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CLS have announced that they are making improvements to their policy wording for Search Insurance (TP60 / TP64), Planning and Building Regulations Insurance (TP51) and Sewer Indemnity Insurance (TP239). These changes will go live on Monday 13th November.  

See details below:

Search Insurance (TP60 / TP64) – Changes to online wording

What does this mean for you?

• Clearer Statements of Fact to show that the online policy covers re-mortgage 

• Changes to policy to allow not only official searches to be covered but also regulated searches

• Extended cover, same price  

Planning and/or Building Regulations (TP51) – Changes to online/offline wording

What does this mean for you?

• Extended cover, same price 

• Clearer, more refined Insured Risks to show that policy covers lack of building regulations approval and works that are carried out by a Competent Person Scheme where building regulations consent is not required but, where works are carried out by a Competent Person and a certificate is issued. i.e. inclusions to show installation of windows, boilers and electrics are covered.  

(a)         building regulations consent; and/or

(b)         building regulations regularisation certificate; and/or

(c)         Part L building regulations certification in respect of boiler installations; and/or

(d)         Part P building regulations certification in respect of electrical installations; and/or

(e)         FENSA certification.

Residential Sewer Indemnity (Build Over) Policy (TP239) – Offline to Online Change  

The Sewer Indemnity (Build Over) Policy for residential properties will be now available to order online, having previously only been available offline. 

The Sewer Indemnity insurance product provides cover where a property has been built over a sewer and the local authority and/or water company need to carry out repairs and maintenance to the sewer, causing damage or constriction to the property. 

The policy provides cover for any financial losses, covering; the lender, the current owners and successors in title for a period of 10 years. 

What does this mean for you?

• Easier to order the policy now it’s available online 

• Policy covers Successors in title for both the purchaser and lender  

• Period of Insurance from the Inception Date, and continuing for a period of 10 years

If you have any questions, please contact your Account Manager, or Helpdesk on 0844 249 9200 or email helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk.

Terrafirma, one of tmgroup’s environmental search providers, has today rebranded and launched a new website supported by a new strapline -‘understand the ground’. 

In the wake of lenders refusing to secure mortgages against properties in close proximity to mineshafts, the strapline supports Terrafirma’s ongoing campaign to improve awareness of ground stability risks.

Take a look at the new Terrafirma website here

Lenders are refusing to mortgage properties in close proximity to mineshafts 

With sinkholes in the headlines appearing more and more frequently, Terrafirma’s renewed commitment to ‘understand the ground’ has never been more relevant.  Terrafirma is changing the way professionals identify, assess, manage and resolve the risks the ground poses. Combining existing and unique data with a professional opinion, it has created a platform to disrupt environmental risk assessment and management across the UK.

Taking an innovative approach to mining risk and ground instability ensures that professionals and consumers alike are forewarned to the reality and variety of risks the ground poses to properties and land across the UK.

The rebrand closely follows Terrafirma CEO, Tom Backhouse’s, recent TV appearance on Rip Off Britain, where he explained how some lenders are now refusing to secure mortgages against properties in close proximity to mineshafts - creating new challenges for conveyancers and trapping homeowners in houses they’d previously had no problems buying.

The episode covered the case of Sharon who had been struggling to sell her home for three years. Buyer after buyer pulling out at the last minute had been a mystery, until one revealed that banks were refusing to lend against the property after local searches highlighted a mineshaft underneath the neighbouring house. 

Even though the mineshaft had caused no damage to her house, Sharon was given no choice but to put her house up for auction with a reserve price that was £61,000 under market value. Even then, the property remained unsold. 

Given that there are over 130,000 properties in the UK within 20 metres of a mine shaft, this isn’t an isolated issue. 

You can watch a replay of Rip Off Britain here

Terrafirma’s data insights reveal a fuller picture of ground stability

Drawing on Terrafirma’s specialist knowledge in the innovation and provision of mining-instability risk assessment, the TerraSearch® product suite analyses coal mining risks alongside an additional 55 mining hazards to reveal a fuller picture of ground stability in our towns and cities.

The following TerraSearch® products are now available on tmconvey to order against residential and commercial properties :

• TerraSearch® Coal Extra is a regulated ‘CON29M-Compliant’ coal mining search offering an equivalent to the Coal Authority report, including a professional opinion of all coal mining risks and CON29M questions and additionally alerting to 55 further mining hazards. 

• TerraSearch® Assess is a single search that comprehensively assesses the risk to a site (property and land) from all 60 mining hazards, including past, present and planned extraction.

