ChatGPT: Real progress
The latest version of ChatGPT provides first-time buyers with better answers than it did two years ago but still falls short in crucial ways, conveyancing solicitors have warned.
In 2023, East Midlands firm Bird & Co put the AI system to the test and found that, while it answered popular queries well, it slipped up on stamp duty and first-time buyer ISAs.
It also failed to ask follow-up questions, gave shallow answers, and often produced dates, locations, and figures that were wrong.
The firm has now asked the same questions of ChatGPT-5 and said the results showed real progress.
It delivered “fuller and more structured explanations, often setting out information in clear step-by-step guides that made complex topics easier to follow”.
It also asked follow-up questions and included country-specific legal advice for different parts of the UK.
But the research found that one of the most serious problems remained, with the figures around stamp duty relief failing to reflect the changes introduced in April 2025.
The model “also continued to make the home-buying process appear more straightforward than it is”, while the role of a solicitor was only mentioned “very briefly”.
The research said: “More information is needed on the importance of independent legal advice when buying your first property.”
The broader finding was that, while ChatGPT-5 provided a good overview and pointed clients in the right direction, it did not give the tailored advice a lawyer would.
Partner Daniel Chard said: “ChatGPT-5 shows just how far this technology has come, and it’s encouraging to see AI tools offering clearer, more structured answers than ever before.”
While there was “real value” in using AI alongside the work of solicitors, proper legal advice remained “essential”.
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