to do it your job. It must be like being micromanaged by everyone, every minute of the day and it must be hell. If anyone needs meditation it is a conveyancer, but they are not afforded the time to do it as they are too busy doing their job, explaining to people that they are doing their job and still getting beaten up for it. Everyone needs to get involved with getting buyers and sellers better prepared for a move so that all parties are better informed and more aware of what is happening. There is much of a conveyance that can be self help. Change needs to happen and, in time, will happen, and the stress levels will be reduced significantly. I am in favour of looking after mental health, but would rather see more action in alleviating the causes of stress for anyone involved in the house moving process, rather than working out how to fix it once it manifests itself.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 22 October 2020 09:50 AM

Matthew Gilbert, I believe that any small thing that can change to speed up a transaction should be addressed. Why wait for the moment where everything can be fixed. The Sky cycle team proved that incremental change wins races. You of all people should then realise that there is more that can be done to prepare people for a move. IF a vendor has a Search pack, completed all of the protocol forms (Property Information, Fixtures and Contents, Leasehold Info etc), amassed their central heating service records, copies of utility bills, Fensa Certificates, Completed a valid ID/AML check, EPC and so on, placed them all in one place...how fast do you then think things could move?? If Estate Agents truly assisted in getting people legally prepared, the conveyance could get off to a much faster start, akin to an Auction. There is no dark art to getting people legally prepared or ordering Searches. Agents simply need to decide whether they are willing to get involved and help change the dynamics of the conveyancing industry or just point fingers and blame. I appreciate that it is not ONLY searches that are the issue, but that is the one that my business serves to solve. If everyone that could make an effective change made one, there would be a much better and more collaborative system in place. The question is, are you willing to help drive change??

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 20 October 2020 14:51 PM

Hi Iain, I do understand your position. You of all people should then realise tat there is more that can be done to prepare people for a move. IF a vendor has a Search pack, completed all of the protocol forms (Property Information, Fixtures and Contents, Leasehold Info etc), amassed their central heating service records, copies of utility bills, Fensa Certificates, Completed a valid ID/AML check, EPC and so on, placed them all in one place...how fast do you then think things could move?? Surely you must see that if the Ebb and Flow is removed from the conveyancing Job, of the Protocol Forms are completed, If Estate Agents truly assisted in getting people legally prepared, your job would be more secure than ever as you would be forming the conveyance pack rather than chasing for someone else to do it. There is no dark art to getting people legally prepared or ordering Searches. Agents simply need to decide whether they are will to get involved and help change the dynamics of the conveyancing industry or just point fingers and blame.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 20 October 2020 13:46 PM

Iain, I am sorry, but I KNOW that Searches are a real issue in some areas and that the delay is exacerbated by when they are ordered in the transaction process. More council areas are getting significant backlogs too. Harrogate is taking 70+days, thats an issue for anyone wanting to be in for Christmas I'm sure you can agree. It will be a massive issue for anyone needing to complete before the end of the SDLT Relief period when selling in to the new year. There are a number of councils currently struggling to release Building Regs Data and so holding up exchanges. We experienced a 90 working day return that came available last week!! I appreciate that it is a comfortable position to be able to ignore these issues as myths and shout at the conveyancer, but SOME things are simply out of their control. Even the conveyancing association are stating that c.50% of sales pipelines will be at risk unless behaviours significantly change and are urging estate agents to get Vendors to start the Search ordering process to help out with timescales.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 20 October 2020 10:12 AM

No conveyancing Tech can speed up the return of Local Authority data for Searches at the moment. Te only option is for home movers to be encouraged to order Searches themselves far sooner in a transaction. No conveyancing tech will speed up lenders producing mortgage offers. No tech will speed up the back log of valuation surveys. The Industry needs to change what it is able to change, so as to make a positive impact on timescales. This should not turn in to a blame culture. Paper or Cutting Edge Tech conveyancing model will not get Land Charges Data or Building Regs information out of Harrogate Council any faster, or any of the other top 40 local authority offenders either for that matter.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 19 October 2020 12:13 PM