Both TerraSearch® Coal Extra and TerraSearch® Assess include additional professional interpretations, as well as a TerraSearch® Coal & Brine Report Indemnity Policy up to £50,000 loss in market value of the property (in the event that a conclusion changes based on the addition of new data), and £10 million liability per report in the event of wrong or missing information.  

TerraSearch® Coal Extra and TerraSearch® Assess are also supported by a TerraSearch® Alert, which is now available on tmconvey.

For more information, take a look at Terrafirma’s new website. You can also book your place at one of our Risky Business Roadshows this November to discuss your challenges with Tom Backhouse in person.

This week’s episode of Rip Off Britain revealed that some lenders are now refusing to secure mortgages against properties in close proximity to mineshafts - creating new challenges for conveyancers and trapping homeowners in houses they’d previously had no problems buying.

The Rip Off Britain episode first aired on BBC1 on 17th October 2017 and followed the case of Sharon who had been struggling to sell her home for 3 years. Buyer after buyer pulling out at the last minute had been a mystery, until one revealed that banks were refusing to lend against the property after local searches highlighted a mineshaft underneath the neighbouring house. 

Even though the mineshaft had caused no damage to her house, Sharon was given no choice but to put her house up for auction with a reserve price that was £61,000 under market value. Even then, the property remained unsold. 

You can watch a replay of Rip Off Britain here

Over 130,000 properties in the UK are within 20 metres of a mineshaft

Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Many more sellers and their conveyancers could find themselves in a similar situation, as Tom Backhouse CEO and Founder of Terrafirma explained: 

“There are over 130,000 properties in the UK within 20 metres of a mine shaft, so historically the banks acted on a yes/ no response against “is there data or not?”. That doesn’t work anymore.

A lot of the time these mineshafts aren’t actually there. When something is flagged on a report, it is just data (that in some cases can be 150 years old). The report doesn’t look into whether the mine entry is gone or not. 

In Sharon’s case, a specialist excavation report could be ordered to drill into the ground to reassure lenders, but this could cost up to £5,000 – and reveal the mineshaft does exist. 

Overall, banks need to take a more nuanced approach and act on risk assessment. We have the technology. We can proactively go out and find mineshafts and take action to ensure they are not going to cause any problems in the future.”

Homebuyers need to ensure their conveyancers are carrying out relevant searches

Homebuyers need to ensure their conveyancers are carrying out relevant searches to ensure they are aware of any risks relating to a property, as UK Finance commented:

“While most old mine shafts don’t cause a problem for properties nearby, anyone considering buying close to one should ensure that the relevant searches are done and that there’s been a proper assessment of the risk.” 

TerraSearch® analyses coal mining risks alongside an additional 55 mining hazards to reveal a fuller picture of ground stability in our towns and cities

Drawing on Terrafirma’s specialist knowledge in the innovation and provision of mining-instability risk assessment, the TerraSearch® product suite analyses coal mining risks alongside an additional 55 mining hazards to reveal a fuller picture of ground stability in our towns and cities.

The following TerraSearch® products are now available on tmconvey to order against residential and commercial properties :

• TerraSearch® Coal Extra is a regulated ‘Con29M-Compliant’ coal mining search offering an equivalent to the Coal Authority report, including a professional opinion of all coal mining risks and CON29M questions and additionally alerting to 55 further mining hazards. 

• TerraSearch® Assess is a single search that comprehensively assesses the risk to a site (property and land) from all 60 mining hazards, including past, present and planned extraction.

Both TerraSearch® Coal Extra and TerraSearch® Assess include additional professional interpretations, as well as a TerraSearch® Coal & Brine Report Indemnity Policy up to £50,000 loss in market value of the property (in the event that a conclusion changes based on the addition of new data), and £10 million liability per report in the event of wrong or missing information.  

TerraSearch® Coal Extra and TerraSearch® Assess are also supported by a TerraSearch® Alert, which is now available on tmconvey.

For more information, book your place at one of our Risky Business Roadshows this November to discuss your challenges with Tom Backhouse in person.

You can also watch a replay of Rip Off Britain here, or read this blog post on Are sinkholes in the headlines finally revealing the truth about mining risks?.

Image credit : BBC1's Rip Off Britain

With stories of sinkholes appearing routinely in the headlines (including this recent example which closed a road in Liverpool), it is becoming increasingly clear that more needs to be done to alert homebuyers to the wider risks of ground stability in the UK. 

