tm blog

We will be updating some of our security settings on 1st December where you will be required to re-enter your password. If you do not know your password, please ensure you follow the forgot password process to reset it. 

Offer:

New clients to can have up to 25 IDChecks at no charge.

Qualifying client: 

A client who is new to the Thirdfort ID checks service (with tmgroup or otherwise).

Offer Criteria: 

-  Qualifying Client must place their 1st IDCheck order in tmConvey on or before Thursday 31 December 2020 to qualify for the offer.
-  Qualifying Client is entitled to up to 25 IDChecks at no charge (to be refunded after purchase).
-  The 25 IDCheck orders must be placed on or before Sunday 31 January 2021 to be included in the offer.
-  A single IDCheck is an order per individual person being checked.  i.e. Where Mr and Mrs are both having an IDCheck undertaken on the same case, this would count as two IDChecks.
-  The clients will be refunded in full, for any qualifying orders sometime between 1 and 5 February 2021.

Please contact your Account Manager if you have any further questions. 

Designed for residential and commercial conveyancing transactions – up to 15 hectares – the Argyll Site Solutions Highways Report is available to order on tmconvey. 

• Turnaround time: Typical turnaround time of just 16 days

• Price: Residential: £130 Plus VAT

• Price: Commercial: £140 Plus VAT

What's included?

The report includes data sourced from the relevant County Council & Local Authorities across England & Wales and provides information relating to:

• Road Adoption Status

• Footpath Adoption Status

• Verge Adoption Status

• Traffic Schemes & Orders

• Scheduled Roadworks

• Existing Rights of Way

• Proposed or Amended

• Rights of Way

It’s also backed by £10m professional indemnity cover.

Why is a Highways report so important? 

For every transaction, it is critical to investigate the adoption status of roads surrounding a site. 

Failure to identify flaws in the adoption status (confirming maintenance responsibility) can cause delays to the transaction as well as pose a risk to the purchaser’s future plans for the site.

In addition, it is important to consider what impact proposed changes to on-street parking, waiting and loading restrictions and road improvement schemes could have the use of the site.

For more information, click here to see a sample report, and register for this free webinar ‘SiteSolutions Highways: Reducing Highways Delays’ on Tuesday 24th November 2020: 11:00am-11:30am. Click here to register.

Landmark will be launching two new coal reports on 30th October.

If you would like to order these new reports, please talk to your Client Relationship Manager about enabling them on tmconvey. 

More details below:

• Landmark Coal - price £35 +VAT per report

Landmark’s new regulated coal mining report is suitable for all residential property due diligence in the UK. It provides property lawyers and residential conveyancers with a detailed assessment regarding environmental or ground stability hazards resulting from past, current or future underground or opencast mining activities. It also includes information relating to subsidence claims, mine entry points, surface hazards and mining geology that may impact a property.

Click here to see a sample report

Click here to find out more

• Landmark CON29M - price £35 +VAT per report

Landmark’s new Law Society approved, and accredited official CON29M report provides cost-effective access to property-specific information relating to past, current and future underground and surface coal mining activities. It satisfies the requirements of the conveyancing handbook, with analysis clearly presented in a simple way and includes a professional opinion as standard by experienced Minerals Surveyors, with practical next steps.

Click here to see a sample report

Click here to find out more

For more information, talk to your Client Relationship Manager, or sign up to this free 30 minute webinar by Landmark: Thu, Nov 19, 2020 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM GMT

Emma Vigus, Managing Director of mio in conversation with Kate Faulkner, Chair of the Home Buying and Selling Group (HBSG). 

What key initiatives are the HBSG currently working on?

The HBSG is producing regular pan-industry guidance to help professionals and consumers with the home moving process during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is proving invaluable in the face of continued uncertainty. 

We recently issued the Home Buying and Selling Group Industry Pledge, supported by the Housing Minister.  It explains what each profession involved in the home moving process needs to do and when, to ensure as much information as possible is provided upfront.  It’s not perfect but it’s a good start to helping to reduce the pressure for everyone without placing any new obligations on the professions involved.  

Aligned with the Industry Pledge, we continue to work on the Buyers and Sellers Property Information Form (BASPI) which summarises all the information that’s required on a property due to be listed.  We are focusing on working out how best to deploy it and ensure that as much of the data can, where possible, be populated with validated information from trusted sources. 

With the increased availability of good quality information on properties, we’ve also launched the Property Logbook Working Party.  This is a particularly important initiative so it’s great to see the providers of Logbooks working together to explore how the concept can be developed to help speed up transactions and deter fall-throughs. 

