tm blog

New Build sites can be time-consuming. This is often for reasons outside of a conveyancer’s control, particularly when it comes to the provision of information for location plans, developer and plot plans. This can also result in additional queries from suppliers, culminating in significant delays for conveyancing teams.

Designed to streamline the process, our New Build Managed Service COMING SOON is tailored to your needs to help save your teams time - and our early adopters couldn't praise it highly enough.

> Nicole Hancock, Legal Assistant, Residential Property Department, Clifton Ingram LLP:

“I used to find it really stressful to work with plans for New Build plots, but now I just send them onto tmgroup’s New Build Managed Service team and they take care of everything for me. I love it!"

> Amy Archer, Senior Paralegal at Gordons Partnership LLP:

"We especially appreciate the direct contact with the New Build Managed Service team, as we can send over our order and within 20 minutes receive confirmation that our searches have been ordered. It also helps that any queries come directly to us, so we don’t have to spend time checking up on things. Overall, it’s a very quick and smooth process.”

> Melanie Cox (Mrs)(FILS), Legal Assistant, Residential Conveyancing at Terry Jones Solicitors:

“I’ve been using the New Build Managed Service for a few months now and it’s absolutely brilliant. It’s helped to save me a lot of time, as all I need to do is fill in the template and send it off. Everything is then taken care of on my behalf – even the mapping! It’s much easier than all the to-ing and fro-ing I used to experience with New Build plots, especially as I no longer have to field queries and discuss plans over emails or phone calls – which can be challenging and time-consuming. I’ve also been very pleased with the customer service, as the New Build Managed Service team have consistently dealt with any questions or queries very efficiently.”

Let our experienced team manage New Build properties on your behalf 

Drawing on years of experience and long-standing relationships with suppliers, our experienced New Build Operations team are well-placed to process New Build searches on your behalf. All you need to do is fill in a simple template with the information you have – and we’ll take care of the rest.

Even when queries arise, our Operations team will do a thorough investigation to resolve the question. That will mean liaising with our search suppliers as well as the property developers on your behalf.

Results will then be emailed to any distribution list you require, as detailed within the search template. All of this saves your team time and energy, which may be better used elsewhere.

New Build Managed Service COMING SOON to tmconvey

For more information, please contact your Account Manager, or get in touch with Helpdesk on 0800 840 5571 or helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk

The team from mio, offering Estate Agents a smarter way to manage the home buying process, proudly joined suppliers from across the property industry to support Agents Giving’s ‘Donate a Food Parcel Day’ on 21st June 2018 – and marked the first of many good deeds for charity. 

Coinciding with Relocation Agent’s ‘One Thousand Items of Food’ campaign, people from across the property industry were invited to prepare food parcels for The Trussell Trust foodbanks – and help to support those living in crisis across the UK. 

Supported by their colleagues across tmgroup, the mio team embraced the opportunity and collected a total of 163 items, including cereals, tins of soup, tea bags, biscuits and dried pasta, for their nearest foodbank in Cirencester.

Jon Horton, Product Director – mio comments:

“As a new supplier to Estate Agents, the mio team were excited to get involved in this annual charity event. I’m pleased to say everyone put their best foot forward to collect food to help support the good work that The Trussell Trust do to help people in need.”

Since entering the market with a successful pilot programme back in 2017, mio has been helping to increase transparency and efficiency across the home buying and selling process with their new collaborative sales progression and communication platform. With time-saving features, including centralised communication and secure in-app messaging, mio offers Estate Agents a smarter way to manage the home buying process.

About mio

mio is a chain building and sales progression tool created by property experts for property experts. It speeds transactions forward, reduces fall-through rates, and helps estate agents win more business.

For more information, visit www.mio.co.uk 

We recently attended ‘The Future of Real Estate Summit’ in Liverpool. Hosted by Estates Gazette, the broad agenda discussed everything from affordable housing and the impact of HS2, to the positive returns of investing in culture and digitisation.

It quickly became clear that cities have a vital role to play in addressing the housing crisis and attracting investment for New Build developments. Here are just some of the talking points from the day’s events…

The housing crisis cannot be solved simply by building more houses 

The fact that the housing crisis cannot be solved in isolation was a key topic of discussion. With a general consensus that addressing this issue isn’t just about building more houses, it’s about creating spaces where businesses and housing projects can coexist and thrive.  