Part of the issue is that conveyancers sometimes only order ground stability searches against coal-mining risks and overlook the potential risks posed by non-coal mining. However, there are over 405,000 recorded non-coal mine-shafts in the UK and many of these are present in major towns and cities. 

Here are just some of the non-coal mine-shafts that have been recorded in London : 

• 490 Chalk Mines/Pits

• 94 Sandstone Mines

• 31 Fuller’s Earth Mines

• 16 Sand and Gravel Mines

• 642 Clay Pits

Terrafirma analyse an additional 55 mining hazards 

Terrafirma are challenging this perception with their TerraSearch products by analysing coal mining risks alongside an additional 55 mining hazards to reveal a fuller picture of ground stability in our towns and cities. 

The following TerraSearch products are now available on tmconvey to order against residential and commercial properties :

TerraSearch^® Coal Extra :

TerraSearch^® Coal Extra offers the equivalent of a regulated Coal & Brine search and is "Con29M-compliant", whilst also alerting against an additional 55 mining hazards.

TerraSearch^® Assess :

TerraSearch^® Assess is a single search that comprehensively assesses the risk to a site (property and land) from all 60 mining hazards, including past, present and planned extraction.

TerraSearch^® Alert : 

TerraSearch^® Coal Extra and TerraSearch^® Assess are also supported by a TerraSearch^® Alert.

Both TerraSearch^® Coal Extra and TerraSearch^® Assess include additional professional interpretations, as well as a TerraSearch^® Coal & Brine Report Indemnity Policy up to £50,000 loss in market value of the property, and £10 million liability per report. 

TerraSearch^® Coal Extra, TerraSearch^® Assess and TerraSearch^® Alert are all now available on tmconvey to switch on by request.

Please get in touch with your Account Manager for more information.

You can also take part in this poll question to test your knowledge on coal mining risks in the UK. 

If you’ve ever heard the saying ‘sitting ducks’, you’ll know we’re referring to easy targets. Unfortunately, this rings true for the majority of home movers, as findings show that a staggering 83% are ‘cyber blind’ to the risks posed by Friday afternoon fraudsters. 

According to the latest Home Moving Trends report, published by tmgroup in partnership with the Property Academy, only 17% of clients consider transferring funds to their conveyancer to be a high-risk phase of the property transaction. 

Capturing the opinions of over 14,000 home movers, the bottom line is that a vast number of property transactions are at risk of ‘Friday afternoon fraud’ every week;  a stark warning to all conveyancers. For an industry that has already witnessed a number of high-profile incidents this year, including the Howard Mollett case, it’s not good news.   

With fresh reports of fraudsters impersonating law firms continuing to appear in the Bold Legal Group (BLG) bulletin, it’s also clear that the problem isn’t going away any time soon.

It seems it’s no longer enough for conveyancers to simply include fraud and cyber crime messages in their welcome packs and assume that their clients are reading them. As the latest Home Moving Trends findings reveal, only 54% of clients claim to have read every word of their paperwork. 

As Paul Albone, Managing Director at tmgroup, comments:

“With ever-savvier cyber criminals targeting the conveyancing world, assuming that every client is aware of every risk is no longer an option.”

With so much at stake, conveyancers need to be building checks into their processes to make sure their clients are fully aware of cyber crime threats and that they understand them.  In many cases, this could be as simple as reiterating key messages in follow up calls and appointments, alongside awareness messages into email signatures.  

Paul Albone, Managing Director at tmgroup, continues:

“As these statistics reveal, conveyancers need to be mindful of the fact that it is their responsibility to convey these risks to their clients – not merely as a conveyancing exercise, but in an attempt to eradicate this kind of fraud from the market, and reduce the level of risk to their firm, their reputation and their bank balance.” 

Download the latest Home Moving Trends report to find out more

These findings were taken from the latest Home Moving Trends report, based on a survey of 14,389 home movers conducted by the Property Academy in partnership with tmgroup.  

Download the latest Home Moving Trends report for more information and guidance on tackling cyber crime in the conveyancing sector. 

‘All in one’ environmental reports are making it quicker and easier for conveyancers to report next steps back to their clients – without compromising on quality. 

By combining several key data sources and presenting necessary actions clearly, ‘all in one’ environmental reports such as Groundsure Avista and Landmark RiskView Residential are making time-consuming interpretation a thing of the past.

This is mostly due to the sheer breadth of information included, which enables conveyancers to order just one environmental report whilst still performing due diligence for their clients.

