Today's Conveyancer Podcast

In this episode of the Today's Conveyancer podcast, host David Opie welcomes Gavin Burton, Co-founder and trainer at Beruku Knowledge, to discuss the evolving threats of identity fraud, deep fakes, and artificial intelligence in the legal sector. With a distinguished 26-year career in the Metropolitan Police, Gavin led a specialised team focused on ID fraud, making his insights into fraudulent identity documents invaluable.The conversation explores the increasing availability of counterfeit documents online, the challenges law enforcement faces in tracking perpetrators, and how social media and encrypted messaging services facilitate fraud. Gavin details how criminals manipulate biometric chips and forge machine-readable zones to bypass security checks.For legal professionals, this discussion underscores the importance of robust ID verification processes, technology-driven solutions, and ongoing awareness training to mitigate risks. Gavin highlights how regulators are imposing significant fines for anti-money laundering failures, reinforcing the need for vigilance in adapting to emerging threats.His expertise offers a compelling case for leveraging advanced AI tools while understanding the limitations of physical document verification. This episode provides critical insights into fraud prevention, regulation, and technology in modern legal practice. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

The latest podcast explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in conveyancing, focusing on its ability to enhance efficiency, reduce administrative burdens, and improve risk management. Host David Opie is joined by Chris Harris, the founder of Collaborative Conveyancing, who shares insights into how AI-driven tools can streamline tasks such as document analysis, inquiry management, and property searches.A key takeaway is the shift in client expectations, as AI enables faster information retrieval and response times. Clients are increasingly using AI to fact-check legal processes, which raises new challenges for conveyancers in maintaining trust and transparency.The discussion delves into the ethical considerations and regulatory challenges surrounding AI adoption, emphasizing the importance of human oversight to mitigate risks such as misinformation and data security concerns. While AI can automate routine processes, the necessity for legal expertise remains crucial in complex property transactions.Chris Harris presents real-world examples of AI applications, including automated inquiry handling and AI-driven voice assistants for conveyancing quotes. While AI will not replace conveyancers, it is poised to reshape workflows, allowing professionals to focus on complex legal matters rather than routine administrative tasks.Ultimately, the conversation underscores that AI is not a threat but a tool that, when implemented responsibly, can empower conveyancers and enhance the property transaction process. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

The latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast welcomes PJ Singh and George Levett of Conveyancer Plus to discuss how they are working with firms to help them manage their pipelines, and create a consistent pipeline of work, rather than become over-reliant on third part lead sources. The discussion covers how using outsourced services can bring down complaints around communications (conveyancing is the most complained about areas of consumer of law), ensure consistency in pricing and process, which sets expectations accordingly at the outset of the relationship. Interestingly, analysis of their service identifies the average call duration with a prospective client is over 8 minutes; and despite the array of communications options (instant messaging, email, live chat etc) George says 80% of enquiries prefer phone calls.The result is a 95% conversion on estate agent and broker referrals (vs. industry average of 70–80%); near 30% conversion on comparison site leads (vs. typical 5–10%); and 60% conversion on website leads (vs. typical 30–40%).Only by understanding your numbers in relation to live files and soon-to-be -completed matters can firms be proactive with their business development and ensure they are making data-driven decisions on workload and future bottlenecks. PJ and George share their experience of working with firms to improve their conversion rates; not just from the point of view of direct engagement with clients, but also the lessons being learnt around what should be on firm's social media, what should be on their websites, and how consumers respond.  The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

Expert legal trainer Ian Quayle of IQ Legal Training returns in this series of bitesize Today's Conveyancer Podcast episodes to explore a range of topics around conveyancing. "Transaction Tips" draws on Ian's extensive experience in and around the property sector discussing important topics conveyancers need to be thinking about. The latest episode considers the bizarre case of Patarkatsishvili and another -v- Woodward-Fisher; better known as the £32.5 million property in London, where the buyer successfully rescinded the contract due to a concealed infestation of clothes moths.The case serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of full and honest disclosure in the conveyancing process says Ian who provides a comprehensive overview of the case, as well as commentary on the impact for conveyancers when it comes to full disclosure on the TA forms, and the impact on the material information debate. Ian warns conveyancers to clearly define their role and liability in their retainers, especially when information is shared before formal instruction. He adds misrepresentation—especially fraudulent or reckless—can lead to rescission and damages; Conveyancers must be cautious in advising clients and should avoid assuming liability for pre-instruction disclosures; and reminds us the case underscores the growing importance of transparency, due diligence, and clear legal boundaries in property transactions.Ian will be back throughout the rest of the year with more Transaction Tips on the Today's Conveyancer Podcast. For information about the training Ian runs please visit www.todaysmedia.co.uk/todays-legal-training.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

Following the publication of The Law Society Climate Change Risk Property Practice Note Today's Conveyancer Podcast host David Opie speaks to former Groundsure CEO and now consultant to the market Dan Montagnani about what the Practice Note does, and critically, doesn't include and what action property lawyers might take as a result. Building on the guidance published in 2022, the Practice Note provides property-specific outcomes with clarity no doubt welcomed as it helps define the boundaries of legal responsibility and provides a framework for managing client expectations.Historically, climate risk in UK property law has focused heavily on flooding. However, the new guidance broadens the scope to include:Wildfires – increasingly common in the UK, with recent events on Dartmoor and the Manchester Moors.Drought and water stress – which can affect ground stability and infrastructure.Heat stress – particularly in urban environments, impacting livability and energy efficiency.While flooding remains a significant concern (with one in six UK properties at risk), the legal and practical implications of these other issues are becoming more pronounced and must be considered in property transactions.And it's important to say this is not being driven by the search industry, adds Dan, highlighting the work ongoing across surveying (surveyors and lawyers share a collective responsibility to inform clients) lending and insurance sectors where climate risk is being factored in decision-making driven by both market forces and regulatory pressure.As has been said before, the guidance reinforces that property lawyers are not expected to assess climate risks themselves but are responsible for:Identifying when a property may be affected by climate-related risks.Advising clients to seek further information, such as through environmental or climate-specific searches.Ensuring clients understand the implications, particularly regarding insurance availability, mortgage lending, and long-term property value.Importantly, lawyers should clearly define the scope of their services in the retainer, especially if they choose to exclude climate risk advice. However, doing so may require significant effort to ensure clients understand the consequences of that exclusion.In terms of market acceptance Dan draws parallels with the evolution of contaminated land searches, which took a decade to become standard practice. He predicted that climate searches will become routine much faster due to the availability of the data, regulatory momentum and greater consumer pressure. By embracing climate risk assessments, clearly communicating with clients, and leveraging available data, conveyancers can not only protect themselves from liability but also enhance the quality and integrity of their service he concludes.  The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

In the regular quarterly update looking at the latest statistics from Landmark, Today's Conveyancer Podcast host David Opie is joined by Ben Robinson and Rob Gurney of Landmark to pore over the latest Property Trends report covering the first quarter of 2025. Given the changes to stamp duty thresholds on 1st April 2025 there is no surprise the first quarter of the year has seen a sizeable increase in the number of completions, up 30% in the first quarter year-on-year and a staggering 71% on March 2024. And the good news keeps on coming with key indicators of continuing stability looking positive for the remainder of 2025; including an 8% rise in mortgage valuation volumes year on year driven by greater interest rate stability (the podcast was recorded just before the Bank of England rates cut announcement on 8th May). Sold Subject to Contract (SSTC) activity was also up month-on-month, with the 4.4% increase suggesting new activity entering the pipeline regardless of SDLT changes.Summary of Q1 year-on-year activity for England and Wales:Listing volumes up 1%SSTC down 9%Search order volumes up 8%Completions up 30%Listen in to this shorter podcast for the latest insight and opinion. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