Only if they radically change their behaviours too. Are you encouraging your vendors to order Searches when going to the market at the moment? Are your buyers, where a vendor pack is not available, being shown how to order their Searches as soon as the memo of sale is distributed? Or are you still waiting for the conveyancer to order them? If so, what chance does a 'qualified' estate agent have to do the conveyancing any better or quicker, when the solutions are already available to Estate Agents to speed up transactions and yet so few are willing to embrace them? Making a change to any system is a brave thing to do, but one that it usually only taken up by the progressive few that will lead the way for the rest of the market. We are here to help you get transactions moving faster. If you would like to know which are the worst affected areas for Search Returns at the moment, please get in touch. We can't help you to avoid the car crash that will inevitably happen, but we do supply great airbags for those that want them :-)

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 19 October 2020 11:27 AM

Everyone involved in the business should try to understand the pressures and see what they can do to help out. Some delays sit with third parties not the conveyancers themselves and without other stakeholder taking action very little can change. This is not time for everyone to just shout louder at the legal system but a time to help out with what you can do to support it. Searches will not be getting back faster any time soon. The Only answer is for clients themselves to get in the queues sooner by ordering Searches when going to the market as a vendor, or, by ordering them on day one of a sale being agreed by the buyer if there is no pack ordered. This has to be estate agent lead. Property Searches Direct continue to help with this immediate issue by enabling home movers to access Searches Direct, saving significant transaction time. The Hazard Checker help anyone to understand which Search Pack should be ordered to avoid further delays and are made available to Vendors and Buyers.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 19 October 2020 10:21 AM

Property Searches Direct has been championing purchasers to get Searches on day one of a sale being agreed. We now have Conveyancers that refer their clients to our website to get searches underway rather than wait to do it themselves as they realise that it is a quicker solution. We are urging Estate Agents to get on board with the messaging to refer their buyers to our site. We are happy to white-label a Hazard Checker (the start of the search ordering journey) for agents that wish to help speed things up.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 14 October 2020 08:43 AM

Sorry James, I can't reply to you. What are you highlighting or suggesting to me? Are we solving a problem that doesn't exist.....no Are we offering a Ridiculous solution......no That just leaves chicken and egg, which I am struggling to see where that fits, sorry. Search ordering by Solicitor is a delay in the process. A lack of foresight in what searches are and how they can adversely affect a sale or the marketing of a property is a very real issue. Our solutions solve both. Absolute visibility oh Hazards that exits in a postcode area and Direct access to buying Searches on day one that a sale is agreed. Please explain how any of that is a bad idea or failing to solve something?

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 23 September 2020 11:33 AM

My business has entered this field of innovation to solve a problem. The problem is age old and has been seen as something for Solicitors to sort out and the rest of the chain to just shout for. Searches. We are the only Search business offering true innovation to support the property industry by enabling home buyers to use a hazard checker service and buy the correct Search pack instantly online right at the start of a transaction. No delays, no waiting for a Solicitor to do it, instant access to answers the seek and their lender will require. Our Hazard Checker is a free to use service for the industry as it provides greater awareness of issues that could adversely affect a sale that Estate agents should want to be aware of during marketing. The challenge many PropTech firms face is not whether they are solving a problem or not, it is that whilst Estate Agents criticise Solicitors for being slow to adapt and change, they themselves are so busy fighting their battles that they don't stop often enough to see that something can actually solve a problem for them. They do need to adapt and occasionally take a moment to see whether something can genuinely help them or more importantly, help their clients and purchasers.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 23 September 2020 10:31 AM

It is simply because the Country is full of people that appear completely in denial that we have an issue that they should be concerned about. I don't think anyone needs to take offence. At least this way no one can say that they weren't informed. I don't think the Government can win no matter what they say or do as there is always someone who knows best and likes telling everyone about it LOL