For example, Avista combines 7 key environmental risks including includes Flood risk, Planning applications, Contaminated Land, Ground stability, Radon, Transportation, and Energy. 

Similarly, RiskView Residential presents 6 environmental risks as previously provided in 4 separate reports: Flood Risk, Contaminated Land, Ground Hazards, and Energy & Infrastructure – with ‘Plansearch Plus’ available as an ‘add on’ at the time of ordering.

A clear snapshot view helps conveyancers prioritise their work

A further benefit of these ‘all in one’ environmental reports is that all of this information is presented with a snapshot summary of actions, which makes it easier for conveyancers to know what to do next.

For example, Avista Action Alert presents conveyancers with a clear 1-5 rating. This acts as a useful visual image providing immediate understanding of the outcomes of the report.

This also helps conveyancers to prioritise their work, as they frequently receive several reports on the same day, which can make it challenging to decide which one to read first. 

The clear risk rating enables conveyancers to prioritise their work at a quick glance and feel confident that all of their property transactions are progressing.

Simple summary pages make it easier for conveyancers to feedback to clients 

The clear presentation of each summary page also makes it far easier for conveyancers to digest next steps and pass key findings onto their clients.

RiskView Residential further supports this by providing an online viewer for conveyancers to share with their clients.

These features help to remove some of the delays typically associated with interpreting lengthy reports, and further streamlines the conveyancing process. 

A wealth of data available at a reasonable price

Despite the wealth of benefits available in these ‘all in one’ reports, the ordering costs are surprisingly reasonable; Groundsure Avista comes in at an RRP of just £79+VAT, and Landmark RVR has an RRP of £83.00+VAT. 

Compared to the price of ordering all of this information in multiple reports, and the time spent reading through them all, these latest offerings provide significant time and cost savings for the conveyancing sector. The shorter length of the reports also mean that it is quicker and cheaper to print when needed.

Simon Wood, Sales Director at tmgroup, comments: 

“The availability of these ‘all in one’ environmental reports have marked an innovative step forward for conveyancing efficiency, making it quicker and easier for conveyancers to review key findings quickly” without compromising on quality.”

“It is clear that conveyancers’ needs are at the heart of these latest reports too, with features such as the clear 1-5 rating responding specifically to the on-going challenges faced by conveyancers in prioritising their clients competing interests.” 

Try an ‘all in one’ environmental report today 

Groundsure Avista and Landmark RiskView Residential are available to order now through the new tmconvey platform. 

Visit www.tmgroup.co.uk for more information.

Simon Wood

Simon is Sales Director for tmconvey. He leads teams in helping customers grow their business, drive internal efficiencies and manage risk around property searches.

 

tmgroup are pleased to announce that the new Groundsure Avista environmental report will be available on tmconvey from Tuesday 6th June 2017. 

This concise report will intelligently filter datasets to produce a clear and comprehensive risk report for the residential market. 

Each report will include an easy to read summary page for peace of mind, confirming the full list of data points checked against the property. Avista also offers a new level of clarity by only presenting conveyancers with the key issues requiring further attention.

This will help conveyancers to save time, as they will not have to sift through a lengthy report in order to determine next steps and key findings; recommended actions will be clearly visible, ready for a discussion with their clients. 

Key features include:

• Seven reports in one: Avista combines seven environmental searches covering the key residential property purchases risks, including 10 years of planning applications. This will help to minimise the risk of missed issues, as well as reduce delays caused by ordering further reports.

• Improved accuracy and pass rates: Avista reports are based on Land Registry polygon data as standard for the highest level of accuracy, with 106 million data points being analysed to significantly improve pass rates. 

• Clear and concise recommendations: Clearly signposted data with unambiguous recommendations will leave customers better informed, without being overwhelmed by confusing jargon. 

• The average report is less than 20 pages long: The average Avista report is less than 20 pages long, which will make it simple for conveyancers to hone in on what’s important. 

• Review next steps with a quick glance: The Avista Action Alert saves transaction time and trouble by providing a simple visual guide to the complexity of the environmental factors associated with a property.

About Groundsure Avista

Groundsure is a leading provider of environmental reports including land contamination, flooding and ground stability. Avista is their latest product, offering a comprehensive risk report with seven key environmental searches.

The new Groundsure Avista environmental report will be available to order from tmconvey on Tuesday 6th June 2017. 

You can view a 'pass' sample report here, and a 'fail' sample report here. 