To succeed in attracting businesses, retaining talent and attracting investment for housing and commercial projects, there are a number of factors cities need to get right – from investing in digital infrastructure (such as fibre and broadband) to creating a strong cultural identity and “sense of place”. 

There also needs to be a focus on supporting transport links across the city, through the provision of buses and efficient road networks – so people can travel to local jobs just as easily as they can travel outside the city on motorways and trains. 

By embracing these opportunities, cities can not only offer more housing, they can make sure that homes and businesses are filled with people who can contribute to the growth and success of the area. In turn, this will attract more businesses, more people, and even more investors willing and able to invest in commercial and residential property. 

Where cities are getting this right, everyone stands to benefit – from estate agents having more properties to work with, to conveyancers winning more new business. The key is for everyone to communicate with one another regularly, so that all businesses can be primed to take advantage of new opportunities as they come into the city. 

Liverpool offer a fantastic example of this – especially the way they’ve been “riding the wave” of winning European Capital of Culture in 2008 to drive growth and investment over the last decade. 

The UK continues to attract foreign investors – but cities must play their part in ensuring they offer a recognisable and attractive offering

The impact of Brexit couldn’t be overlooked, and there was a sense of optimism in the room as Susan Caldwell from the Department for Trade & Investment said: “The UK continues to attract foreign investors who see the UK as a stable, regulated environment with a strong legal system. This is supported by the fact that it takes on average of just 13 days to set up a business in the UK.”

For individual cities to benefit however, County Councils must present themselves in a way that the investment community recognises. This requires a focused approach of identifying 2 to 3 areas where the city could attract investment – and then promoting these opportunities as early as possible. For example, by including the proposition in brochures for overseas investors. 

Showing a willingness to not only find the right investor, but to be flexible in working together can also help to move projects forward in a way that benefits everyone. It is equally important that these conversations extend to the conveyancers and estate agents involved, so they are primed to manage the influx in work – and the local community can make use of any new space as quickly as possible. 

We must rethink how we use failing retail space to help address the housing shortage

Land use is an ongoing challenge across the UK, with careful thought and planning needed to strike a positive balance of commercial and residential space. However, the shift towards online shopping has resulted in the UK simply having too much retail space.  

With the country crying out for more housing, we can’t afford to leave this space empty – and mixed-use space is set to become the norm as investors look to make the most return on their property by supplying housing and offices, alongside the preservation of some retail space. 

Diversity is key to developing cities that support different lifestyles and generations 

Diversification isn’t just about creating different types of homes, it’s also about thinking about how spaces work to support different lifestyles and generations within the same city. For example, making sure there are residential properties situated near bars and restaurants, but also in quieter areas with parks and schools. 

This is where estate agents and conveyancers also have a role to play in sharing their knowledge of the local area. By identifying a strong demand for retirement properties (for example), they can help to support a strong case for an investment opportunity, whilst also addressing the real needs of people in that particular city. 

Sometimes, creating a thriving city is also about pushing back on prime investment opportunities for “yet another tower block” and thinking about what gives an area life. A key example of this is Boxpark Croydon that helped to give new life to the area by engaging the community and creating a strong sense of place. 

Entirely constructed out of refitted shipping containers, Boxpark also highlighted the potential of alternative building processes and materials – and  raised the question of exploring new building methods to meet the challenge of providing affordable housing.

The public and private sectors can work together to regenerate cities

A key point reiterated across ‘The Future of Real Estate Summit’ was the scope for collaboration, and the benefit this can bring to everyone who embraces it.

There are ample opportunities for the private and public sector to work together that private investors must take advantage of. A key example of this way HS2. Whilst it is undoubtedly an enabler of change, it is up to the local councils and businesses to collaborate to make the most of these opportunities, as Tom Venner, Head of Property Development, High Speed 2 (HS2) commented: “Developers shouldn’t be afraid to collaborate with the Government to help unlock the potential in an area, as there are huge opportunities for growth. The Government are willing and able to work with Developers to help solve housing issues – and the people, skills and money are there to unlock these opportunities."  