Another item we have been doing a lot of work on is Leasehold, looking at several areas, including reducing the time and cost of procuring a Management Pack for a Leasehold property. We’re also particularly keen on helping Agents abide by the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPRs) which stipulate that Agents much disclose facts such as tenure and term remaining under the Lease within the property listing.  The requirement has been in place for over a year, but our informal research suggests that many Agents aren’t complying.

We have also set up a new working group focused on Digital Identity with the aim of reducing friction and delays in the home buying and selling process by enabling a consumer to have their identity verified once and then share the verification with other relevant parties to a transaction. This is aligned with a Government initiative on Digital Identity which involves the Government working with different industries to make Digital Identity easier for everyone and, to ensure it’s fit for purpose.  

Finally, we’re investigating how we can use the introduction of the Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA) framework to better educate the professions involved in the home moving process, on the needs of consumers.  The majority of professionals are technically very well trained but, they don’t necessarily understand the consumer.  I don’t think the Government see regulation as a ‘game changer.’  However, I think it’s the single biggest improvement the Government could deliver for consumers, particularly for tenants and for the great firms in the industry who deserve regulation to remove the less scrupulous operators.  

What one change do you think the residential property industry should focus on to ensure long-term survival post lock-down?

I have two changes…

1. Protecting the interests of tenants is really important. Nobody should be allowed to advertise a property that’s unsafe so I’m keen to see the introduction of Property Logbooks and MOTs and increased regulation.  

2. We must keep talking to each other. The output from the HBSG has proved what we can deliver when we all work together, and the time is right to make changes.  34% of transactions fall through and transaction times are at 20+ weeks which is bad for business and for consumers.  We know everyone is trying to do the right thing by the consumer, within their operational silo, but the industry has to collaborate so we’re all aligned and to reduce the friction that occurs between professions, as a consumer moves through the home moving process.  

The residential property industry demonstrated agility during the pandemic. How can it be improved?  

The pandemic has allowed the residential property industry to prove its agility, and, for that, it should hold its head up high. That progress will encourage us to continue embracing change, but we cannot keep greeting recommendations, for change, with tidal waves of, ‘we can’t do that.’  Criticism is not a bad thing, but we need more people to tell us what they like, rather than dislike.  

The HBSG is all about collaboration. How do we continue to encourage collaboration across the residential property industry?

Regulators and Trade Bodies have to look at what they do through the eyes of the consumer and ensure that the home moving process works across the professions.   

Aligned with my belief is the importance of increased regulation, we have to stop bad practice in the industry.  It creates barriers between the professions involved which leads to pent up frustration and blocks collaboration.  

Consumers should also have the right to complain about someone’s work where that professional’s involvement in a transaction has resulted in a transaction falling through.  That should apply irrespective of whether the consumer has engaged that individual.  

Finally, I’d love to see regional versions of the HBSG being established with representatives from across the residential property industry.   

What recent examples of delivering collaboration would you like to celebrate?

The Conveyancing Task Force – they’ve done a huge amount of work to ensure that if there’s an issue like the Pandemic, they can work effectively and quickly to make a change; ensure that everyone understands why the change is needed and that the change is applied.  

Your role at the HBSG must be really challenging; what keeps you motivated? 

There are amazing people working in the residential property industry and those people want to see change, but it needs to be co-ordinated.  The HBSG is an organisation that co-ordinate efforts and because of the strength of the pan industry relationships that we’ve built, we’re committed to acting in the best interests of consumers.

I love moving home and I want everyone to enjoy the process as much as I do.  We have an amazing market and it is in our gift to make massive changes.  We will get there!

At a recent Women in Residential Property (WiRP) session on 7th October 2020, women from across the property industry met to talk about resilience and the steps we can all take to improve our mental health in these unprecedented times. The session was run in support of Ella’s Charity, supporting victims of trafficking, and you can make a donation here.

Hosted by WiRP Chair Emma Vigus (also MD of mio), guest speakers Alison Beech and Kelly Forrester shared their life experiences of where they’ve had to build and draw on their personal resilience to bounce back from life changing events. 

Here are just some of the tips they shared: 

1. You have to look after yourself first and foremost to effectively manage those around you

On a plane, in event of emergency, the advice is always to put your mask on first. The same applies to day to day life. We all need to look after ourselves properly to be able to effectively support those around us, whether that’s our families, friends, or colleagues. 