For more information, contact your Account Manager, or call Helpdesk on 0844 249 9200 or email helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk.

In line with the changes in UK law in relation to the European Union’s Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (EU4MLD), AML Search v4 will be released soon.

AML Search v4 builds upon AML Search v2's data analytics to include fully automated Risk Assessments, Compliance Reporting, conflict checking, documentary evidence management, on-going monitoring and automated record keeping.

Here, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions to help you understand exactly what these changes and implications mean for your firm:

What do the regulations mean? 

• There is no longer an automatic exemption from undertaking Enhanced Due Diligence

If, like many firms, you simply take a copy of a Client's identity documents, your procedures and processes are likely to have to change significantly to be able demonstrate your compliance with the new regulations and laws. 

The regulations are clear – there is no longer an automatic exemption from undertaking Enhanced Due Diligence, as opposed to Simplified Due Diligence, which has often been carried out by simply obtaining a copy of a Client's Identity documents, for example a Passport and Driving License. 

• Firms will be required to evidence they have identified the Client and screened them against alert sources

After 26th June, you will need to demonstrate compliance by being able to evidence that you have risk assessed clients in accordance with the regulatory requirements. Therefore, clients who would have previously been on-boarded using Simplified Due Diligence must be Risk Assessed, with a minimum requirement of documenting and confirming the Clients Identity and electronically screening them for Financial Sanctions and Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) – including UK nationals.

• Additional requirements for on-going due diligence monitoring

There are additional requirements for the period of time that your firm will have to be able to demonstrate and deliver up to regulators your compliance records in relation to specific clients, on-going due diligence monitoring and how long records may be kept. 

What are the penalties for failing to comply?

The penalties for failing to comply with obligations under the new regulations have been increased. 

In addition to penalties that can be imposed by regulators and other legislation, the Policing and Crime Act 2017 has increased fines up to £1,000,000 and prison sentences from 2 to 7 years; where 'the person has breached a prohibition, or failed to comply with an obligation, that is imposed by or under financial sanctions legislation'. 

Click here for more information about the European Union’s Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (EU4MLD)

How does AML Search v4 support compliance?

• Regulatory Compliance

AML Search v4 has been designed to meet and exceed Anti-Money Laundering compliance requirements including but not limited to;

• Fourth European Money Laundering Directive (EU 4MLD)

• United Kingdom Money Laundering Regulations/Laws

• Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG)

• The Law Society

• The Solicitors Regulatory Authority (SRA)

• Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

• International Bar Association (IBA)

• Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

• Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML)

• Sarbanes–Oxley

• Risk Assessments

Regulations make it mandatory for firms to carry out Risk Assessments on their Clients as a part of their Client Due Diligence (CDD).

AML Search v4 automates Customer Due Diligence Risk Assessments to enable your users to simply and quickly enter Client data, include documentary evidence and carry out a Risk Assessment and Simplified or Enhanced Due Diligence in a few minutes.

• The CDD Record

AML Search v4 introduces a unified view of your Client Due Diligence (CDD). Both Individual (Personal) and Organisations (Non-Personal) CDD records are contained in one fully searchable view.

The CDD record for a Client contains your Risk Assessments, Client Data, Documentary Evidence, and Client Relationships – which aids in your conflict checking and provides a complete audit trail, making it easy to evidence your regulatory compliance.

Click here for more information about AML Search v4 

Are existing AML v2 Searches compliant?

Yes. 

AML Search v2 provides Enhanced Customer Due Diligence Searches which are fully compliant with the new regulations. There are however other changes that you need to consider including how you will carry out Risk Assessments, On-Going CDD, record keeping and reporting in order to demonstrate your firm’s compliance.

Can I continue to use AML Search v2?

Yes. 

It is recommended that you review your Risk Assessment procedures in line with the new regulations. The regulations stipulate that there is no longer an exemption from Enhanced Due Diligence. Therefore, clients who would have previously been on-boarded using Simplified Due Diligence must be Risk Assessed, with a minimum requirement of documenting and confirming the Clients Identity and electronically screening them for Financial Sanctions and Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) – including UK nationals. 

AML Search v2 already provides all of the features for enhanced CDD with the exception of documented Client Risk Assessments which must be carried out manually by firms if using AML Search v2 – AML Search v4 provides fully automated Risk Assessments.

Should I review our Risk Assessment Criteria and Procedures?

Yes. 

There are significant changes in the regulations as to how you are required to Risk Assess your Clients, carry out On-going Due Diligence, how quickly firms must demonstrate their compliant procedures and how long records can be kept.