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 22 September 2020 13:41 PM

I like what you are saying and you sound like a progressive firm David. Can we help your clients to get their Searches ordered on day 1 of you believing that they wish to instruct you by asking them to get their Searches ordered Direct? No one can get Searches back faster than anyone else, but we can definitely help get them back sooner. Property Searches Direct

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 22 September 2020 10:12 AM

We are in the process of ordering a Search that involves Thanet District Council and have just been informed of a 40 working day average turnaround. We may not begin to see the final bits of information to complete the report until 17th November. That will still beat the Christmas Deadline, but I wouldn't want to be applying for it any later than today to be certain of it. If you have a pipeline affected by that Council, get your Searches ordered as quickly as possible if your clients want to move before Christmas. Don't wait for the Conveyancer to get around to ordering them; Ask your clients to come to Property Searches Direct.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 22 September 2020 09:12 AM

But no-one likes to get cross with the lenders as it is always the conveyancers fault.....didn't you know? :-)

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 22 September 2020 09:05 AM

That's a very broad brush you have used there Freedom Road. Surely your pipeline will be unaffected as you will refer your clients to Conveyancers that offer No Move No Legals Fee? I believe that most solicitors see themselves as running a business too and would rather a full fee than a very small percentage of it. If that wasn't the case they'd be out of business. Sales tend to fall through as a result of delays from third parties such as Lenders, Leasehold enquiries and searches. We can provide you and your buyers with a solution to get Searches back sooner if you wish to play your part?

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 22 September 2020 09:03 AM

No one needs to see Searches delay a transaction. By asking the buyers to buy the Searches as soon as the sale is agreed, they will come back sooner. No one can make them return quicker. We are the only firm to offer buyers direct access to buying Searches. As soon as a sale is agreed, send them to our Hazard Checker to confirm the pack they need and suggest they get on and buy it. If they don’t they won’t be ordered for several weeks, and that could cause a delay. Go to Property Searches Direct for more information, or get in touch.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 22 September 2020 07:29 AM

Hi Andrew don't be perplexed. Let's address a few of your comments. Searches are NOT a part of a conveyancers work, it is a job that traditionally they have had to take on as it has been seen as a Dark Art by the industry. The reality is that the Searches are paid for by the buyer, the information contained is highly vital to the home buyer and yet ordering them is delayed because the conveyancer has been ordering for them. A conveyancer will wish to receive full instructions and signed client care letters, they will wish to take a client through a full ID/AML check before they can even touch taking funds, let alone spending money. They will also wish to request a contract pack and at some point receive one, before they will consider spending their clients money on Searches. We are giving the buyers the opportunity to buy them Direct. Use our Hazard Checker service to determine the most appropriate pack, place the order online and start receiving the reports. This shows absolute commitment from the buyer, brings the return of Searches Timescale forward for the conveyancer, and you the estate agent can stop chasing for them. We provide Estate Agents with branded literature to email buyers along with the memo of sale to encourage them to take control and order their Searches immediately to avoid delays. What's not to like about that? It's NOT doing the conveyancers job, it's delivering informed choice to the buyer as part of your service. You don't have to order it for them, they do it themselves. YAY! I know many Conveyancer who are currently working 7 days a week and very long hours so I would be very mindful of your comments on that front. They may stop answering the phones, but after hours is invariably the only time they can get the lawyering done without people chasing them to see if they are doing the lawyering. You have two choices. Be a complaining bystander, see no changes and reap no rewards, or get involved in the parts where you can make an affective difference and help people to move. I am a firm believe in a collaborative conveyancing environment where, if you can help to get closer to the goal, you do so. Are you in or out?