Since Labour came to power 12 months ago they have made home ownership one of their key messages. The headlines have focused on their ambitions to build 1.5m new homes over the course of this Parliament and in February they announced they would be 'modernising' home buying and selling process to make it fit for the 21st Century; but what does it really mean for conveyancers?The latest Today's Conveyancer podcast welcomes two protagonists who are involved in these efforts Nick Chadbourne, CEO of LMS, and Angela Hesketh, Head of Market Development at PEXA who both join the discussion in their roles representing the Open Property Data Association (OPDA). In the short term there are two ongoing projects; a A 12-week assessment of the needs of industry, specifically around data sharing and standardisation. The second project is led by Land Registry, and aims to digitise data points managed by central government and local authorities with the ambition to streamline data access and improve efficiencyThe OPDA's role is on creating the framework both for collecting and storing data associated with property transactions; and subsequently enabling it to be shared and relied upon. Nick describes the process as providing a 'vouch'  validating its origin and reliability, allowing conveyancers to make informed decisions without extensive rechecking.ID has been widely touted as a user case; instead of verifying ID 3,4,5 times throughout a transaction it can instead be verified once and relied upon thereafter. There are specific issues particular to property explains Angela, and work is ongoing to create a supplementary code to existing digital identity legislation that meets these unique needs.Both Nick and Angela are excited about the potential; a world in which conveyancers can trust the data they receive and focus on delivering a high-quality service without the burden of extensive verification and reverification. Alongside bringing more of that verified data to the fore at the outset of the transaction and being able to rely upon it, this shift would allow conveyancers to concentrate on their core responsibilities and improve the overall customer journey.Listen in to hear how the government's modernisation agenda is shaping up and how it impacts conveyancers and the wider property profession.  The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

The latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast welcomes workplace culture and staff retention specialist Andre Thomas of Thomas Telman to discuss the critical importance of cultivating a positive workplace culture and the direct impact this has on staff retention and overall business success.The firm has created a empirical methodology by which culture can be measured through engagement surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews. He identifies 15 key data points for assessing culture, including career development, psychological safety, retention rates, and recruitment costs. By gathering both quantitative and qualitative data, firms can gain a comprehensive understanding of their workplace culture and identify areas for improvement.Throughout the discussion Andre shares some of the detail of this methodology which can reduce the likelihood of errors and claims (engaged and satisfied employees are less likely to make mistakes), create positive cultures where employees feel valued, and aligned with the company's values increasing productivity, and plays a sizeable role in attracting and retaining top talent and ultimately improving profitability.Andre Thomas explains that many firms fail to take culture seriously due to a lack of clear definition and measurement. He argues that culture is not about superficial perks like table tennis tables or bean bags but about the genuine employee experience. Conversely, a toxic culture is marked by poor communication, lack of psychological safety, and high turnover.He encourages firms to be open about their findings and involve employees in the process of making improvements; trust and transparency are the foundations of a positive workplace culture, which in turn drives staff retention and business success. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

In the latest episode of the Today's Conveyancer podcast, host David Opie welcomes Rob Gurney, Managing Director of Ochresoft to discuss how long conveyancing actually takes; and why lower the lower transaction volumes of the last couple of years haven't seen corresponding falls in completion times.A new report from Landmark which interrogates the data held in the Ochresoft conveyancing workflows shows despite lower transaction volumes and advancements in technology, the time taken for property transactions has doubled since 2007. The average time from instruction to completion has increased from 85 days in 2007 to 160 days in 2024 for sales, and from 75 days to 120 days for purchases.There is, says Rob, a need for fundamental changes in the conveyancing process, including early instruction of lawyers and the adoption of technology. Rob has previously been on the Today's Conveyancer podcast discussing the perfect contract pack; conveyancing nirvana, where unnecessary enquiries are eradicated, and the process is streamlined to meet modern consumer expectations.For the time being issues around staffing (a 15% fall in qualified conveyancing numbers since the pandemic has caused bottlenecks); increased responsibility during the transaction meaning conveyancers now deal with roughly double the number of requirements they previously did; and regulatory changes including AML and BSA all have an impact on timelines. But there are factors within conveyancers' control says Rob, suggesting the earlier instruction of lawyers would go some way to streamlining the process later down the line. Instruction at the point of listing provides time to prepare documentation and data in advance. With search turnarounds now down to c.10 days, fewer complaints can be made about delays here, but ordering them in good time will help. And despite an 8 day reduction in the time it takes to deal with pre-contract enquiries between 2023 and 2024, the current 52-day average is double the time it took in 2007. Let's not forget, concludes Rob, we're all trying to achieve the same thing and no one gets paid until the transaction completes. For estate agents, shorter transaction times mean faster pipeline turnover and increased revenue. For lenders and consumers, delays can lead to financial losses due to expiring mortgage offers and changing interest rates. And for conveyancers faster transactions means better fees and happier clients. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

This latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast welcomes conveyancing post-completion specialist Priscilla Sinder to discuss the importance of investment in post-completion to avoid costly mistakes.In the wake of March 2025 when SDLT thresholds prompting a sizeable increase in demand and transaction volumes, post-completion work is under scrutiny. Post-completion, says Priscilla, is one of those jobs that falls down the list of priorities because it doesn't generate any revenue. The skills have been diluted and education and training is critical to bridge the knowledge gap around post completion work She highlights the sometimes forgotten compliance and risk aspects of post-completion, including the potential for litigation if applications are not submitted on time. The elephant in the room are the delays at HMLR but we have to look at the impact of the pandemic and be a little forgiving says Priscilla and be patient the agency's recruitment and technology plans will drive improvements. Through her own training programmes Priscilla advocates the adoption of post-completion policies which provide a framework against which firms can ensure they are operating in a compliant manner. A main, overarching policy can be complemented by sub-post completion policies including Post-Completion Compliance Policy, a File Management Policy, a Reply to Requisition Policy and more.Checklists are a key tool to help eliminate errors, improve accuracy and save time. Having checklists in place will ensure errors are spotted pre-submission, requisition rates are reduced, and ensure consistency in how applications are processed and submitted says Priscilla.The podcast concludes with a discussion on the importance of post-completion specialisation and the need for continuous education and training in the field.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA, Osprey Approach, and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

The first of a new series of discussions on the Today's Conveyancer Podcast, host David Opie is joined by expert legal trainer Ian Quayle of IQ Legal Training, to explore a range of topics around conveyancing. "Transaction Tips" will draw on Ian's extensive experience in and around the property sector discussing important topics conveyancers need to be thinking about. In this first discussion on scoping the retainer, Ian shares his expertise of what to include, and more importantly, what not to include in client retainers. The retainers establishes our relationship with the client and starts to create and manage expectations.He also explores best practice around ensuring retainers remain under review; and the firm have evidence on file the client has read and understood it. In the ever-changing world of conveyancing; and with issues like Building Safety Act and the upcoming changes to TA6 Protocol Forms, it's more important than ever to ensure retainers remain as relevant and up to date as possible. Ian warns firms against what he describes as "retainer creep"; an issue where a firm ends up doing something as part of the transaction they expressly exclude from the retainer; using the example of a boundary query. In such cases firms must expand the retainer or end up at risk of liability. Ian will be back throughout the rest of the year with more Transaction Tips on the Today's Conveyancer Podcast. For information about the training Ian runs please visit www.todaysmedia.co.uk/todays-legal-training.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

Travis Scholes, Commercial Director at LMS, joins Today's Conveyancer Podcast host David Opie to discuss the National Property Transaction Network (NPTN); an enablement platform where all those involved in the property transaction can interact in a way that creates greater efficiencies in the process.Discussing the evolution of the concept Travis explains how the last 5 years has seen the level of digitisation within each of the property silos develop astronomically; what's missing is a place where all those different elements of digitisation can work best together and and make the best use of that digital maturity that has taken place. We've got to make that burden to change easier, says Travis. We see NPTN as a way to knock down some of the roadblocks by creating a really open system into which anybody can plug; decoupling the LMS products and services from the network so they're not mandated and any one can plug their supply chain into it. The more people use a single platform to leverage the efficiencies the more powerful the data becomes, the more efficient the process becomes. We can also reduce the administrative burden by de-duplicating data entry points and creating more transparencyChange will be evolutionary, not revolutionary. The big bang approach where everyone has to stop what they're doing and adopt a completely new way of working is impossible. And we're still going through a process of helping the profession understand what this change looks like. In addition we've got to overcome some of the "technology fatigue" that has crept in; the idea that people become tired of hearing about the next big thing. In an entertaining, informative, and typically honest, discussion Travis explains how and why LMS are keen to play their part int he next iteration of the property market. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA and VacantC Legal Recruitment.