Why should I upgrade from AML Search v2 to AML Search v4?

AML Search v4 extends the features of AML Search v2 adding robust compliance tools to reduce the time and cost to firms of implementing, maintaining and running compliant AML procedures. 

These include automated Client Risk Assessments, Simplified and Enhanced Due Diligence for individuals and organisations (UK and International). 

This means that you can complete the process of carrying out a Risk Assessment and Customer Due Diligence by running an AML v4 Risk Assessment, ensuring you can demonstrate compliant procedures across all users. 

AML Search v4 also includes your real-time compliance status and reporting, on-going due diligence monitoring, which ensures your client due diligence is always up-to-date, document, file and archive management to ensure you meet the new record keeping criteria.

With thanks to Greg Roach, Director of Searches Group Limited

The HMRC deadline has passed and all Local Authorities have now added VAT to the Con29. This has been updated accordingly in tmconvey.

[Please note, the original blog post below has been left in place for archive reference only.]

Local Authorities have been given the option by HMRC to implement the addition of VAT to the Con29 between the dates of 1st Jan 2017 and 31st March 2017.

As a central data provider, we are working hard to find out when each local authority is planning to make the changes in order to keep you informed, and also to ensure the pricing on our system is accurate and up to date for you. 

Below is a list of the Local Authorities for which there is a known price change date and we will actively keep this list up to date over the coming months as we gather more information. If a Local Authority do not appear on this list then their date for adding VAT to the Con29 is not yet known. The newest information is highlighted red for your convenience.

Rest assured that if the prices of local searches are increased and/or VAT is added, the tmconvey ordering platform will be up to date at the point of ordering and you need make no other changes.

If you have any further questions please contact our helpdesk on 0844 2499200 or email helpdesk@tmgroup.co.uk

(TABLE UPDATED 02-03-2017) 

Conveyancers are busy people, often handling hundreds of cases across any given month. With delays costing them time, money, and even clients, they don’t have time to waste when processing transactions.

Yet new research we conducted in recent weeks* has shown that some UK conveyancers are wasting precious time by visiting up to 13 web sites in order to complete a single transaction.

We found that the most commonly used web sites include Land Registry (98%) and search providers (80%), with Google Maps (66%), Insurance (51%) and NHBC (48%) also high on the list.

Slow service can damage your reputation and reduce recommendations

Clients rarely have a grasp of just how busy their appointed conveyancer is and will regularly chase them up to find out what is happening with their property transaction.

Slow responses and unnecessary delays can lead to a disappointing experience for the client, and subsequently reduce the likelihood of them recommending your services.

With just 8% of clients contacting solicitors online (according to Home Moving Trends 2015 [download report here http://web.tmgroup.co.uk/cn/an9um/homemovingtrends2015 ], recommendations and repeat business account for a staggering 92% of new business for conveyancers.

Finding ways to save time can help improve client satisfaction

In a competitive industry, this means that conveyancers need to be taking proactive steps to reduce the time it takes to process each transaction; improving client satisfaction and the chances of receiving positive recommendations.

One of the key ways conveyancers can do this is to invest in solutions which help them to save time. For example, the tmconvey system which provides 5 of the most popular web site services in one site, including tmgroup’s new integrated Map Search solution which saves conveyancers the additional visit to the Land Registry portal.

The Map Search service enables you to quickly establish via a map; the location of land or property, whether it is registered and any associated title numbers, making it quick and easy to carry out title investigation.

Users can then create the case and go on and order additional searches, insurance, and similar products, keeping everything in one place; ultimately streamlining the process for you and your colleagues.

By using services such as this, conveyancers can save valuable time and focus their efforts on providing a pro-active service to their clients, leading to happier clients and more referral business – the best type of business there is!

*The survey was conducted during June-August 2016 by leading property data provider tmgroup, asked conveyancers “How many websites do you visit during a conveyancing transaction?”

About tmconvey and Map Search

The Map Search facility is available as part of tmconvey – tmgroup’s comprehensive conveyancing platform, giving property solicitors everything they need to manage a property transaction.

Existing tmgroup customers can take advantage of the service straight away simply by logging into their account, whilst conveyancers not currently using tmconvey can sign up for a free, no-obligation trial.

To watch our latest webinar on Map Search click here http://web.tmgroup.co.uk/cn/an9um/webinar-hub

Visit http://www.tmgroup.co.uk/convey/MappingTools for more details.