2. Remember, you can only be responsible for you – you can’t control how others react

It’s all too easy to get sucked into other people’s problems that are outside of our control, or to wish you could change how other people are reacting to a situation. It’s important to remember that while we can support those around us, we can’t be responsible for how they are thinking and feeling, as everyone is reacting to situations based on their own life experiences. 

Taking a step back and appreciating this can help us to manage the emotional burden of a situation and lead with a clearer head. 

3. We are only limited by the stories we tell ourselves

If you think you can or you think you can’t, you probably are right. If you want to feel more in control of a situation or positive about things, you need to change your internal narrative. Take a long hard look at the influences around you. Cut out what isn’t serving you, rethink the stories you tell yourself, and drop the victim status. If you start thinking you “can” and surround yourself with positive ideas and even a positive mantra, your mindset and strength of internal resilience will follow. 

4. We’re all trying to make sense of things that don’t make sense

Give yourself a break. We’re all trying to make sense of things that don’t make sense – and it’s emotionally draining. We were all thrown into this situation with no notice and continue to live in an unpredictable world with no real idea of when the next lockdown might be and how it might affect our families and businesses. As business women hard-wired to be looking for solutions, it can be frustrating to be grappling with this lack of information and still trying to find a solution. Take a step back and focus on what’s in your immediate control – instead of trying to make sense of the world. 

5. Be resourceful and think outside the box

It’s a cliché, but if there was ever a time to think outside the box, it’s now. Be resourceful and encourage your teams and others around you to do the same. The world is changing and we all have a part to play in reshaping the world around us.  Coronavirus has called time on needing a frank conversation about lessons we can learn around productivity and performance management. 

What inefficient processes and underperforming staff has your business been carrying? 

6. Stop using the phrase “the new normal”

“The new normal” is banded around a lot nowadays, but it doesn’t reflect the complexity of the changes around us – or how really (when you think about it) every day is different, a new opportunity to be shaped by the food and water we consume and the circumstances we find ourselves. We are adapting and evolving every day – it wasn’t just an overnight shift of “before” and “after”. 

After all, the rate and pace of change may differ, change is a constant in life, as it always has been. 

7. Think about what YOU can work on

So much is outside of our control right now, but equally so much is inside our control. As a business woman you can develop the skills you need to better manage your team - from innovation, curiosity, and how effectively you collaborate, to resourcefulness, compassion and authenticity. 

Does every business leader have these qualities right now? No. Can everyone develop them? Yes. 

8. Remember to do things that help you relax across your day 

If lockdown has taught us anything, it’s that fresh air is so important. 

You can also help yourself feel better and better manage the stresses around you by joining a meditation group, reducing your alcohol intake (if you need to), asking yourself if you are using technology mindfully, and more!

9. Know when to stop

So many people fall into the trap of trying to be strong for too long that they eventually break. It’s easy to do when you’re emotional invested in your business and everything you’ve worked so hard for, but it’s important to recognise when it is time to stop – and to remember that just because you are closing a chapter in your life, you’ll still have all of those skills and ambition to apply to your next venture when you’ve given yourself the time to look after you. 

10. Share your truths and don’t be afraid to ask for help

It’s so important to ask for help and realise that you aren’t the only person who is struggling or having a hard time. When we’ve survived a life changing situation and bounced back from it, it’s equally important that we share our truths, and help others see that it’s ok to fail. By sharing our stories, we’re helping others to feel and learn from them. 

At a recent tm:tv session, a panel of property professionals shared their views on the challenges facing the continuing survival of the new build market during the global pandemic.

Private housing sector was one of the worst affected sectors

The property market has faced many hurdles recently, Brexit created a lot of uncertainty within the market stalling new development projects. January 2020 then saw a positive uplift within the New Build market, but as projects began to get back on track COVID-19 hit.

“Private housing sector was one of the worst affected sectors due to temporary closure of sites, with lockdown restrictions being lifted reopening of sites have been slow as developers had to ensure man power was reduced to adhere to the new social distancing measures that were put in place.” Commented Allan Willan Economic Director, Glenigans.

The current state of the market should not be taken for granted but instead seen as a rebound, transactions bounced back in Q3 and mortgage approvals up on this time last year, driven by short term concern of extended lockdown and wanting green space to hand. However, longer term, we’re going to see trends in lifestyle changes post-covid. Fewer and longer commutes really going to reshape the property market and change the face of commuter towns. All of this in short term will feed into price inflation. This will also likely be affected by general weakening in the housing market forecast in 2021 due to rise in unemployment and weakened economic growth as well as the temporary withdrawal of the stamp duty relaxation.