Rob Houghton, CEO of reallymoving joins the Today's Conveyancer Podcast to discuss what home moving was like before the iPhone. reallymoving.com is a comparison site for for home moving services and recently celebrated 25 years in business. In a fascinating discussion about the evolution of online marketing, Rob discusses what the world of online was like in 1999 and the evolution of web search in the following years. He explains how the model of bidding for keywords developed, alongside the process of building websites that provided information for consumers.One of the criticisms directed at comparison sites is they simply encourage the race to the bottom on price; that by providing information driven by price, firms have no choice but to offer lower prices to be competitive. It's a fair comment says Rob, but critically he describes reallymoving as a "comparison site", not a "price comparison site." Semantics perhaps but an important distinction he says as while price is important, there are other factors like reviews, location, and information about a firm's approach to client communication (home moving milestone apps etc) that inform a client's decision.He says after price, reviews is the next most important way people choose their conveyancer, adding most people who convert through the website do not choose the lowest price.Given the changes the business has been through over the last 25 years, looking ahead for the next 25 years is hugely challenging. No question the continued digitisation of the industry will continue apace say Rob, and as far as lead generation is concerned, there will be a deeper integration between lead generators and firms, and firms and their clients; almost certainly powered by artificial intelligence. But Rob concludes on the thought that in 1999 comparison sites were largely an unknown quantity. Fast forward 25 years and they are now commonplace and are  hugely powerful and important to the consumer experience when it comes to travel, leisure, financial services and many other sectors. Law firms take note!  The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA and VacantC Legal Recruitment

Podcast host David Opie in joined by CEO of the charity LawCare, Elizabeth Rimmer, to discuss their latest "Life in the Law" surveys which are now open for completion until Friday 21st March. LawCare supports and promotes mental health and wellbeing across the legal services sector. They have 2 main focuses. Their first is in providing direct support on and offline for those who wish to reach out. Their second focus is on providing wider education and advocacy of mental health planning and promotion across the law. Importantly, says Elizabeth, LawCare help organisations understand how they can better support their people through identifying risk factors in the work place that undermine people's mental healthThe survey last ran in 2020 with the results published in 2021 and found 69% of respondents said that had experienced poor mental health. Addressing some of the reasons why the survey found 1 in 5 respondents had experienced bullying and workplace harassment; and less than half of respondents with line management responsibilities had any formal training. In 2025 there are 2 surveys to complete; one for individuals and one for organisations. More information about how to complete the surveys is on the LawCare website (Life in the Law) and below.The surveys are asking questions about wellbeing, hours people work, psychological safety, burnout, management and support, and bullying and harassment. For organisations, the survey is looking into whats steps are organisations taking to address the factors of poor mental health. Good mental health is a strategic investment, says Elizabeth. Staff who have positive mental health are going to be more effective, more productive, more likely to stay in the organisations. The objective of the surveys is to help produce evidence based best practice for firms to practically implement into their organisations. This needs to be done properly, strategically, and you need to give people capacity to deliver it concludes Elizabeth. Complete the surveys via the links below:Life in the Law 2025 (Individuals)Life in the Law 2025 (Organisations)The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA and VacantC Legal Recruitment

The Today's Conveyancer podcast welcomes Group Chief Commercial Officer at First4Lawyers, Nick Delaney, to discuss their first foray in conveyancing services. The Group, best known for its FCA-regulated claims management company and SRA-regulated volume Road Traffic Accident work, has been going for 16 years and has launched F4LPlus; a comparison and lead generation service for consumers seeking conveyancing services. Throughout the discussion Nick explains how the project has developed over the past 18 months in an effort to diversify the business; and why conveyancing, rather than other consumer legal services such as wills, probate, employment and family services, has been the testing ground. Nick says the service is about helping consumers make a choice about who they want to use; but recognises the challenge services like F4LPlus and other comparison tools have in differentiating their panel firms. Geography, consumer reviews and carefully curated profiles are among the selection criteria presented to enquirers in an effort to try and give the consumer more than the price to look at. If there are lessons to be learnt from the extensive experience in high volume personal injury and clinical negligence matters First4Lawyers are best known for, it is recognising the importance of a sales process for the leads generated. Successful firms are the ones who have people at the front end helping clients, says Nick. The speed at which consumers get a response plays a key role in their decision-making process. And above all "firms who are good at picking up the phone and speaking to the consumer get more work" - Nick is unequivocal about this. You can automate much of the enquiry management process but at some point you need to pick up the phone and speak to people, he adds. Tackling criticism often leveled at comparison sites around the quality of leads, F4LPlus say they have firms converting 20%+ of their leads such are the verification stages the software requires, including creating an account, going through an initial fact fine, including timescales and budget, and working with firms to create an efficient follow up process. Conveyancing is the testing ground for the new service, with Nick hopeful of expanding into other areas of law in the future. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. Thank you to our podcast sponsors PEXA and VacantC Legal Recruitment

The Today's Conveyancer Podcast welcomes back Dan Warburton, a law firm consultant and trainer who specialises in helping individuals delegate work more effectively; in the process junior staff are elevated, the individual has a happier work/life balance, and ultimately the firm can be more profitable. It's a soapbox Dan has jumped on before having appeared previously on the podcast to discuss “the skill of profitable delegation;” creating leaders who can deliver high levels of performance across their team. Few partners achieve what Dan describes as a “transition out of being a technician in the business to being a business owner"; it should be their objective to remove themselves from a position where the structure and success of the organisation relies on them.This discussion centres on the launch of Dan's book "Delegate Now to Supercharge Your Profits" in which he outlines the secrets to his methodology;including the key differences between "delegation" and "profitable delegation" - "It's easy to delegate work away ineffectively... It's a very different skill to delegate work away and have it handled to a high standard whilst gaining a great reputation and making a firm reliably profitable.")Proactive and reactive management - "I've come to see that there really is no other way than leading regular one-on-one calls to lead and manage team members effectively."Leading teams in a way that makes them loyal to youThroughout the podcast Dan discusses tips and tactics for how to work with individuals in the business to help them become more efficient, effective and confident members of the team which in turn enables leaders to lead, rather than remaining forever in the The Law Technician's Valley of Doom - It's where partners are all burned out from working long hours and cannot see how to increase their firms' profits without working even longer hours.They cannot stop working, and they cannot take breaks to recharge their batteries very often. They take holidays infrequently because their firms rely on them so much to keep operating.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

A new consumer awareness website has been launched to help conveyancers and home movers understand the risks associated with coastal erosion. CoastClear is a partnership launched by Groundsure with Chief Customer Officer David Kempster joining the latest Today's Conveyancer podcast to explain more about the objectives behind the initiative.There are c.10,000 homes that are now at serious, imminent risk of falling off a cliff; and by 2050 that will quadruple to 40,000. There is, says David, a degree of rose tinted spectacles when it comes to purchasing property near the coast. People buy with their heart, not their head, and this is an effort to raise consumer awareness of the associated risks.Coastal erosion creates a lending risk as the coastline moves steadily closer to homes nearby, particularly in areas like Norfolk and Suffolk. Coupled with the general trend toward longer mortgages, properties which may at one time have been considered fine to lend on, become unmortgageable. Unlike flood, which can be cleared and cleaned, coastal erosion causes a total loss of asset for both the bank and homeowners, and they simply won't lend.In a similar vein, when it comes to remortgaging, lending decisions evolve during the course of property ownership as the sea edges closer to the property.While the website (www.coastclear.co.uk) is aimed at consumers, the partnership is part of the wider climate considerations that home movers, and conveyancers now undertake. We're already reporting on ground stability and subsidence says David, this is one element to flag which affected home movers. It is also part of the Law Society's climate guidance which is due to be ratified in the coming months.Home movers increasingly want and need this information and so as professionals should we be pointing them at resources that can help. Conveyancers are encouraged to engage with it and make sure they're signposting home movers to the postcode checker on the website which will provide an indicating of whether the property is at risk.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

How do law firms choose the right technology? Its a conundrum many law firms face and with so much technology available to them, how can they be sure they're selecting the right option for them? Chris Williams of Novus Strategy & Consulting joins the Today's Conveyancer podcast to share his thoughts and insight on the topic; borne out of his experience working across the property transaction, and notably with lenders in recent years. In simple terms, he says firms should focus on solutions which align with their strategy, client needs, and operational goals. And when outlining what strategy firm's might adopt, Chris adds strategy is "where you play and how you win."But in the current technology climate, where there seems to be rapid change, and moving goalposts if you take the example of settlement where the future remains uncertain; how do firms know if they're "winning"? And how can they prepare for something that may or may not happen? There is lots of time to prepare, says Chris. The market does not move quickly and we can see what is coming down the track. The key is to work with vendors and partners who can provide interoperability and scalability for long term successAlongside settlement, which is one discussion point to consider, Chris adds there is an evolution of the mortgage process coming; which in turn is going to drive some of the work around data standardisation and horizontal data integration; the idea that in each of the existing verticals (lending, brokering, estate agency and conveyancing) there is significant progress on digitisation and the next step is to bring that all together and create greater connectivity throughout the course of the transaction. Drawing on the experience of the retail sector, which went through its own digital (r)evolution, in Chris's view the individual sections of the market are reaching digital maturity to enable the connectivity currently missing to develop and sees the home moving process could look very different in just a few years' time. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