As the conference came to a close, it was hard to ignore the passion in the room, as well as the opportunities that await if we choose to move forward together to create places that not only exist, but thrive. 

Want to have your say?

Why not join our Property Hubs taking place this July across Northampton, Liverpool, Leeds, Southampton, Bristol and Cardiff. Or get in touch about hosting one near you! Click here for more information and to register. 

Is New Build work on the rise in your local area?

Our New Build Managed Service can help to save your team time by ordering searches and managing data provider queries on your behalf. Click here for more information.

Conveyancing teams we talk to often relay their frustrations at having to log in and out of different websites to complete various tasks as the property transaction progresses. They're acutely aware that this not only results in rekeying information and wasting valuable time, but it also creates opportunity for error.

It doesn’t have to be this way. At tmgroup, we make it quick and easy to complete conveyancing tasks all in one place by continuing to add new services to our tmconvey platform. The best part? Case information can be prepopulated across different forms; cutting the time spent rekeying, reducing the likelihood of mistakes, and making even more time for you. 

Submit SDLT & AP1 forms in the same place as you order your searches 

The launch of Post-Completion services on tmconvey marks the latest evolution of our platform, as we continue to expand our services to help customers complete more of their tasks in the same place – and save even more time.

Anna Connett, Legal Secretary at Thomson Snell & Passmore LLP comments:

“Submitting SDLT forms is much easier on tmconvey, as it pulls through information from the case, such as the property address. It’s then good that when you get to the AP1 form, and have already completed your searches and your SDLT, it copies across the agent details, property address, and copies across the SDLT5 too – so you don’t have to scan and save.”

With everyone across the firm completing their SDLT & AP1 forms within the same platform, the status of every submission and requisition can also be easily tracked; so you can say goodbye to important messages sitting in personal inboxes.

Time-saving benefits designed by conveyancers for conveyancers 

At tmgroup, we’re committed to saving time for conveyancers. We achieve this time and time again by putting our customers at the heart of our processes; from actively inviting feedback and liaising with our Development team to implement new ideas, to running customer focus groups, and involving customers in Beta testing.

With everything from searches and insurance, to AML and mapping, and even SDLT & AP1 submission taken care of, the core services you need most have been integrated into our tmconvey platform to help you get the job done quickly and easily, all in one place.

…And it does exactly that, as our customers are more than happy to testify!

• “It's great to have everything all in one place, especially the addition of AML and Lawyer Checker.” – Nicole Roberts, Paralegal at Maitland Walker LLP

• “Everything is more streamlined in the tmconvey platform. It is simple and quick, and we can now order searches in under 5 minutes.” – Molly Cook, Conveyancing Secretary at Wadsworths Solicitors.

Find out more

To find out more about how tmgroup can make even more time for you and your team, take a look at www.tmgroup.co.uk/ 

Land Registry have made us aware that they are temporarily suspending their online services for the weekend of 16th and 17th June 2018. (You may also have received a notification email direct from Land Registry.) 

This is to complete some essential maintenance work – and will result in some minor delays to any AP1 submissions made on 16th or 17th June 2018. 

While you will be able to process and submit your AP1s on tmconvey as normal throughout this weekend, please be aware that we won’t be able to submit these onto Land Registry until their online service is resumed on Monday 18th June 2018. 

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

As anyone involved in the home buying and selling process knows, a lot can go wrong as the chain progresses towards completion – and the picture only gets worse, the longer the chain gets. 

When some chains inevitably do collapse, visibility and lack of communication are often blamed. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. The majority of movers enter the home buying and selling process with high expectations of a quick turnaround – often with the hope of getting into their new home before Christmas, or before the new term starts at school. 

Whatever the reason, there normally is one, and homemovers can quickly get “cold feet” when things don’t look like they are progressing. Or suddenly find out they are part of a chain of eight, instead of a chain of three. Even not hearing from their solicitor or estate agent for several days can be enough to push a homemover “over the edge”. 