Lack of affordable homes is a major challenge for New Developments

The Government whitepaper outlined its views on changes to the planning system, however there is currently still a push against developments due to lack of affordable homes coming forward.

This is a big problem that needs to be addressed.

“I think the fixing of this issue is going to come through mainly housing associations delivering these developments rather than the private sector.” said Dominic Woodward, Tri Core Developments.

The whitepaper is set to announce removing affordable provisions from private development for sub 40-50 dwellings. This would then fall on the Housing Associations to provide this housing. From a commercial perspective, this change would benefit smaller developments in terms of return on investment, as sometimes it is not commercially viable for smaller sites to provide this type of housing.

“The bigger picture is that we are trying to unlock the delivery of large plots of land for various developments across all of the tenures with a wider range of deliverers rather than having a few large housebuilders” commented Lord Taylor of Goss Moor.

What will make the new build market a success?

“Real success comes from balancing the number of houses with the quality of houses without the adverse environmental impact.

Success is still waiting for us in the future. We cannot say we have achieved success in the past few years. If there had been success then we wouldn’t have a comprehensive White Paper aiming to rewrite the planning system” Tim Taylor, Foot Anstey.

Click here to watch the full session

In recognition of National Customer Service Week, our CEO Joe Pepper looks back at what it really took to deliver outstanding customer service in the middle of a global pandemic, and how our Client Services team continue to adapt and thrive.

At some point over the last six months I commented to others that one day we will look back on 2020 and reminisce fondly, and it is certainly true that people who survive tend to look back at seismic events which impact on all our lives through rose-tinted glasses.  The shared experience creates a commonality to which everybody who lived through it can relate, and although I’m not for one second suggesting that this pandemic has affected us all equally given the sacrifices at home and work that so many have made, the vast majority of people have been primarily effected by a few key factors, whether it be an inability to see friends and family, having to deal with the challenges of home-schooling, or the mass migration of workers from the office to home.

That move from office to home working has been both a challenging and a rewarding experience for many, but particularly in the context of providing service.  As an example, my car insurance renewal quote came through in April, and as ever it was the traditional 10-15% rise.  As I usually do, I used the price comparison websites to understand the market rate, and then attempted to contact the insurer to see if they would match or get close to the comparable quote or cancel the policy.  It quickly became apparent that getting through to speak to somebody was going to be a major challenge, and eventually I decided that given everything else going on it was going to be far simpler to accept the renewal quote, and deal with it again next year. This is clearly a poor customer experience driven by the challenges of the moment.

Those challenges are universal, and at tmgroup we have had to rise to meet them just like everybody else.  We’ve been providing services to the legal market, predominantly property data and searches to the conveyancing market, for over 20-years from our headquarters in Swindon, Wiltshire, with a subsidiary business Property Searches Scotland and sister company Conveyancing Data Services  operating predominantly from Glasgow and Reading respectively.  Whilst there was a degree of flexibility in working offered across the business, the vast majority of our 300+ employees were firmly office-based, and nowhere was this stronger than in the area of our Customer Services teams.  So when we made the decision, on the 17th of March this year, to close our offices, none of us really knew what was to follow, and it was to the huge credit of the operational management within the business that we were able to successfully move all staff members out of the office and into home working within 3-days, so that by the time the UK Government announced the lockdown on the 23rd of March we were already out of the office and working from home.

If moving people out of the office and into working from home wasn’t complicated enough, continuing to provide the award-winning levels of service that tmgroup is renowned for was going to prove even more challenging.  The immediate challenge that we needed to address in the three days it took to move people out of the office was telephony.  It was ironic that we had the plan to move to a VOIP system on our 2020 roadmap as a Q4 deliverable, but now we had 3-days to implement something, and we had to rely on some herculean efforts from our IT and Operational teams to work with our suppliers and do just that.  A system was implemented, but it would continue to cause us some challenges over the subsequent couple of months as we fine-tuned a system in live that we would normally have done behind the scenes.

The second major challenge was the market that we operate within.  Our technology empowers the services that we provide, but that doesn’t mean that all the services are delivered purely by our technology, and manual intervention is very often critical and why our people are so important.  We handle complex search requirements on behalf of clients who operate in both the residential and the commercial sectors, and we need to order searches and access data from hundreds of suppliers including all the local authorities across England and Wales.  In normal times we could reasonably expect most searches back within 10-days of order, but there will always be some areas where searches can take substantially longer.  Each local authority chose to respond to the challenges of the lockdown differently, and therefore being able to communicate the status of each with our clients became crucial.  Again, relying heavily on the expertise and long-established relationships that our Operational Management team have with our suppliers, we were able to quickly produce and maintain an up to date blog to keep our customers aware of how each area was performing.

