Today's Conveyancer Podcast

Alongside the release of the latest avoidable requisition rates data from HM Land Registry now released, Andrew Robertson, Head of Customer Policy & Service Improvement joins the latest Today's Conveyancer podcast to explore the significant improvements made while also underlining the ongoing need for firms to focus on post-completion quality and administrative accuracy.

Avoidable requisitions arise from administrative errors that should, in most cases, be prevented through standard checks. Common examples include unexplained name discrepancies across documents, missing supporting paperwork, illegible uploads and execution anomalies. These are issues that add unnecessary delays to the registration process and create additional work for both conveyancers and HMLR explains Robertson. 

The headline is rates are decreasing; and by some margin. 

The total number of avoidable requisition points raised annually has fallen from approximately 839,000 in 2022 to 439,000 in 2025, representing almost a 50% reduction. Even when adjusted for transaction volumes, the rate has still declined by more than 39%, demonstrating genuine improvement rather than simply reflecting changes in market activity.

That's a saving of around £1.4 million annually in additional time and resources suggests Robertson. Given HM Land Registry’s existing processing pressures, reducing avoidable requisitions benefits everyone involved in the transaction process. 

In time, more verification is being introduced by HMLR which will prevent inaccurate submissions; for now HMLR continues to work closely with firms and regulators to provide details on requisitions trends and potential areas of concern

Asked how firms can continue to improve their performance Robertson suggests there is no single formula for success. In his experience strong post-completion administration appears to be a common feature. Some firms have dedicated post-completion teams, while others embed quality checking into their wider processes. Regardless of the approach, investing time and resource into getting applications right first time delivers clear benefits in efficiency, profitability and client service.

HMLR also provide plenty of training material through the HM Land Registry training hub which Robertson implores firms to view and use. 

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

As the saying so nearly goes, what a difference a year makes. Ben Robinson and Rob Gurney of Landmark join podcast host David Opie to reflect on the last 12 months in the property market and to look at the latest property trends data. 

The property market has swayed from being one favourable to sellers, to one much more favourable to buyers as the latest data shows listings remain strong, while socio-economic factors continue to play havoc with demand. 

Recorded in the days running up to the autumn budget the profession awaits John Healey's first budget as Chancellor with bated breath. 

According to the latest data new conveyancing instructions have continued to decline throughout the third quarter. July saw case volumes down 10% year-on-year, August down 11%, and September down 13%, resulting in an overall quarterly reduction of 11% compared with the same period in 2025. Although completion figures performed marginally better, they were still significantly lower than the previous year, with overall completions down 7% across the quarter.

And if transaction numbers continue to fall through the Autumn as expected, what does that mean for conveyancers? There is little evidence to suggest to transaction timelines are falling; indeed completion and exchange timelines are actually extending, undermining the long-held belief that excessive volumes are the primary cause of delays.

Instead the data suggests the underlying conveyancing process itself remains inefficient, strengthening the case for meaningful reform of the home-buying and selling process says Gurney. 

The takeaway for conveyancers, estate agents, lenders and all those involved in the property transaction is rather than waiting for government intervention, it must take an active role in shaping it says Robinson, with initiatives like Project28 one of the vehicles through which voices are being heard. 

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

In an exclusive interview with the Today's Conveyancer Podcast Circe Law CEO Jade Gani explains why a newly-launched alliance is taking the Solicitors Regulation Authority to task on changes to the compliance regime, explaining how the proposals will disproportionately impact small and medium sized law firms. 

As one of the founders of the SME & Boutique Law Firm Alliance Gani explains the group is not opposed to protections which would reduce the risk of notable recent failures including Axiom Ince and PM Law, but raises concerns the route proposed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority would not only not be effective, but would disproportionately impact boutique and high street law firms with a knock-on impact on access to justice, consumers choice, and diversity in the law.

As it stands, from January 2027 law firms with a turnover over £600,000 or over £2m in their client account will be required to separate the roles of Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) and Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration (COFA) from those with "unilateral decision making" responsibilities in the firm.

The group say they have asked for the rules changes to be paused while evidence of what risks are posed at the thresholds proposed is gathered. Gani adds the proposals are unworkable in smaller firms, around 15% of the overall number of regulated law firms, where there are no suitable alternative postholders.  

So contentious is the debate, the Alliance has said it would call for a vote of no confidence in the leadership at the regulator should the proposals go ahead. 

In an open letter and subsequent meeting with the SRA the group has proposed a number of alternatives which they say would have a more proportionate and effective impact. 

In response the SRA has said it agreed with the need to better protect the public by strengthening the safeguards around client money and was "committed to continuing the conversation on this important issue" before responding further. 

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

Over the past five year InfoTrack have been charting the progress of technology adoption in conveyancing through its bi-annual Digital Conveyancing Maturity Index. 

The survey asks a series of question about the technology conveyancing firms use through the various stages of conveyancing, and the report is designed to help law firms track their technological progress against competitors and the wider industry.

Although InfoTrack Chief Operating Officer Sam Jordan won't be drawn on this year's top scoring firms (the report is published on 1st October) there is a distinct change in the latest results as medium to large law firms have now overtaken the small and medium-sized firms who were initially the most agile adopters in previous reports. The shift is attributed to larger firms implementing integrated, firm-wide platforms which take time to embed and adopt. Interestingly adds Jordan, data shows that firms participating in the index multiple times see their scores improve at a much faster rate than first-time participants.

What Jordan does divulge is some of the methodology and a breakdown of where in the transaction technology adoption is most mature. Onboarding and post-completion remain the most digitally advanced areas, largely as a result of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, pre-completion remains the least digitally mature; and while while 50% of firms have transitioned away from email to manage inquiries, only 15% utilise shared digital workspaces between buying and selling firms according to the research. 

This year's results highlights the rapid acceleration and adoption of AI-enabled technologies, devoting a whole new section of the report to AI with the discussion exploring how firms should focus on specific "jobs to be done" and let technology naturally solve those administrative pain points. 

The report serves as a reminder that widespread digitalisation is an inevitable evolutionary step for any thriving business sector and conveyancing is most certainly on that journey. The full findings and rankings of the latest survey  will be published at the Digital Conveyancing Summit on 1st October.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

The latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast explores how a former premier league footballer became a campaigner and law firm owner, championing redress for for people impacted by fraudulent overseas investments.

After falling victim to a property investment scam himself, former Arsenal, Southampton and Manchester City footballer Neil Heaney set about seeking justice. 

Heaney's story starts after he and a group of other investors became victims of a large-scale property fraud in Spain that resulted in significant financial losses. The experience exposed the difficulties individuals face when trying to pursue legal remedies in another country. Heaney is at pains to point out overseas investment scams are not limited to wealthy individuals or sports professionals. While footballers often attract headlines, he notes that ordinary consumers can be equally vulnerable. 

The experience was the inspiration for launching his own law firm Judicare which deals solely with specialist international legal support

While the podcast explores some of the key lessons before people should consider before entering any overseas investment or property transaction, including conducting searches on companies and developers, and looking beyond attractive marketing materials and sales pitches, many problems could be avoided if people sought specialist legal support before committing their money.

What started as a personal mission soon evolved into a broader service as other investors approached him for help with disputes in countries including Bulgaria, Greece and the Dominican Republic. Recognising a wider gap in the market, Heaney gradually built Judicare into an SRA regulated specialist international legal practice supporting clients across 15 jurisdictions.

He now spends much of his time working and interviewing lawyers in foreign jurisdictions to support his work which is focused on "before" and "after" legal issues. The "after" work involves assisting clients who have encountered problems such as fraud, failed developments, inheritance disputes or other overseas legal challenges. The "before" work focuses on helping individuals safely purchase property abroad, guiding them through due diligence, legal checks, contracts and completion processes. The firm also advises on probate matters, inheritances, wills and residency applications where assets or interests are located outside the UK.

Concluding the discussion Heaney explains how the set up of a new affiliate programme, the JLaw Network, will provide firms with an opportunity offer international legal support through a trusted, SRA-regulated partner.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

The Today's Conveyancer Podcast welcomes back Ed Boulle to discuss the evolving role of artificial intelligence in home moving and legal services. 

Boulle addresses the common misconception that AI in conveyancing means replacing lawyers with chatbots or automated client interactions. Instead, he argues that the real value lies in solving the conveyancing sector’s longstanding capacity and consistency problems. Conveyancing firms face fluctuating workloads but have a finite number of qualified staff. When transaction volumes rise, service levels can suffer; when they fall, firms carry significant fixed staffing costs. AI then can help reduce this dependency on headcount by automating routine processes and enabling lawyers to manage larger caseloads more effectively while maintaining service standards.

This is the hope for the newly launched, AI-assisted law firm Farringdon, a CLC-regulated conveyancing law firm established as a testing ground for new AI-driven workflows and technologies. The decision reflects a long-term belief that AI will fundamentally reshape property transactions and by operating within the conveyancing process itself, future Orbital product development can be shaped by the firsthand insight into industry challenges

One such innovation is the recently launched “Sale Ready Report" which enables a more proactive approach says Boulle by using AI to analyse title information, protocol forms and supporting documents through the same lens as a buyer’s solicitor, allowing firms to conduct meaningful reviews much earlier without committing substantial staff resources.

Boulle is firmly of the view AI tools could ultimately drive more profound changes in conveyancing practice, significantly reducing transaction times and creating a more efficient property market... time will tell. 

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

Having completed half of 2026 it's a good time to sit down with regular contributors Ben Robinson and Rob Gurney of Landmark and Ochresoft respectively to look at what has happened in the property market over the first half of 2026, and what it's in store for the second half. 

Looking at Landmark's own data, there is a really mixed picture. Listings remain reasonably strong, but demand is falling, evidenced by falling number of sold properties. Conveyancers remain steady but be careful reading too much into comparisons with 2025 warns Gurney. The run up to , and immediate aftermath of the end of SDLT incentives significantly distorts the first half of 2025.

Many of the demand side challenges discussed in previous podcasts remain; it will be interesting to see how the Summer, a traditionally quieter time for the property market, pans out, and whether the country benefits from a "Burnham bounce" given the imminent arrival of a new Labour leader, and prime minister.

Listen in for the latest market insight and opinions. 

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

Having supported a high profile conveyancing firm secure investment Lanterna Consulting co‑founders Simon Farthing and Shona Kaye are well placed to tackle the topic of how law firms can present themselves to secure private equity investment. 

Investors are looking to scrutinise scalability, data foundations and operational maturity they explain. Firms without a coherent technology strategy risk being overlooked.

In a wide-ranging discussion the pair explore how outdated systems, patchy adoption, and decisions driven more by anecdote than strategy hold firms back. Kaye notes that many firms still rely on platforms decades old, propped up by internal developers and workarounds that mask deeper structural issues . The market, they argue, is now at a crossroads. Traditional, on‑premise systems remain deeply embedded, but modern cloud‑based, low‑code platforms are rapidly maturing and firms must decide whether to evolve or be left behind.

Private equity, they say, is looking for alignment between business strategy and tech strategy, between user needs and leadership assumptions, and between ambition and capability. Success involved getting the right people in the room; department heads, everyday users, and those who understand the firm’s unique processes.

The concept best‑of‑breed ecosystems has emerged, where a core case management “system of record” is enhanced with specialist tools. Integration, data quality and API openness now matter as much as functionality.

So how can firms make the right technology decisions to enhance their prospects of private equity investment? Listen in to find out...

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

In a post on social media Marc Lansdell, founder of Evolve Law and the guest for this Today's Conveyancer Podcast, boldly stated his firm had put up conveyancing fees; and he had not seen any loss of work or negative impact on his business. 

Despite difficult market conditions Lansdell explains how the decision was reasonably straightforward once he understood his own data, and the potential impact any increase might have. By analysing conversion rates against fee levels, the firm identified a point where higher fees could generate greater profitability without materially affecting instruction volumes.. as a result average fees increased by c. £500 per matter, which more than offset the c. 2% reduction in conversion rates. 

But higher prices only work if you consistently deliver what you say you will. The practicalities of selling higher-priced conveyancing services include strong review profiles, trusted introducer relationships and consistency in service standards.

Data driven decision making is a key topic of discussion, acknowledging that when the business was small, some of the decisions might have been more based on gut and instinct. Now though nearly all major business decisions at Evolve Law are informed by detailed performance metrics. He adds he has harnessed AI to help with business intelligence and management insights, enabling faster and more informed decision-making. 

Evolve have also invested in a training academy for staff; adopting a "grown you own" approach at a time when recruitment is one of the biggest challenges facing conveyancers. The academy goes beyond legal training, combining technical conveyancing knowledge with customer service skills, business development awareness, wellbeing education, and an understanding of firm finances. The aim is to create well-rounded conveyancers who are equipped for the demands of modern legal practice. Lansdell argues that successful conveyancers need far more than legal expertise; they must be able to communicate effectively, manage workloads, understand clients, and maintain their own wellbeing. 

Refreshingly candid, Lansdell shares how he sees a  modern conveyancing firm can navigate market pressures while investing in growth, innovation and long-term sustainability.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack

The planning landscape is shifting at pace and for conveyancers, the risks are no longer confined to the red line on a title plan. That’s the warning from DevAssist founder Paul Addison and OnPoint Data co‑founder Jeremy Dorkins in the latest Today’s Conveyancer Podcast, where both argue that future development risk is now a core part of modern due diligence.

Addison launched DevAssist to tackle what lies outside the red line. As he puts it, “there’s a 46% chance… something could be happening just outside those boundaries”, something capable of affecting views, amenity or value. With the government’s accelerated push for housing, those odds are only rising.

The National Planning Policy Framework has been “injected with steroids” with the re‑introduced five‑year housing supply requirement triggering a surge in opportunistic applications. Councils unable to demonstrate supply face the tilted balance, where “benefit outweighs harm” and large schemes on greenfield land become difficult to resist.

Yet most buyers remain unaware of the deeper planning pipeline and you know just who they are going to blame when they find out their view is about to be blighted. Bird & Bird made it “abundantly clear” that solicitors must report on planning data or searches says Addison. "If something untoward does happen… the first point of call will be the conveyancing solicitor" adds Dorkins. 

The podcast is a must listen for conveyancers who don't know their greybelt from their SHELAA.

The Today's Conveyancer podcast can be found on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk. Subscribe and listen in for all the latest conveyancing industry news and views. 

Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Legal Software and InfoTrack