As if that wasn’t enough to contend with, most buyers typically register with several agents, so even once a sale is agreed, they are still being enticed by other agents with new listings. The longer the transaction takes, the more risk there is of the buyer finding another “dream home” and jeopardising their original decision.

But what if homemovers could see what was happening across the chain? Knew what was supposed to be happening next? Or could see the latest progress without having to pester their estate agent? What if transactions were completed faster, so there was simply less opportunity for people to change their minds? 

How different could everything be?

By harnessing the power of technology to improve visibility and communication across the length of the property chain, homemovers could be empowered with a better understanding of the process – significantly reducing the risk of them “getting cold feet” and triggering the collapse of the chain. 

Prop tech company tmgroup are already working on making this a reality with mio - a new sales progression and communication tool that helps Estate Agents speed transactions forward, reduce fall-through rates, and help win more business.

Created by property experts for property experts, mio brings convenience to the buying and selling process, including chat messaging and milestone reminders that result in fewer calls for all parties involved – without compromising on information. 

With improved visibility, alongside free educational content about the home buying and selling process, mio can also help to better manage homemovers’ expectations – and reduce confusion and create clarity about roles and responsibilities in completing the transaction.

Jon Horton, Product Director - mio comments:

“Our consumer research reported that 49% of homebuyers would like to receive a daily update on their transaction. Communication and transparency are key, and complaints around this area are the most common type escalated to The Property Ombudsman. 

We recognise that there will always be uncontrollable variables in a property chain, such as a buyer withdrawing from a transaction because their situation changes and they are no longer able to raise the finance. Yet the majority of homemovers connected in the property chain are willing and financially able to move. 

By harnessing the power of PropTech, estate agents and conveyancers can increase visibility across the property chain and proactively manage the more controllable risks associated with the home buying and selling process – and significantly reduce the chance of people pulling out and collapsing the chain.”

For more information about mio, visit www.mio.co.uk 

The first round of Property Hubs took place in Liverpool, Leeds and Nottingham across May 2018, bringing property professionals together to discuss hot topics – including the impact of ‘The Bank of Mum and Dad’.  

Conveyancers are seeing gifted deposits “more often than not” 

Conversations kicked off at 8am sharp, with attendees in all locations jumping straight into heated debates about how ‘The Bank of Mum and Dad’ is skewing the property market in favour of more privileged First-Time Buyers. 

While not a new concept, it has become an increasingly common way for First-Time Buyers to get onto the property ladder, as one conveyancer working in Nottingham claimed: “We see gifted deposits more often than not when managing transactions for First-Time Buyers”. 

From re-mortgaging the family home, to taking a lump sum out of their pension, parents are rising to the challenge of finding funds to support their children onto the property ladder. Even grandparents are getting involved. Property professionals across the country have also noticed financial providers “jumping on the bandwagon”, by developing new products to help make equity release options quick and simple. 

Yet it quickly became apparent that the situation isn’t fool-proof, as attendees swapped cautionary tales about parents gifting deposits to young couples – only to lose their investment a few years down the line if the couple separates. 

Parents are trying to help their children beat the rise in property prices

Yet for many it is worth the risk. Whilst avoiding inheritance tax is certainly a motivation for some parents, the continuing rise in house prices is also prompting many to help their children out sooner rather than later. This is especially true in areas such as Nottingham, where improved transport links are expected to drive house prices up by around 7% per year.

‘Buy to Let’ investors are also compounding the issue, by directly competing with First-Time Buyers for the more affordable flats and 2-bedroom “starter” homes in the area.

This problem isn’t going away any time soon

With property prices in many areas of the country expected to rise over the coming years, along with pressure on the private rental market, it seems unlikely that ‘Buy to Let’ investment opportunities will lose their appeal any time soon. 

Even a sharp increase in affordable New Builds properties is unlikely to alleviate the pressure, as the next generation of First-Time Buyers come of age with ‘The Bank of Mum and Dad’ in tow. 

And what about those without generous, well-off parents? The latest headlines predict it could take them up to 22 years to save enough for a deposit… 

Want to join the conversation? 

Our Property Hubs are returning to Leeds and Liverpool this July. They will also be making their debut in Northampton, Cardiff, Southampton and Bristol. 