In the second episode of the new series of the Today's Conveyancer podcast former Google-exec turned prop-tech entrepreneur Gemma Young discusses her journey on helping improve the home moving process.In a wide ranging discussion Gemma and Today's Conveyancer podcast host David Opie explore the work being done to digitise the relationships between estate agents and conveyancers, and the conveyancing process. In her words Gemma is witnessing what she considers to be a shift in mindset around organisations prepared to collaborate more now, than ever before. And if there is a takeaway from the discussion it is for professionals to invest time in 2025 to find out what is happening from a technology and process point of view, and who is leading that charge. How do we move from the current situation where 1 in 3 property transactions fall through, to creating greater certainty in the process; and by extension reinvesting billion of pounds back in to the UK economy?There is no silver bullet and Gemma discusses the work being done on to connect so much that is being in silos; improving the quality of data through the Property Data Trust Framework (PDTF) and enabling that to be shared throughout the transaction rather than the extensive duplication in the current process; and educating professionals and consumers on what that change looks like.There's an opportunity to fundamentally make a change in how we transact property says Gemma, and if I was speaking to conveyancers I would say lean in, learn, read, and find out more about what's happening in the space. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Ben Robinson and Rob Gurney of Landmark join host David Opie on the first Today's Conveyancer Podcast of 2025 to discuss the recently published Property Trends Report covering the final quarter of 2024. A regular feature of the podcast, the report looks data from within the Landmark group around property listings, sold-subject-to-contract numbers, search order volumes and completions; benchmarking the numbers against 2019 - the last year the property market might be considered to have been normal before the turmoil of COVID-19 and the ensuing turbulence. Reviewing the year's numbers there is a case to consider the property market has settled into a new normal ahead of 2025, with much of the data tracking at around two-thirds 2019 volumes. "6 years is a long time ago" says Ben Robinson, "if we think back we had the 2006 'before normal,' and we got to 2010-11 before people realised that wasn't the normal anymore. It will be interesting to see where that new normal levels off."The latest report revealsListing volumes were up 8% in Q4 ‘24 vs Q4 ‘19. Sold subject to contract (SSTC) volumes in Q4 ‘24 were down 33% when compared to Q4 ‘19 volumes.Completions have fallen by 37% in Q4 '24 vs Q4 ‘19.Search order volumes in Q4 2024 were down 18% vs Q4 2019 levels, albeit December 2019 volumes were also comparatively low.  But with the market artificially stimulated by the stamp duty relief deadline for first time buyers coming in March what does the rest of 2025 hold for the property market? Listen in to hear Ben and Rob's thoughts and predictions. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

"Houseful" is probably best known for the property portal Zoopla, but the technology giant is steadily building an array of property and data businesses and has under it's umbrella estate agent software Alto, new homes software Yourkeys and Hometrack, a UK provider of automated valuations and property insights. Their latest venture, Movemnt, launched in July 2024 and through their relationship with LMS soon said it was working with 6 of the top 10 conveyancers by volume in the country; somewhat flying in under the radar.In this latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast, host David Opie is joined by Houseful Product Director, Owen Rogers, tasked with developing their first foray into the conveyancing market. Owen explains Movemnt is a network where conveyancers can connect with the Houseful ecosystem of estate agents and consumers. It will enable conveyancers to grow their business and provide an 'integration layer' for the exchange of data and communication.  Challenged on Movemnt being another panel management solution, Owen says distribution is a key component of the tool and there will be expectations on, for example, uniform onboarding but the solution is being pitched as a 'data exchange, a connectivity layer' integrating data from conveyancer's systems to other players in the home transaction.  Which leads on to material and up front information which Owen says is a 'catalyst event' for the industry driving the importance of conveyancers up the transaction. The other key driver for change is the Data (Use and Access) Bill which has been introduced into Parliament which seeks to enable data to be used and shared with relevant permissions. Owen sees it compelling the industry to share data, at the request of consumers and will remove much of the current duplication of effort. But, he warns, it will still be incumbent on technology providers like Houseful to work with insurers to support property professionals in their use and reliance on shared data.Given there is much work going on silos around solving the current issues on material and up front information, reliance on third party data and duplication, is Houseful simply bringing another technology product to market that doesn't solve the fundamental issue that moving home is a hugely collaborative and complicated affair, bringing multiple parties together. No, says Owen, through its relationships with estate agents, lenders, and consumers, in many ways conveyancing was a missing part of the jigsaw for the business; "I can't think of another business that is as well positioned with its product, distribution, development house, and partnerships as Houseful." The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Having talked about keeping the search industry on its toes in their previous appearance on the podcast, Kevin Johnson and Jeremy Dorkins of On Point Data join the latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast to provide update on their progress over the last 18 months, climate change, the quality of search information and advice for practitioners, and the pace of technological change in the property sector. With the Law Society Property Conference hosting a panel discussion on the topic, and updated guidance for practitioners recently published, climate change is a hot potato for conveyancers. The Law Society is clear, where further guidance is required, conveyancers must refer to the data providers; a sentiment echoed by Kevin: Solicitors are are not subject matter experts on climate change, or planning for example. It is our role to firms in touch with the right people to help them best advise their clients.Another issue Jeremy sees is the wrong reports being requested for the type of land use and transaction they're conducting and it is the role of search companies to ensure the reports which best suit conveyancers' need is recommended.  On the progress of technology and speed of change both agree the "train has left the station" but there is still a lot of technology solving individual problems; where there needs to be a much more cohesive effort. It's likely, says Kevin, we need government intervention to really make progress. But there are signs we're moving in the right direction adds Jeremy; don't forget it wasn't that long ago we were printing reams of pdfs, using DX and franking machines to send piles of paper search reports to firms. It was a big step forward for lawyers to be accepting reports by pdf and email.. and these steps keep happening as technology improves. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

