Today's Conveyancer Podcast

In the latest Today's Conveyancer podcast host David Opie is joined by Nick Hale, CEO of ONP Group.

In a wide-ranging interview Nick discusses his introduction in to the conveyancing world since his appointment in April 2022, and the journey he and ONP Group have been on.

The opening part of the discussion explores the make up of the ONP senior leadership teams. Over the past few years, ONP have made a number of appointments both from within, and external to, the conveyancing sector.  For Nick it's the right blend of industry experience and wider skills needed to move the business forward. 

"We're very deliberate and happy that we have assembled a team who understand the sector, have a proven track record, are great people leaders, have technical knowledge, and understand the regulatory requirements; blended with people who bring skills and experience that is not prevalent in the sector, and that has held us back as a sector." Adds Nick.

Nick shares his first experiences of joining the conveyancing profession, and discusses how his work history has shaped his approach at ONP. Throughout the podcast Nick references the importance of the vision at ONP and a personal drive to genuinely make a difference in the home moving process.

Sharing a story about managing 26m emergency calls each year, all answered in an average of less than 0.4 seconds, Nick reveals his obsession for making things better;  "If you can make something better, why wouldn't you want to" he adds.

The conversation explores technology, client service, the future of conveyancing and 'that' Times article in February 2023.

Finishing the podcast, Nick and David explore the impact that external investment has had on ONP and the appetite for further private equity investment in legal services.

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

If we thought branding was about logos and then we’re absolutely wrong... it's about reputation, meaning, culture, service and so much more according to Matt Davies who joins host David Opie on the latest Today's Conveyancer podcast.

Matt lives and breathes branding and his enthusiasm for the subject comes across through this discussion which provides some useful pointers on what brand is, why it is important and where do we start? 

Pulling no punches Matt challenges organisations and law firms to think about why they exist beyond making money. 

"Nobody is interested in you wanting to make money," says Matt. "You may personally be in business to make money but your brand and business and what it's trying to do in the world needs to have a  narrative and a story to position itself in such a way that is effective in its market place."

Your brand should be

1. a story or narrative that your customers find interesting and exciting
2. something that your people can buy into and rally around

"And here’s the kicker" adds Matt,  "it has to be true and it has to be authentic, because in today’s world you’ll get found out."

In his work Matt asks 4 key questions of organisations. 

• What do you exist beyond making money
• Who do we serve
• How should we show up for them
• What are we offering them

Throughout this insightful discussion Matt provides plenty of useful pointers ad tips organisations and law firms can take away and implement in their own business.

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 discusses the opportunities presented by outsourcing. Joining regular host David Opie is Sophie Swanborough Operations and Marketing Manager at ntitle, an outsourced title checking solution.

There is a growing marketplace of organisations who offer outsourced and "unbundled" service into law and conveyancing. At a time when it is increasingly difficult to recruit experienced staff, being able to outsource to subject matter experts is invaluable says Sophie.

A title check for example, can be back in just a couple of days and the beauty of outsourcing is the ability to ramp volume up and down; running multiple files concurrently by combining in-house and outsourced resource.

Sophie shares her experience of how firms are using outsourced title checking with some firms are using it in every transaction while others are utilising the expertise of outsourcers for particular types of transactions.

"We see a lot of new build properties because 1) they are really lengthy, you get many, many documents with them. 2) They take up quite a lot of time, you need 2-3 hours without interruption (to really focus). We get a few leasehold title checks too because they are increasingly problematic." says Sophie. 

Ultimately though does outsourcing boil down to cost v benefit; if the cost of outsourcing outweighs the cost of hiring then it's a more effective and efficient route to go down, and vice-versa.

Sophie points to the popularity of the consultancy model as evidence that individuals and firms are looking at how they can streamline what they do.  Reducing overheads and the fixed costs of employment which typically includes recruiting, training, IT, pensions and other staff liabilities.

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

Planning expert Paul Addison joins the latest Today's Conveyancer podcast to discuss his experiences helping conveyancers and homeowners uncover planning risk and hidden development opportunities. 

Founder and Managing Director of DevAssist, Paul shares his background as a land buyer and planner for developers and how he now brings his extensive experience to the business to educate conveyancers and home movers on  potential, and planned, development in the area; enabling would be purchasers to make a more informed decision about whether to press ahead with their transaction. 

The discussion is full of anecdotes and examples of Paul's work; from ransom strips in cul-de-sacs, to beachfront views at risk of blight by new build flats. 

As Paul says, you cannot guarantee a view... and often this is point where firms are at risk of claims, particularly when a property purchaser finds out that about a development that might blight a view, access or enjoyment of the property. 
 
"That's when people will become very emotional post-purchase and start looking to the solicitor and saying why didn't you tell me about this." And with plenty of examples of successful claims it's hard to argue against the point. 

Despite the recent scrapping of government new build targets there is an acknowledgement that we simply do not build enough homes and that the issues around planning, NIMBY-ism, greenbelt development and the associated risk to would-be home movers is not likely to go away. 

Paul suggests 80-90% of DevAssist reports identify a planning opportunity, whether hypothetical or real, of some description; with around 30% of reports identifying a guaranteed development site within 75m of the purchaser's property.

Whether or not the development impacts the decision to purchase the property is not the point, says Paul. The point is they have the interpretation of the data to make an informed decision. 

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

Love it or loathe it, climate change appears to be here to stay following the release of guidance from The Law Society on the role of legal services in providing consumers with information. 

And it is the subject of this latest Today's Conveyancer podcast as host David Opie is joined by Groundsure CEO Dan Montagnani, Bold Legal Group CEO Rob Hailstone, and Head of Property at Dutton Gregory Paul Sams. 

Through the course of the discussion each of the contributors shares their thoughts on what the climate change guidance means for conveyancers in the absence of sector specific guidance which we await, and/or a practice note.

Alongside the discussion, Today's Conveyancer ran a survey to find out what the sentiment is amongst conveyancers around the guidance and their role in supporting home movers better understand the longer term risks brought about by climate change. There were over 100 responses to the question "what will be your approach as a firm or practitioner with regard to how you engage your clients?" revealing;

• 35% of respondents will proactively report on any climate risks identified in search reports and use tools including standard clauses to help explain the risk to clients
• 9% will report to clients on climate risk only when a risk is identified by a search report
• 18% will let the client decide on whether this is a material risk to the property transaction and evidence this to reduce risk to the practice
• 25% do not intend to report on climate change issues to clients

The issue seems to hinge on the qualification of lawyers to provide such advice to clients and both Paul and Rob acknowledge there is yet another element of scope or mission creep with the issue as responsibility for reporting on it, which should be in everyone's interests and remit, falls squarely on the conveyancer's shoulders. 

In an entertaining discussion the three discuss whether climate change is something that the conveyancing community should be pushing back on, or whether it's part of the new breed of conveyancer whose role it is to be a conduit for this sort of information and hand hold home movers much more. 

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 True Worth Expert Vanessa Ugatti joins host David Opie on the latest Today's Conveyancer Podcast.

Vanessa works with professional services individual and organisations to help them understand their true value, and explain that better to clients to help them get paid their true worth, unapologetically.

In her work Vanessa sees individuals and organisations constantly undercharging, underestimating, discounting, over servicing; she explains how a lack of confidence in conveying value leads to firms making less money and working too hard.

She explains how there is a tendency to be fearful about charging for our work. While Vanessa doesn't give away all her secrets, during the podcast she provides some insight into her 9 Part True Worth Methodology; explaining how one of the key elements is helping people become more consciously aware of the value they're providing.

"We take for granted that we are experts," Vanessa explains. "It's easy because we've got 10-20 years experience." She suggests we need to "take charge" when it comes to pricing. "Modern lawyers have to be commercially aware which has a positive knock on effect on profitability and staff wellbeing because they're being paid fairly for the worth they do," she adds.

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 looks at research conducted by telephone answering service Moneypenny into call handling by UK law firms, both from an incoming and outgoing point of view. Joining host David Opie is Bernadette  (Bernie) Bennett,  Head of Sector - Legal at Moneypenny to discuss the "Customer Communications Global Trends Report".

According to the research, telephone continues to be the number one way consumers contact law firms with 35% of respondents indicating they will make first contact by phone, followed by 25% using email. 

The research shows that typically clients will call, rather than email, when their enquiry is urgent (42%) or complicated (33%). And to exacerbate the challenge, the research identified that cold calls are up 23% over the last 12 months, and there has been 9% increase in out of hours calls year on year - meaning conveyancers have a longer to do list before they even start the day.

Despite these numbers, call handling by law firms is very hit and miss as Bernie discusses the challenges that face firms on daily basis. For many firms fee earners remain as a first point of contact for enquiries which can, says Bernie, result in interrupted productivity. How many conveyancers have told us that they spend much of their working time on the phone and answering emails.

Research conducted by Law Firm Marketing Club suggests that it is "50:50" whether call handling will leave clients "impressed or wanting;" firms might consider, suggests Bernie, implementing a strategy around how they answer the phone:

"It's critical, incoming calls don't disturb fee earners and callers receive the best experience. Bad calls result in leads being lost and reputations being damaged." 

The research suggests that 36% of recipients of bad call handling will take their business elsewhere; 34% will make a complaint; and 25% will leave a negative review

In a  thought provoking discussion Bernie shares some thoughts on how firms can implement a more effective call handling strategy and what tools are available to streamline productivity. 

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 this latest Today's Conveyancer podcast host David Opie welcomes Ben Robinson and Rob Gurney on to discuss the latest Landmark Property Trends Report. 

Ben is the Managing Director of Landmark Estate Agency Services, and Rob is the Managing Director of Ochresoft; both well placed to comment on the data which provides insight into 4 key property market metrics

• Listings
• Sold Subject to Contract
• Searches Ordered
• Completions

The Property Trends Report was first published in 2021 and is now providing analysis on the health of the market each quarter. The data is drawn from Landmark's own business, extrapolated to the entire market. The report uses 2019 as the benchmark for comparison based on it being pre-COVID and the last "normal" year for the property market. 

Ben and Rob discuss the latest report, which covers Q1 2023 for England & Wales, and Scotland, and provides detailed analysis of the last 12 months of activity in the market. 

March 2023 saw the return of new listings to above 2019 volumes for the first time since before the disastrous mini-budget in October 2022. And while this is a promising sign for the market, the other metrics remain some way below 2019 levels as the full effect of "Trussonomics" has played out over the last 6 months; SSTC remains some 22% below 2019 levels, and completions nearly 30% below. 

There is cause for optimism say Ben and Rob as stability returns to the market, with listings, and confidence on the up. Listen in to hear their analysis in full. 

The next Property Trends Report will be published at the end of Q2 2023; lookout for further discussion and analysis.  

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 ex MyHomeHome CEO Doug Crawford on to the discuss his return to the conveyancing sector after 4 years away.

In this exclusive interview with Today's Conveyancer, Doug shares his thoughts on technology, people, opportunity and private equity.

Doug is back in the hotseat as CEO of Simply Conveyancing, one of a handful of private-equity backed conveyancing firms. During the discussion he reflects on his time at MyHomeMove, and what tempted him to return. 

"You know, " says Doug, "there's emotion involved in the house buying process, and this industry helps people with that so it's an industry I was always proud to be a part of.” 

In a wide-ranging discussion Doug also shares his thoughts on what has changed since he has been away, and what the future of conveyancing holds for business owners and practitioners, adding

"I don't see technology taking over from people entirely. I think people want that human interaction and that confidence that somebody who knows their stuff legally.” 

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 discusses the changing nature of law firm case management systems and how we can best leverage their functionality.

Joining host David Opie is Adam Bullion, General Manager of Marketing at Practice Evolve, to discuss his thoughts on the current state of legal case management, and what the future might hold.

Adam describes the variety of options open to firms in two ways; software with a service vs software as a service. In choosing their CMS provider firms should be not just be looking for the functionality but what the associated support that comes with it looks like. 

For Adam case management providers need to "step up" and be better for their clients. He points to the fact that CMS's have historically been poor at interoperability and integrating with other technologies. In a recent survey undertaken bu Practice Evolve only 5% of respondents said their technology integrations were "seamless."

The same survey identified that law firms use less than 40% of the software they have in place and identified 4 key priorities law firms want to see from their technology:

1. Improving internal systems and workflows
2. Integrating existing and new technologies
3. Greater focus on client service and experience
4. Retention of key people

By supporting users to better understand the capabilities of the technology, we can make them more productive, and ultimately improve efficiency in the business, says Adam. 

The discussion moves on to the Cloud vs on premise debate and how firms can differentiate the case management systems which Adam shares his thoughts and experience on. 

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