• Liverpool – Tuesday 10th July

7:30am until 9:30am @ Radisson Blu Hotel 

Click here for more information

• Cardiff – Tuesday 10th July 

3:00pm until 5:00pm @ Radisson Blu Hotel 

Click here for more information

• Leeds – Wednesday 11th July

 7:30am until 9:30am @ Radisson Blu Hotel

Click here for more information

• Bristol – Wednesday 11th July

3:00pm until 5:00pm @ Radisson Blu Hotel

Click here for more information

• Northampton – Thursday 12th July 

7:30am until 9:30am @ Marriott 

Click here for more information

• Southampton – Thursday 12th July

3:00pm until 5:00pm @ Grand Harbour Hotel

Click here for more information

PropTech company tmgroup are pleased to announce that they are GDPR compliant – following an intensive review process led by Independent Data Protection Officer, Richard Benham.  

Replacing the Data Protection Directive (DPD) and the UK Data Protection Act 1998 as of 25th May 2018, The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) are new regulations set out by the European Union – with basic principles including accuracy, transparency and fairness. 

Referred to by Thomson Reuters in a recent article as “the biggest shake-up of data privacy laws since the birth of the web and the largest change in data protection law in Europe for more than 20 years.”, GDPR marks a significant step towards tackling fraud and cyber crime. 

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Looking to the future, the property sector will continue to see big changes; creating new opportunities for businesses such as tmgroup who are willing and able to adapt. 

As the industry continues to embrace innovative ideas for keeping property transactions secure, Blockchain is expected to be the next disrupter. By enabling information to be shared but – crucially – not copied, it is predicted to not only speed up the property transaction, but also be a key player in the elimination of property fraud. 

Achieving GDPR compliance involved every department across tmgroup

tmgroup take data management seriously and involved every department across the business – from HR, Marketing and Operations, to Development and Finance – in a dedicated GDPR project over many months. 

By reviewing all data alongside every process, the GDPR team ensured that tmgroup were ready for the new regulations coming into effect on 25th May 2018. 

Prof. Richard Benham, Independent Data Protection Officer comments:

“I’ve been delighted to work with tmgroup over the last 6 months helping them achieve GDPR compliance. As a digital business, customer data security is of paramount importance. 

By meeting the GDPR deadline, tmgroup have demonstrated their ability to adapt to changes in the market, as well as their ongoing commitment to keeping their customer’s data safe”.

Joe Pepper, Chief Executive Officer at tmgroup comments:

“Our customers rely on our products and platforms to carry out critical work for their clients in a highly regulated environment, and the security of data is of paramount importance to them and all our partners. 

Ensuring that tmgroup and all of our products comply with the new legislation has been a significant but crucial piece of work, and we are delighted with the way that Richard and the team have approached the task.”

Paul Albone, Chief Operating Officer at tmgroup comments:

“The programme which Richard has overseen involved every area of the business, with all of our employees becoming key stakeholders in the project.  

Their involvement has ranged from leading workgroups, undergoing cyber security training and of course ensuring compliance of their own data through our robust HR processes.”  

About tmgroup   

As a leading IT solutions provider, tmgroup are the experts in innovative solutions that enable simplification and automation across the breadth of the property transaction. tmgroup’s customers extend to conveyancing solicitors, mortgage lenders, estate agents and developers.    

Key services:    

• tmconvey : Property searches are an integral part of tmconvey, along with insurance and risk  management tools. With its simple, integrated design, it cuts the time and effort it takes to complete the conveyancing transaction.     

• tmconnect : tmconnect is a cloud based transactional hub, providing a joined up workflow for estate agents, mortgage lenders and conveyancers to access and share transactions securely.     

• tmcore : tmcore is an online property data hub for local authorities and other search providers,  linking conveyancers to local authorities for faster land data without incurring unnecessary fees or being bound by complicated systems.     

• tmconvey Premium : tmconvey Premium is a specialist service for commercial real estate  lawyers. Benefits include Premium Terms & Conditions, up to £20 million PI cover per claim, and a managed portfolio service.    

• Property Searches Scotland : Property Searches Scotland are part of the tmgroup family. From our offices in Glasgow, we offer a full range of property searches for residential, commercial and remortgage  conveyancing across all of Scotland's 32 council areas.   