The Today's Conveyancer Podcast once again brings you the results of the latest Property Trends Report, published by Landmark. Host David Opie is joined by regular guest Ben Robinson, Managing Director of Landmark Estate Agency Services. This time Landmark Divisional Director Mike Holden joins to lend his expertise to the discussion which looks at the property market statistics for Q3 2024.This shorter podcast looks at trends across property listing volumes, Sold Subject to Contract (SSTC) numbers, searches ordered and completions and benchmarks current numbers against 2019 data; the last time the property market was in a broadly "normal" cycle.This latest report sees supply return to the market, with listing volumes above 2019 numbers but with most other measures well below, there is a sense that many movers await the promised reductions in interest rates, and the upcoming budget at the end of October.Listen in to this shorter podcast which explores the broader trends behind the data and looks ahead at what's in store for the remainder of 2024 and into 2025. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Firms and businesses who want to be found locally online for their products and services need to consider 149 different factors in order to ensure their online presence is search engine friendly.This is according to Ben Marley, formerly of Rightmove, feefo and ESTAS, who joins the latest Today's Conveyancer podcast to discuss the launch of Geocale; a Google business profile management service that helps firms and businesses to be found, be chosen and be recommended in their locality. The business was borne out of his experience working with firms to improve their online presence and focuses on helping organisations set up their Google My Business account, and manage it proactively, to appear higher on the map rankings.And while we know most searches for services start online, if you needed any more evidence of searches for legal services with a local intent, Ben highlights there are 27,000 searches p/m for the term "Solicitor near me"; and 12,000 p/m for "Conveyancer near me". These 149 factors influence the search results Google provides for search queries and the more you can align with what Google is looking for, the ore likely you are to appear both on the map, and higher up in the search results. During the discussion Ben shares his top tips for firms for how they can improve some of the fundamental mistakes he sees on a daily basis; including ensuring names, addresses and opening times match up; being clear about locality; and requesting and responding to online reviews.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Ryan Sparrow, a digital content specialist in the legal division of The Access Group joins podcast host David Opie to discuss a newly published report on the current state of conveyancing."The State of the UK Conveyancing Market", now in its third year, draws on data and expertise from a range of sources including HM Land Registry, technology and data providers, and industry commentators. The picture is mixed; transaction volumes are down 20% on last year, the number of active conveyancers in the market is down 9%. There are fewer firms dong more cases, and more firms doing fewer cases; the bottom 50% of active firms have completed on average 47 cases p/a... less than one a week. Over 1000 firms have done 10 cases or fewer; of which nearly 300 have completed just one case.There is some leeway in the exact numbers given delays at HMLR and some data, like new-build, being skewed, but there is a general trend.  "It raises the question of dabbling" says Ryan. "Do these firms have the appropriate expertise and risk management measures in place around things like anti-money laundering for example, which is a huge issue for conveyancers."At the other end of the scale, the largest conveyancer completed 11,000 purchase transactions last year; 2% of the market total. The numbers fall dramatically thereafter with the 4th largest conveyancer completed just 50% of that number, and once you get down to the 50th largest by transaction volume, the number of transactions is c.10% of the largest. The report itself also looks at the breakdown regionally.Other issues raised by the report include client complaints around communication and delays (a growing problem year on year identified by the Legal Ombudsman),  business development and referrals. The third edition of "The State of the UK Conveyancing Market" is available to download now.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Sayinthen Vivekanantham is the latest guest on the Today's Conveyancer Podcast to discuss his second career as founder of prop-tech solution Homey. In his first career Say was a medical doctor until a few years ago when his side-hustle in developing a small property portfolio turned into a passion for helping estate agents and conveyancers work better together. Homey has two sides; an estate agent referral element, and a client on-boarding element. Homey can facilitate the flow of work between estate agents and conveyancers, enabling firms to 'make more money from a captive referral base' says Say.There is an opportunity to incorporate referral fees, but Say is clear Homey doesn't have a position on whether referral fees are good or bad. However, whoever is building technology in the property space would be foolish to ignore the way in which many transactions are currently instructed via a financial incentive; we can't be 'utopian' about this issues he adds. Clearly referral fees squeeze margins so our focus should be on how we can play our part in creating greater efficiency in the process and raising fees. Say adds the profession must also play its part and encourage greater commerciality amongst staff. The law is a vocation, and the motivation to do a good job is admirable, but ultimately we must ensure we make the right commercial decisions to enable firms to grow; and do the right thing by your staff and shareholders/partners. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Celebrating 25 years in business, X-Press Legal Services co-founder Dave Lister joins the latest Today's Conveyancer podcast to discuss the changes he has seen in his time in the industry. X-Press Legal Services, a search and ancillary services provider, is run by Dave and his wife Lynne, and their 3 adult children. The origins go back to Lynne's time in publishing when as the editor of a franchise magazine, she was introduced to the Property Search Group (PSG). The rest, as they say, is history. In the 25 years since the business has seen the search industry change beyond almost all recognition. In the early days everything was paper-based, there was no digital services, says Dave. And they would spend hours and days hopping between local authorities to get the information. He empathises with the sentiment that conveyancers are under far too much pressure; everything we do is to help the conveyancer and make their life easier says Dave. There is still a place for the personal touch, recounting a recent call with a client about an issue identified with lead mining. You can't automate the process, he adds, there are too many rabbit holes. You won't ever remove the human from the process. He calls on the profession to continue to collaborate and work together; and set expectations accordingly when it comes to access to data; let's not confuse the word "open" with the word "free" - these companies have spent huge sums of money building these data sets; we can't expect them to provide access free of charge. Dave says he will continue to play an active part in the business despite approaching a milestone birthday, and continues to enjoy working in the sector and alongside his family. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

As one of the disruptors in the wake of the Legal Services Act 2007 QualitySolicitors (QS) was launched in 2009 with the ambition to help the high street fight back against the anticipated onslaught of major brands entering the legal market - so-called 'Tesco Law.'QS grew rapidly, with firms up and down the country adopting the familiar black and pink branding, adding the name "QualitySolicitors" to their firm name to create greater brand recognition. In 2011 an investment of c.£100m saw Palamon Capital Partners take a majority stake in the group. In the years since QS has remained steadfast in its support for the high street and, after a short stint as part of Metamorph, emerged relatively unscathed following a Management Buyout (MBO) in 2022. On this latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast, host David Opie welcomes CEO Richard Skelley and Chief Operating Officer Victoria Browning to discuss what's next for QS. There is still much continuity; Victoria has been with the business since 2016 overseeing much of the work done to support firms with recruitment and business development, employer branding and conveyancing panel services. And equally there are breaks from the past; QS firms no longer need to rebrand their firm for example. The business is now focused on 4 key principles, explains Richard. The QS Way: A Philosophy for Sustainable Growth covers People, Process & Procedures, Power of Many, and Profile - principles supported by continued to efforts to help firms through the QualitySolicitors consumer-facing website which still generates 1m hits annually. And membership has been reviewed with a new tiered approach offering free, 'lite' and full options for firms. It is, says Richard, a much more flexible approach than previously. We've kept the great bits QS had - we have over 100 sites across the country and still have clients that joined right at the start - and augmented it with a range new options based on member feedback, concludes Richard, adding we are always happy to talk to firms interested in learning more about how QS can support them in the growth ambitions.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

In a wide ranging interview Deputy Vice President of the Law Society Mark Evans talks to Today's Conveyancer podcast host David Opie about his experience of working in property law, and more recently his role as a Tutor at the University Of Law. In October Mark will transition from Deputy Vice President to the role of Vice-President, and ultimately President of the Law Society in 2025, and discusses his view of conveyancing and the challenges and opportunities facing the profession.The Law Society's upcoming Property Law Conference in October will cover many of the topics conveyancers need to know about; including the next round of guidance on climate change, legislative updates, TA6 consultation and technology and Mark encourages practitioners to attend and stay up to date on the latest sector goings on.  As a tutor at the University of Law, Mark is on the frontline of education and eulogises to his students about the importance having a home remains to the general public. We will always need conveyancers, says Mark, and goes on to defend students and newly-qualified conveyancers from some of the criticism levelled at them and their understanding of land law.It is incumbent on firms to ensure they continually invest and train their staff and ultimately support them to be better at their jobs. The discussion finishes with a synopsis of the Law Society's current work on the TA6 consultation. With a timetable now in place, and having chaired the recent Special General Meeting personally, Mark says he is pleased to see the level of engagement from around the profession and is looking forward to being involved in the consolation in the coming months. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has recently requested law firms complete an anti-money laundering and sanctions data collection exercise. The SRA is required by Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision (OPBAS) to take a risk-based approach to supervision and is requesting firms complete the requested information as full as possible. It will, they say enable them to "see the distribution of risk across the legal profession, which in turn informs our programme of inspections and our guidance."The latest Today's Conveyancer podcast welcomes Gavin Ball of HiveRisk to tackle the tricky topic of what firms need to be thinking about when it comes to completing the information, and wider considerations when it comes to firms' anti-money laundering policies, processes and procedures. In 2024 alone law firms have been fine £200,000 directly relating to failures in their anti-money laundering and sanctions processes. Gavin goes on to discuss the areas he sees firms failing on as a compliance specialist. He talks technology and how it can help firms with their compliance obligations but warns the key is understanding what the information is telling you... in their audits the SRA will challenge firms and staff to interpret reports provided through technology and how to interpret its content. Gavin also discusses politically exposed persons (PEPs), sanctions, and how to deal with reporting suspicious activity (SARs) to the National Crime Agency (NCA) in this informative and insightful podcast.  The deadline for firms to complete the SRA form is by 13.00 on 23 September 2024The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