The market challenge didn’t stop there however, as one key dynamic we noticed quickly was the change in the user base for our product.  Many of our clients had furloughed a number of their employees, and that meant that the people using our system and contacting our Customer Service team were not necessarily the same individuals as we had before, and that meant that we were receiving far more calls than we would typically have expected to receive in relation to the volume of work we were carrying out.  That meant that we again had to react and focus our attentions on providing a strong level of telephony to those new users.

Despite all of these challenges, we never shut down our operation – even for a day – and continued to look after our customers when they needed us most

As property searches are often ordered several weeks into a property transaction, and can take several weeks to complete, the lockdown did not mean that we went from being busy on the 23rd of March to being sat around with little to do on the 24th.  Volumes dropped quickly, but we continued to receive orders throughout the lockdown period, particularly in the commercial and social housing sectors where the entire process typically takes longer than in the residential market.  As lockdown was lifted in May, we saw a steady increase in demand so that by the end of July we were back dealing with volumes we would normally experience at that time of year, and since then we’ve seen volumes go even higher, partially incentivised no doubt by the UK Government’s temporary reduction in Stamp Duty.  This change meant that we again had to act proactively to avoid become outpaced by demand.  Recruitment freezes implemented in lockdown were lifted, and system development work was focused on improving our workflow tools to enhance productivity.  We noted early on that individual productivity actually increased when certain groups worked from home but coupled with that could be a reduction in overall team productivity.  We took the decision to make the Swindon office Covid-secure and partially re-opened on 10th August for an identified small group of employees who had a strong preference for working an office environment.  That was a huge success, and by the end of September a second cohort returned to the office, this time those being identified as working more effectively within a team environment.  Having 20 people out of 300 back in the office doesn’t seem like many, but it’s made a huge impact on our overall productivity and the ability to deliver a growing demand for our services.

Today, our productivity is higher than it’s ever been, which has been crucial as we are now experiencing volumes far greater than we would usually expect to process at this time of year, and the expertise of our Customer Services team is even more critical to our clients than at any other point in the last decade due to the ongoing challenges facing our suppliers.  Despite the changes and challenges of last six months, our annual staff survey took place in August and evidenced a significant improvement in the level of employee engagement in the business and a stronger sense of teamwork.  We continue to provide an excellent level of customer service in a very difficult market, and that is something to be proud of, and also partly why I still think we may eventually reflect back on this strange year and wonder if adversity was the mother of invention all along.

tmgroup, the leading provider of property searches and data, are proud to be celebrating National Customer Service Week (5th-9th October 2020) in recognition of everything their teams have done and continue to do to support their customers during the coronavirus pandemic.  

As Joe Pepper, CEO of tmgroup comments:

“When we made the decision, on the 17th of March this year, to close our offices, none of us really knew what was to follow, and it was to the huge credit of the operational management within the business that we were able to successfully move all staff members out of the office and into home working within 3 days, so that by the time the UK Government announced the lockdown on the 23rd of March we were already out of the office and working from home. Today, our productivity is higher than it’s ever been, and despite the changes and challenges of the last six months, we continue to provide an excellent level of customer service in a very difficult market, and that is something to be proud of.”

To celebrate such an incredible achievement in the face of unprecedented market conditions, tmgroup will be engaging with The Institute of Customer Service’s 5 keys themes of:

• Monday: Insight: Knowing your customer and how to deliver to them

• Tuesday: Capability & Skills: Identifying and nurturing customer service skills in your organisation

• Wednesday: Recognition: Celebrate your customer service heroes

• Thursday: Leadership: Championing customer service in the boardroom

• Friday: Trust, Ethics & Sustainability: Building brand reputation through your actions

Jo Causon, CEO of The Institute of Customer Service adds: “National Customer Service Week is a week-long opportunity to raise awareness of customer service. It is great to see so many organisations across the UK - including tmgroup, celebrating the vital role customer service plays in successful business practice and the growth of the UK economy.”