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 21 September 2020 09:36 AM

Well said Rob. This is why Property Searches Direct have set up a Direct to Home mover Search solution, so as to help the conveyancer by taking Search ordering out of their hands and placing it with buyers, vendors and their Estate Agents. Conveyancers can make no money on Searches, the administration of taking and spending funds is a burden and they can’t order them straight away. Collaboration from all parties will help speed things up. No longer any need to chase the conveyancer asking if they have ordered the Searches yet as the answer can now be, “do it yourself”. If everyone plays their part to help, sales pipelines will stand half a chance of meeting timescales.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 21 September 2020 07:56 AM

Hi Philip, I agree that collusion is wrong but believe that it was likely driven by the fact that each of those agents believed that they had nothing more to give and that there was nothing to differentiate them. So many agents believe that it’s all about winning the instruction and, unfortunately in this market, it is. It’s a land grab because property will sell itself, within reason. I don’t believe that the job stops when a sale is agreed and that it is an agents job to start screaming at solicitors to speed things up. We launched a Search Solution offering the ability for buyers to get their Searches underway at the point a purchase is agreed. A buyer who pays for their Searches is committed to that property. A buyer who gives the name of a solicitor for a memo is not necessarily. Which agents in your area are proactively asking buyers to buy they Searches on day one of a sale being agreed? There’s a differentiation for you. Given that 4 out of the top 10 additional enquiries raised by conveyancers post receipt of a mortgage offer could be answered at the point of valuation if a local authority search was provided to the surveyor at the time. That would save time in the conveyancing process too. Anyone spearheading that in your area? That’s another differentiation for an agent. The focus at the moment should be banking money, at whatever level, to prevent fall throughs and positive pipeline management. Anyone talking about that at a valuation or is it all about fees? I set up my business to support positive behaviours and shorten exchange timescales with little changes to practices. They make a difference and provide some agents with a differentiation from their competitors who are too busy doing what they’ve always done to change. They’d rather just collude over fees or debate about which is the best fee structure. The client wants a sale at a good price with an agent offering a competent, comprehensive service from instruction to completion.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 11 September 2020 21:12 PM

A variable commission structure Philip (AKA Bstard Agent) helps to avoid agents constantly looking for the easy way out by dropping the price for a quick sale. It has existed for years, promise the earth, deliver 'supposed' great customer experience, fail to achieve price, consistently blame the market conditions and ask for a price reduction again and again. A dropped market price will lead to less fees so it equates to a lose lose. Whereas with a fixed price, only the vendor is losing out. As such, surely the biggest evil is a fixed price up front and the fairest fee structure, offering shared pain, is the variable commission. But all this dialogue is missing the point entirely and it is a shame that agents get so hung up on fee structure of either type. IF a valuation / appraisal meeting always comes down to fees you have surely failed to deliver enough value in your service proposal or deliver a unique service promise that differentiates your business from others. "You cannot compare Apples with Pears". Take a step back from what you have always done as a business on an appraisal, take a look at what truly sets your business apart and then deliver a complete picture to a prospective client. Deliver what actually matters to them in a meaningful capacity, set aside the ego and bravado of the business and actually deliver.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 11 September 2020 09:21 AM

Sounds like those agents had decided that they offered nothing unique from each other which is a shame. Agents should strive to find the competitive edge that gives them a point of differentiation so that discussing fee levels to such a degree becomes obsolete. I know one that hardly any estate agency firm is talking about.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 11 September 2020 07:58 AM

This is why anything that can be relinquished from the conveyancer to any other party must be considered. Buyers can now buy their Searches from Property Searches Direct as soon as a purchase is agreed. Estate Agents should punch the air and book a sale when the Searches are ordered, NOT when a Memorandum of Sale is distributed. A solicitor can be instructed to buy ANY property, but the search pack is property specific. Avoid the delayed ordering by enabling buyers to come Direct on Day 1 of the sale.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 10 September 2020 10:52 AM

This is why anything that can be relinquished from the conveyancer to any other party must be considered. Buyers can now buy their Searches from Property Searches Direct as soon as a purchase is agreed. Estate Agents should punch the air and book a sale when the Searches are ordered, NOT when a Memorandum of Sale is distributed. A solicitor can be instructed to buy ANY property, but the search pack is property specific. Avoid the delayed ordering by enabling buyers to come Direct on Day 1 of the sale.

From: Daniel Hamilton-Charlton 10 September 2020 10:50 AM

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