A general election, interest rates, mortgage rates and the European Championships... a perfect storm of economic, political and social issues have come together to continue to strangle the property market according to the latest Landmark Property Trends Report for the second quarter of 2024. The report tracks property listing volumes, Sold Subject to Contract (SSTC) numbers, searches ordered and completions and benchmark current numbers against 2019 data; the last time the property market was in a broadly "normal" cycle. Podcast host David Opie is joined by Managing Director of Ochresoft Rob Gurney, and Managing Director of Landmark Estate Agency Services Ben Robinson to discuss the results of the latest report which identifies listings being 6% up on 2019, SSTC 32% down on 2019 levels, and completions some 40% down. It all points to a disconnect between the start of the transaction, which is positive with more properties coming to market and more choice, and the end of the transaction. "The property market is not like a waterfall flowing freely from top to bottom" says Rob Gurney. "Rather it's much more like a bottle of ketchup, needing intermittent taps to encourage progress, with a splurge of completions anticipated soon."When exactly that will be remains up for debate."The Summer holidays has traditionally seen a slowdown in property activity before ramping up in the Autumn" adds Ben Robinson."Most of the reasons we've seen for the property market being held back seem to have been alleviated," concludes Rob Gurney. Watch this space... CLICK HERE to review the Landmark Property Trends Report Q2 2024The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Movera CEO Nick Hale joins the latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast to discuss the his, and Movera's, progress since his last appearance on the podcast in July 2023. Across its businesses Movera touch c.25% of all remortgage and sale and purchase transactions. Having been in the role for 2 years, Nick reflects on what he wishes he'd known when taking on the role, that he knows now. He shares the objectives of Movera which is to improve the home moving experience for people, partners and clients, in a sector where none of those have been particularly well served. He describes how they have adopted a mantra of making the home moving experience "digital when it can be, and personal when it needs to be" recognising that people are at the heart of the business, and that they are one half of a legal system which has players "across the value chain."It is clear, says Nick, change had started, and it will accelerate with the emergence of players who have the capacity and ability to make decisive change in the home moving process. He explains how their own investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation is designed to help his team spend more time using their technical skills; and says over the past 12 months they have delivered over 500 remortgage transactions in less than 48 hours, and 1500 in less than 5 days. It is, he adds, their ambition to 'lead the market on merit' and points to their net promoter score (NPS) "high 60s early 70s."Drawn on the criticisms levelled at volume conveyancing businesses Nick hits back at comments online and at a recent conference describing these organisations as "factory muppets."He suggests that language is not acceptable, or professional and is indicative of a lack of understanding and respect for the larger organisations. Within his own he says they have created career pathways; introduced the Movera Academy which all staff go through and introduces learning interventions and upskilling across the business; improved their NPS scores; with a team who are committed according to their latest feedback There is, he adds, a bigger story here, highlighting the frustration and tension in the sector. But we can use technology to release that tension. There is a growing group of people and businesses who want to make improvements to the sectorThe Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

A collaboration between conveyancing firm Simply Conveyancing and property technology business Orbital Witness is the topic of discussion in the latest Today's Conveyancer podcast .Host David Opie is joined by Sue Bence, Chief Operating Officer at Simply Conveyancing, and Ed Boulle, co-founder of Orbital Witness to discuss the introduction of Orbital's title checking software, which uses large language model artificial intelligence to support and speed up the title investigation process. The offering is currently aimed at leasehold transactions where it first digitises the documents before they are fed into the engine developed by Orbital Witness, which incorporates elements of AI, to answer standard form questions within a minute. It's not a replacement for a conveyancer, says Ed Boulle, rather it significantly reduces the time it takes to triage a new matter; uncover any issues and roadblocks; enables you to communicate those with the client; allocate the most appropriate fee earner to the case; and importantly introduce greater consistency to the process. The discussion outlines some of the process and metrics Simply Conveyancing used as part of its initial pilot to understand the potential impact on efficiency and quality improvement for the firm. Sue tackles the benefits of early identification of complex cases and issues, better and more consistent way of reporting, and the costs associated with pilots like this. There has to be a clear cost/benefit analysis and she encourages firms to look at capacity, time and productivity opportunities available to conveyancers. Sue also explores the response of the staff which ranged from welcoming through to scepticism; and discusses how Simply identified change agents in their business who helped smoothe the transition and support the introduction of new technology. Far from replacing the skills of the conveyancer, the idea here is very much to support them, says Sue.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Do conveyancers get the credit they perhaps deserve for the progress they have made in adopting technology and new processes? Do they come under pressure to adopt change and technology and how can we improve the way we introduce process and change management in our businesses and bring people along with us on that journey?How can we ensure our staff are both technically competent, and have the soft skills required for the role; conveyancing is an increasingly multi-faceted role with technology, legal expertise, stakeholder management, client experience and customer service skills all critical to an individual's success. All topics of conversation in the latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast with guest Gemma Fulbrook-Felstead, Operations Director at Collaborative Conveyancing. The discussion explores the challenges of change management and introducing new technologies and processes, encouraging firms to visualise what the short, medium and long term impact of change could be.  Gemma also discusses how we can support people with individuality and flair within process driven roles.And on the topic of change management Gemma draws on her experience working in management consultancy in getting firms to draw out of staff their fears and concerns around change and drilling into the "why" of change so people can understand and challenge it.But firms must also be cautious of process and technology change; conveyancers use an average of 3.7 technology systems in their roles and as Gemma says, what we don't want is to introduce changes that end up creating barriers, or clash... we need them to be cohesive and seamless. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Nicola Ashley and Nicola Davies are former conveyancers and now founders of outsourced title investigation service N Title. They join podcast host David Opie on this latest Today's Conveyancer podcast to discuss their journey over the past 4 years, as well as exploring the opportunities outsourcing provides firms to flex up and down without adding significant overhead. By their own admission the business model has pivoted in the time they have been in business. Having set up anticipating they would be running an overflow service for the majority of their clients, they are now an integrated part of firms' processes up and down the country.Nicola and Nicola explain how firms adapt their processes depending on the nature of the title, with increasingly complex investigations now being sent to them, instead of being dealt with in house.  They are also engaged to cover holidays and staff absence.As a result of their expertise they are often called upon to provide training, and say their reports can be used as training tools. On the topic of enquiries they are clear; they will raise only relevant and necessary enquiries, borne out of the experience of their team. With a fragile market, and uncertainty around transaction volumes, especially with the upcoming election, there is merit, they say, in looking at employment vs outsourcing models and considering what works best for the law firm of the future. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

In a discussion which will no doubt elicit cries of empathy and a collective nod from compliance teams in law firms up and down the country, Lucy Batten joins the latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast to discuss her role as Executive Director and Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) at Gloucestershire-based Montpellier Legal. Her role encompasses oversight of the full gamut of compliance and regulatory requirements placed on the modern law firm and she fulfils the role of Money Laundering Compliance Officer (MLCO) and Senior Reporting Officer (SRO) for the CQS regime. In a wide-ranging discussion on the extent of the role, the importance of empowerment and training, and the practicalities of keeping a team on the straight and narrow, Lucy articulates the challenges she faces, and the tools she adopts to ensure the firm remains compliant.Lucy also goes into detail about a recent SRA AML audit the firm was the subject of; providing some insight into the expectations of the audit, and the firm's take-aways and learnings from the inspection. Critical, says Lucy, is the level of detail in firm's Practice Wide Risk Assessment (PWRA); it is also important that all staff understand the policies and procedures in place as they will be interviewed.Lucy moves on the discuss the importance of training and explaining to staff why we do what, which will embed the learning and understanding. She reminds us of why we conduct money laundering checks; to protect the firm and more importantly, to protect the public. It cannot be seen as a tick-box exercise, says Lucy, and demonstrates the need for firms to dedicate more resource to compliance roles and responsibilities. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

In this specially recorded podcast, the Today's Conveyancer podcast joins forces with its sister podcasts from the Today's Wills and Probate and Today's Family Lawyer online news publications to discuss the topic of mental health and wellbeing ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, from 13th May 2024.Podcast host David Opie welcomes Legal Director at Convey Law Laura Burkinshaw, Michael Culver (Culver Law) and Marc Etherington (Rayden Solicitors) to discuss the mental health and wellbeing of those working across residential conveyancing, private client and family law. The three guests identify some shared, and unique, challenges they face in their own roles, and discuss their own experiences of dealing with their mental health and wellbeing.What is clear from the discussion is that legal services is taking mental health and wellbeing much more seriously than it ever has; with firms taking a more proactive approach to support for staff.The podcast moves on to explore a range of skills and tools we can employ in our own mental health and wellbeing journeys to cope with the stresses and strains of modern legal life; with some fantastic ideas shared to help people exercise their bodies and minds, cope and deal with their roles, and get into what is described as their "flow state"; the experience of being so absorbed by an engaging, enjoyable task that your attention is completely held by it.The podcast is being published as part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2024. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

In this latest episode of the Today's Conveyancer Podcast host David Opie discusses the challenges firms face with the Building Safety Act (BSA). Liz Ramsden and Hannah Page, Senior Associate and Associate respectively at law firm Knights who have immersed themselves in all things Building Safety Act and now act on behalf of Knights in matters where the BSA applies; and have also worked with other conveyancing and property law firms to support them.Liz and Hannah explore what the key issues are, not least of which is whether the property actually comes under the scope of the act. It is, says Liz, a hugely complex piece of legislation. Every property is different and each transaction must be taken on its own merits. It can also be difficult to establish where liability sits with regards the landlord or developer. Hannah concurs, adding that even determining the height of the building is a critical element that conveyancers should be seeking external advise on from surveyors.It is also common for leaseholder deed of certificates and and landlord certificates to be incorrectly completed; and some lenders won't lend on non-qualifying leasesThe list of woes continues; the BSA is open to interpretation and getting it wrong could have catastrophic consequences for individuals and firms,  Advice in many cases is to obtain guidance from counsel but this tends to increase costs.What is apparent is the attitude of professional indemnity insurers toward transactions involving the BSA, which has been understandably risk-averse.  Knights have actively engaged to demonstrate expertise, procedures, policies, disclaimers, enquiries and retainers which have been agreed between the firm and PI insurers to enable them to do their work on BSA. Critically, they have been clear on what they will, and will not, undertake as part of their work. This wide ranging discussion explores the challenges presented by BSA, the interim updates which make the act more workable, and some practical advice on how firms can address BSA related issues with transactions.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Joining the latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast is Dan Temple, an expert in acknowledging and understanding the human impact of working, and managing employees and businesses. The discussion centres on creating effective and high performing teams, and what steps law firms can, and should, be taking to enable this in their business.Dan leads Cobalt Human Solutions, a training consultancy which focuses on creating effective teams, drawn from his own experiences in the Royal Air Force as part of the Chinook helicopter crew.The podcast discusses how creating high performing teams requires a number of key elements. Dan describes how trust and accountability are paramount.There should be a clear objective and vision which can be communicated to the teamRoles and responsibilities are clearly defined and people understand their own contribution to successProcesses and procedures are in place that ensure the training is effectivePeople have to have the ability to get on with others; they don't necessarily need to like one another, but there must be mutual respectUltimately, says Dan, the environment and culture of the workplace is where the success and failure of organisations is derived. He suggests that one of the key failings he identifies in many businesses is a blame culture; the inability of staff to be open, honest and appropriately challenge - what Dan describes as a "just culture." Staff are fearful of doing something wrong, rather than challenging management.As well as root cause analysis, Dan encourages organisations to conduct "pre-mortems" - the idea being that you spend time identifying potential pitfalls in a plan and anticipate how you might deal with them should they arise.And if you ever wanted to understand how the difference between egg mayonnaise and aircraft is relevant to leadership and management, listen in to this insightful and entertaining discussion.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Host David Opie is joined by Landmark Estate Agency Services MD Ben Robinson, and Ochresoft MD Rob Gurney for this short review of the latest Property Trends Report, covering January to March 2024. Covering listings, sold-subject-to-contract, search ordering and completions, the data provides insight into the current market conditions, and provides an indicator for what we might expect in the coming months.Listen in for expert insight and discussion on the latest stats from across the property market.  The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

What are digital property logbooks, and why are they important to the future of property transactions? To answer these questions, and more, the Today's Conveyancer podcast welcomes on Nigel Walley; founder and CEO of property logbook company Chimni, and Chair of the Residential Logbook Association. Nigel explains what the key differences between logbooks and Google Docs or Dropbox, for example; how should data providers share their data with property logbooks; and what role does the homeowner have in ensuring the data remains up to date and relevant. Property logbooks have been touted as a home for the material and up front information professionals are increasingly being encouraged to collate at the point a property is listed for market but, as Nigel explains, they are currently working with a number of law firms to introduce logbooks toward the end of the transaction as a home for all the documents collated through the course of a transaction, and as part of a secure handover from seller to buyer for home tech like alarms, smart heating systems and other sometimes looked over assets. Nigel suggests that there is still a huge amount of work to be around the digitisation of the conveyancing transaction; rather than look at how we can turn what we currently do digital, we should be asking in a world where consumers  are taking up all these digital services, what could a property transaction look like. The discussion finishes with an exploration of what the Residential Logbook Association is, how it came about, and what its plans are for future regulation and innovation of the digital property logbook. If you ever wanted to know the ins and outs of the opportunity now, and in the future, listen in to this insightful discussion.  The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Compliance business boss Tim Barnett joins the latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast to discuss the work being done to improve the process, and experience for consumers, of anti-money laundering, customer due diligence and know your client verification. As  founder of ID and AML verification business Credas, Tim is well aware of the challenges this presents to firms and suppliers and reminds us about the SRA's warning notice at the end of 2023 which highlighted that up to 70% of firms were not fully compliance with anti-money laundering processes and procedures. And while he has sympathy with the idea that the burden of AML compliance falls heavily on conveyancers, he also points out the wider economic and societal role conveyancers and the wider property profession play in maintaining crime-free transactions. But he does acknowledge the administrative burden placed on the profession by legislation; something he and Credas are working hard to reduce.  He also provides some compliance pointers on how firms can ensure they remain the right side of AML compliance; warning that if firms are reliant upon ID document  verification by email, or are not regularly re-running client verification checks, they will almost certainly not be compliant.Credas are, like many organisations, looking at ways to harness artificial intelligence, but, warns Tim, they are now regularly coming up against documentation and supposed evidence submitted through their systems as part of AML verification, that has been created by AI; for the purposes of fraud and deception. The discussion moves on to explore the work being done by government to introduce a legislative framework to enable the sharing of ID verification and client due diligence throughout the transaction; research conducted by Credas has identified a consumer will have to verify their identity 5.4 times during a typical housing transaction. The Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF) creates the legislative environment to share this data, and provides a standard for digital identity providers to adhere to, to ensure their checks and reports can be relied upon.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Chief Revenue Officer at Cashroom Alex Holt joins Today's Conveyancer Podcast host David Opie to discuss his Cashroom and the development of the business over the last 10 years. Cashroom offer outsourced finance functions for law firms across the UK; and has grown as a number of factors have come together to place pressure on law firm finance functions. Alex points to a reduction in the number law firm specialist cashiers, many of whom have retired and exited the profession taking with them their longstanding expertise and experience.  Tighter regulation and the stricter compliance requirements compounds the issue and has forced firms to look more closely at their finance and cashiering function and tighten up on any risks therein. It's a trend Holt has seen in his time with the business with good cashiers in shorter supply.Cashroom have recently launched in America; which understandably has been an eye opener. Despite overarching compliance requirements across the country, the application is very much implemented on a state by state basis and in much the same way Cashroom have been able to support firms with the tighter finance regulations in England, Wales and Scotland, there is also an opportunity to do so in the USA says Alex.   Ultimately says Alex, like many roles in law firms, the finance function is coming under increased scrutiny and given it's central role in the organisation, and associated risks with fraud and handling client monies, it is important firms consider carefully how they manage their finances and plan for future resourcing.   The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast talks to Chief Operating Officer at environmental data and search provider Groundsure, Malcolm Smith. After nearly 20 years in the sector Malcolm is known to many and in a refreshingly honest discussion, he shares his thoughts on current market conditions, the up front information debate, and normalising climate change advice for home movers.Malcolm provides a positive outlook on property transactions; predicting an uplift in 2024. "Conveyancers will be as busy as they want to be" suggests Malcolm; with the mass exodus of conveyancers and experience during the pandemic, there is an argument to say we're not geared up for any significant increase in transaction volumes. Groundsure are a founding member of the Open Property Data Association (OPDA). With many still bearing the scars of Home Information Packs (HIPs - indeed Malcolm was in the room when Grant Shapps announced HIPs were to be axed) he is passionate about groups like the OPDA having a role in shaping the discussion and learning from the past. Having agreed data structures and standards to enable the effective sharing of data is an important part this process. It will, says Malcolm, take everyone in the sector to drive change. On the material and up front information debate he is critical of the governance and structure around the guidance and raises concerns about the number of providers who could enter the market and "cut corners."  The quality of the information and data is fundamental to the ability of home movers, lenders, estate agents, and conveyancers to rely on it. Moving on to climate change Malcolm explains the driver for more climate data came from the banking and lending space; reviewing their portfolios and lending risks into the future. Acknowledging the impact on conveyancers Malcolm adds that in much the same way that there is no expectation on conveyancers to be contaminated land or flood experts, they are not expected to be climate change advisors and that organisations like Groundsure should continue to do the heavy lifting. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