• mio:  mio is a sales progression and communication tool created by property experts for property experts. It speeds transactions forward, reduces fall-through rates, and helps estate agents win more business.

The company has 140 employees and is headquartered in Swindon. 

tmgroup also recently acquired a majority share in Conveyancing Data Services (CDS) – a conveyancing search provider with over 100 years' combined experience within the property search market. 

For more information, visit www.tmgroup.co.uk  

Groundsure have been awarded the licence for Cheshire Brine data from the Cheshire Brine Subsidence Compensation Board. This will take effect from 1st June 2018. 

As the new sole provider of Cheshire Brine data, Groundsure have also announced a Cheshire Salt Search report in partnership with the Cheshire Brine Subsidence Compensation Board. 

Click here to see a sample report 

The report is for residential and commercial properties - and will be available to order on tmconvey from 1st June. 

You will not need to purchase both a CON29 Coal Mining Report and a Cheshire Salt Search - except for two areas on a small section of the Cheshire and Staffordshire borders where an overlap between coalfields and Cheshire Salt occurs, which you can view here.

You can see the pricing for the new Cheshire Salt Search below:

The Cheshire Salt Search is mandatory for property transactions within the Compensation District – and includes details of whether the property lies within a statutory consultation area, past damage claims, commutation payments and future claims cover.

What about the CON29M and other reports?

As Cheshire Brine data will no longer be licenced to the Coal Authority, any CON29M reports ordered from the Coal Authority will not contain information about Cheshire Brine.

To reflect this, Cheshire Brine search alerts on tmconvey will also switch from CON29M to Cheshire Salt Search (GSCHSALT).

Terrafirma: There will be no noticeable change to Terrafirma’s Coal Extra report. They will simply source their Cheshire Brine data from Groundsure from 1st June 2018 onwards.

PlanVal: Planval have confirmed that they are removing Cheshire Brine from their Coal Mining and Non-Coal mining searches:

> PVMCC – Planval Mining Coal with Opinion (Commercial)

> PVMCR - Planval Mining Coal with Opinion (Residential)

> PVMNCC - Planval Non- Coal Mining with Opinion (Commercial)

> PVMNCR - Planval Non- Coal Mining with Opinion (Residential)

If you have any questions, or have any concerns about how these changes may affect any other reports you order, please get in touch with your Account Manager, or contact Helpdesk on 0844 249 9200.

We’re always listening to our customers and looking for new ways to help save them time. Coming soon to tmconvey, our New Build Managed Service helps to address the challenges conveyancers face when ordering searches for new build properties – and gives them the support they need to make everything faster and easier. 

Lack of information can lead to additional supplier queries during the search ordering process

New Build sites can be time-consuming. This is often for reasons outside of a conveyancer’s control, particularly when it comes to the provision of information for location plans, developer and plot plans. This can also result in additional queries from suppliers, culminating in significant delays for conveyancing teams.

Designed to streamline the process, our New Build Managed Service is tailored to your needs to help save your teams time. 

Early adopters have saved significant amounts of time across their team 

Over a dozen firms have been involved in piloting tmgroup’s New Build Managed Service as “early adopters” and are keen for the service to continue. Initial comments include; 

> “So much easier than sitting there for hours trying to plot it.”  

> “Less calls and interruptions. It’s definitely much quicker and easier.” 

> “10 times quicker than trying to do it manually ourselves.” 

Let our experienced team manage New Build properties on your behalf 

Drawing on years of experience and long-standing relationships with suppliers, our experienced New Build Operations team are well-placed to process New Build searches on your behalf. All you need to do is fill in a simple template with the information you have – and we’ll take care of the rest.

Even when queries arise, our Operations team will do a thorough investigation to resolve the question. That will mean liaising with our search suppliers as well as the property developers on your behalf.

Results will then be emailed to any distribution list you require, as detailed within the search template. All of this saves your team time and energy, which may be better used elsewhere.

New Build Managed Service COMING SOON to tmconvey

For more information, please contact your Account Manager, or get in touch with Helpdesk on 0844 249 9200 or helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk