Property

New rules on the information that must be included in property listings will encourage sellers to instruct conveyancers earlier in the process, National Trading Standards has said.

The use of electronic signatures has been the “single largest area of change” in technology for the property industry over the past 18 months, a survey has found.

Property Exchange Australia (PEXA), which processes 80% of conveyancing completions in Australia, has announced plans to launch in England and Wales this autumn.

A pilot version of what its solicitor co-founder describes as the “first collaborative conveyancing service” has gone live. Eddie Goldsmith said it was about letting conveyancers “get on with the legal work”.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has spelt out its concerns that clients “are not receiving appropriate advice” on onerous clauses in leases, particularly around ground rents.

The government is to sit down with National Trading Standards to consider whether stricter rules are needed to force estate agents to disclose that they have received referral fees from conveyancers.

Investors who lost money in a failed property development in Liverpool should sue their former solicitors rather than the law firm which held and paid out their deposits, the High Court has ruled.

The pandemic and stamp duty holiday led to conveyancing fees going up sharply, while ‘dabblers’ played a vital role in supporting the market, an industry roundtable has heard.

A blockchain network that connects conveyancers with estate agents and mortgage lenders and the company that provides third-party managed accounts for lawyers have both received new investment.

The Simplify conveyancing group saw its turnover from legal work increase by 3% to nearly £125m in its last financial year, which does not cover the recent cyber-attack.