This special edition of the Today's Conveyancer Podcast is guest hosted by one of the founders of National Conveyancing Week Rob Hailstone. Rob speaks with HM Land Registry's Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Strategy Mike Harlow. Rob questions Mike about progress on the registrations backlogs, consistency of response from HMLR,  lender updates, some of the practicalities of tools like mapsearch, local land charges, and the roadmap to digitisation for the government agency, which is heavily involved in the Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG). The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast welcome Dan Warburton on to discuss the topic of leadership. Dan works with law firms leaders and partners to elevate their leadership skills to enable them empower staff to be more efficient and effective. Dan describes his work as "the skill of profitable delegation;" to create leaders who can deliver high levels of performance across their team. He cites the structure of many law firms in which lawyers are targeted on clients and the number of hours they bill... the system is set up in such a way that the more hours you work, in theory the more profit and remuneration can achieve. But when it comes to promotion what happens is you are expected to continue to build a client bank, and bill your hours, and manage a team of people. It is, says Dan, unachievable without simply more time into the equation, which has an impact on wellbeing and staff retention.Few partners achieve what Dan describes as a "transition out of being a technician in the business to being a business owner. The structure and success of the organisation relies on them. There is a way to resolve this,  but we can only create successful teams when they willingly take responsibility for the success of the business. Dan shares his insight into how law firms can empower management teams and leaders to build trust and confidence in staff through regular one-to-one calls and coaching sessions. There is a cycle that needs breaking in law firms, says Dan. If a partners we keep our head down and just keep trying to crank out work we build firms that rely on us. When our team want things from us and we tell them what they need, they just keep relying on us. We must delegate work away and create highly effective team members underneath usThroughout the discussion Dan shares leadership insight and tools that leaders and manager can take away and implement today. One such example is the process of making requests, in which there are 3 key elementsYou must be clear on exactly what you want done; which must be measurable, not an abstract principle such as "keeping the client happy."It must have a timeframeYou must have joint agreement and offer the respondent the opportunity accept, decline or counteroffer in order to reach a jointly agreed action plan. Ultimately, says Dan, when leadership is in, it's in.. when leadership is out, it's out. Listen in to this interesting discussion for law firm leaders and managers. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

The latest Today's Conveyancer podcast explores the perennial question on the minds and lips of most businesses... what do clients really want?A report from Law Firm Marketing Club does just that. Now in it's 4th year, "What Clients Want" is an extensive piece of research which asks consumers of legal services what they want from their law firm; from first introduction through to matter completion. Law Firm Marketing Club founder Clare Fanner joins host David Opie to discuss the findings and lessons for law firms.  With 4 years' worth of data behind them, the report is now able to start tracking consumer expectations and trends over time. Once of the really interesting elements of the report is the breakdown by demographic of respondents  and the changing expectations of consumers of legal services.Client care and return business feature strongly in the report. 53% of respondents have used a law firm more than once but of those, a staggering 41% have not returned to the firm they'd used previously, but had moved to use a different firm. Read into that what you want but it's one of many statistics Clare shares in the course of the discussion.The report delves in to  the experience of using a law firm and in particular first impressions and onboarding. It is interesting to note that the way in which consumers select firms is changing, with a focus on sustainability and ESG higher on younger people's agenda. There are plenty of lessons for firms as Clare shares details of responses to the extensive survey. The report is sponsored by Moneypenny and available via the Law Firm Marketing Club website. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Ruth Beeton co founder of Home Sale Pack join the Today's Conveyancer podcast to discuss the launch of the business which aims to collect more property information and data up front in the course of a property transaction in order to create greater speed and certainty.Ruth, from North East firm HS Conveyancing Ltd, has been practicing for over 20 years and decries the current state of the conveyancing profession, which has seen trivial issue like "whether the fire alarm has batteries in it, whether the guttering needs to be cleared" impact transactions.   "We're not practicing in law any more. You're arguing over whether the boiler has been serviced of the electrics have been tested. You're not arguing over the legal points of the title."Home Sale Pack estimate over 250,000 property transactions fell through last year. Ruth's ambitions, alongside co-founder Simon Priestley, is to reduce the risk of fall through by pulling together as much information as feasibly possible at the point the property is listed; actively engaging with the seller who knows the property best, to help.  Ruth feels that by getting information up front, in line with the requirements outlined in the Material Information  Guidance recently released by the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agents Team (NTSELAT), conveyancers can reposition themselves and re-take some control and authority in the transaction. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Hamza Hafesji, Group Product Manager at Advanced Legal, joins the latest Today's Conveyancer podcast to discuss the importance of implementing a culture of performance management in a business. For years the only time most employees receive any sort of constructive feedback has been in an annual appraisal. For Hamza, something has to fundamentally change and feedback must be much more of an ongoing processHe cites research from PWC, LexisNexis, Thomson Reuters and their own client surveys which point to the challenges that face law firms from an HR point of view. Indeed 3 in 5 law firms are concerned about talent and shortage and churn, and are consider it a barrier to their success.He discusses organisations described as "Stay Firms" and "Go Firms" - firms who retain, and lose, talent. While acknowledging that remuneration plays a part in the success "Stay Firms," the focus on their broader value proposition sees them not only retain staff, but makes them more efficient with higher billable hours and better staff mental health and wellbeing. And lawyers themselves are more vocal about what they want from work. A staggering 44% of lawyers measure their stress levels at between 8-10 out of 10 in an Advanced Legal survey. That, and a lack of progression and professional development is often the cause of staff leaving. "When we drill into this, we're looking at a lack of mentorship and career guidance, a lack of promotion opportunities and the desire for greater on the job assistance. All of which can be described as performance management," says Hamza. This discussion covers a lot of ground around the value and importance of creating a culture of performance, normalising goal setting and providing a constant feedback loop between employees and managers. For Hamza, part of the success of implementing such a cultural change is in the adoption of technology to drive through the change and support managers to ask the right questions and enable those types of conversations. The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Today's Conveyancer podcast host David Opie is joined by former-conveyancer Chris Scantlebury, the founder and director at conveyancing platform ProConvey.  Chris explains how he has moved on from front line conveyancing to develop ProConvey; an digital conveyancing tool that helps conveyancers and estate agents better collaborate. Having spent 10 years "down the mines" at the coal face of conveyancing Chris now brings that experience to the business.  Previously known at Pre-convey, Chris launched with the intention to try and get clients in the best position possible to move the transaction forward. He explains how they started on an A3 piece of paper and following 2 years' planning, with some funding and having been through an incubator programme, ProConvey launched. An interesting discussion on how to bring an idea from conception to market and what challenges Chris and the team have faced, along with his ambitions and aspirations for the future.The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.

Kate Burt joins this latest episode of the Today's Conveyancer podcast. Kate is a solicitor and compliance consultant, running specialist consultancy Hive Risk. The topic of discussion is compliance and the way external organisations can support firms, before moving on to specifically talk about complaints handling. As Kate says, compliance is not just the SRA handbook. It touches on a myriad of other issues compliance professionals must manage including data protection, anti-money laundering, professional indemnity insurance, cyber issues, conflicts of interest... the list goes on. And the challenge for firms and compliance professionals working in them is having that lLength and breadth of knowledge. Discussing what often lands on the desk of compliance professionals Kate says that all to often one complaint will highlight failures across a range of compliance issues, pointing to a recent complaint she was was instructed to deal with which identified further work to be done around conduct, negligence, notification to insurers and more; "that's fairly typical" says Kate.Alongside dealing with specific issues, which in conveyancing often revolve around timescales, delays, communication and fees, Kate says firms must be better at capturing complaints data to enable them to drill into trends and root cause analysis; it can be a failure of process, rather than an individual fee earner which is causing the issue suggests Kate. It can be the case that firms become too emotionally involved when it comes to complaints handling and in the discussion Kate provides her insight into complaints best practice, sharing her experience working with firms up and down the country; a very useful listen for compliance professionals and law firms.  The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views.