To make the most of National Customer Service Week, tmgroup have planned an exciting line up of activities around these key themes – including paying tribute to their dedicated teams, telling their behind-the-scenes story of how they responded to lockdown, and sharing some of the sessions in their tm:tv series on how to deliver an even better customer experience:

• How to keep your clients safe: Amy Bell, from Teal Compliance Click here to watch

• How brilliant communication can help you and your clients keep in touch: Claire Smith, Moneypenny Click here to watch

• What are we going to do about Daniel? A true story of the real struggles customers face: Clare Yates, tmgroup Click here to watch

• The Customer Journey and the importance of measuring customer experience: Richard Knight, Insight6 Click here to watch 

• Surviving not thriving: Clare Fanner, Find Get Grow Click here to watch

For more on how tmgroup are celebrating National Customer Service Week, please follow tmgroup’s LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as the #NCSW20 hashtag.

Residential property professionals across the breadth of the chain are feeling the pressure of increased volumes brought on by the Stamp Duty holiday. Yet, according to the latest tm:tv panel debate ‘Is the property market faking it?’, buyers and sellers could help reduce the pressure by taking proactive steps to manage their transaction. Hosted by Emma Vigus, Managing Director of mio, this sentiment was echoed throughout the tm:tv session by estate agent, conveyancing, surveying and mortgage broker representatives. 

You can watch the full session here:

The market is moving again, but the biggest challenge is getting sales to completion

Compared to 6 months ago, when the panel first met, the market is in a far better place. The general public have adjusted to social-distancing restrictions and are more confident about allowing surveyors and estate agents into their homes (some are even starting to request face-to-face meetings), and, encouraged by the Stamp Duty holiday, people are moving again.  

The biggest challenge is in getting sales to completion. 

The industry is busier than ever. Even ‘The Big 6’ lenders are struggling under the weight of mortgage applications, with some receiving approximately 1,500 applications a day, but only being able to process 500 – resulting in a backlog and delays. 

This is exacerbated by how much more complex and time-consuming the process has become, as Greg Cunnington, Director of Lender Relationships and New Homes at Alexander Hall commented: “It’s really different! Mortgages were more straightforward before lockdown and, thanks to technology and prompt surveyor inspections, getting a mortgage offer in 5-10 days was quite normal. However, it now takes 12-18 days just for buyers to get an initial assessment with some lenders, and if there’s any hiccups along the way, it only adds to the delay. Lenders are also doing more manual assessments to counteract the increased risk of lending to people who are self-employed and currently on furlough, so that’s also adding to the delays.”

It’s not just the mortgage application process that’s taking extra time. Other key players in the market are feeling the strain too, as Joe Arnold, Owner, Arnold & Baldwin Chartered Surveyors said: “We’re experiencing capacity issues with managing this new, heavy workload. We’ve brought everyone back from furlough and it’s still not quite enough, but we’re reluctant to take on new people as we just don’t know what’s around the corner. Unfortunately, it’s created a backlog of work, as where we only used to require 2-3 days’ notice to go out and do a mortgage valuation or survey, there’s now a 3 week wait.” 

Being proactive and managing expectations is key to keeping things moving 

Unfortunately, the majority of buyers are unaware of just how much the home-moving process has changed behind the scenes, and so the onus is on property professionals themselves to help their clients better understand where they could be more proactive – for the benefit of all involved. 

• Mortgage applications need to be qualified asap: “Buyers should have a Mortgage Decision in Principle before they view any properties.” – Greg Cunnington, Director of Lender Relationships and New Homes at Alexander Hall.

• Pre-empt delays and reassure clients as much as you can: “It can really help to pre-empt what could go wrong and cause delays and have that conversation with buyers upfront, so if and when things do go a bit slower, at least it’s expected and a bonus if it actually comes in that bit quicker. Estate agents also need to step up with their communications to help reassure buyers that things are moving forward.” – Perry Power, Manging Director, Power Bespoke.

• Clients need their professional team in place from ‘Day 1’: “Homebuyers need to get their professional team alongside them as soon as possible – including their mortgage broker and surveyor.” – Joe Arnold, Owner, Arnold & Baldwin Chartered Surveyors.

• Buyers need to be completing their AML checks before even looking at properties: “Buyers should be instructing their conveyancers before they start looking at properties, as AML and title checks take time, and can cause delays later on. Unfortunately, we often find buyers are reluctant to spend the money up front, when the truth is that in the grand scheme of things, it really isn’t that much, and would relieve a lot of the pressure on conveyancers and the property transaction as a whole.” – Yanthe Richardson, Senior Associate, Foot Anstey.

It’s an understatement to say that the industry is continuing to face unprecedented challenges as we approach the end of 2020, but proactivity, communication and collaboration will be key to keeping things moving. Are you playing your part in keeping property transactions moving?

To view the session in full click here