As a consequence of the pandemic, conveyancing has gone digital. Stephen Ward explains how this works for buyers and sellers and how it’s benefiting everyone involved in the process
While 2020, and the Covid-19 pandemic are now firmly in the rear-view mirror, its effects, as we all know, have been far-reaching.
Some are minor, but others have propelled industries and technologies much further ahead than they may otherwise have been.
The forced move to home-working and consequently the explosion of digital tools has allowed for greater efficiencies across many areas of our lives – one of which is the conveyancing process.
Traditionally viewed as a lengthy procedure involving copious hard copies of documentation, necessity once again proved itself to be the mother of invention and we have seen many digital solutions come into much more common use.
So, what can you now expect of the conveyancing process?
Digital identity checks and how they work
There was a time, in the very recent past, when in order to prove who you were you had to present yourself, in person, in front of your conveyancer with passport, bank statements and utility bills in hand.
While some people still have a preference for this, these days most firms are using digital services to check ID.
They have online systems which check your personal details against records held by, for example, mobile phone providers, credit agencies, HM Passport Office or the DVLA. This is much more convenient and also much more secure than using paper.
Digital identity checks can be completed in a matter of minutes, while the manual processing of documents can take days or even weeks. They can also be carried out from anywhere, which allows for greater flexibility in who you choose to instruct as your conveyancer.
The digital identity tools combine a number of technologies including biometric verification, such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning, ‘liveness’ tests where technology is used to detect a genuine presence on the other end of the device, and cryptographic checks, where only the sender and recipient can view the message.
These reduce the risk of human error and mean information can be encrypted and stored digitally which, in turn, reduces the risks associated with physical storage and management of documents.
Online portals to keep documents organised and secure
Similarly, many firms now offer secure portals where both clients and conveyancers can upload documents for review. Portals are fantastic as they are significantly more secure than email.
Portals not only assist in verifying identities, but also source of funds verification from buyers. This in turn helps to speed up mortgage offers, as lenders can also access the information.
In many cases the portals also allow you to follow the progress of your property purchase so you can see what stage you’re at and how close you are to exchange and completion.
This cuts down on the amount of time conveyancers spend updating their clients, freeing them up to complete transactions more efficiently.
We expect the coming months and years to see a much more fundamental transformation of the conveyancing process to provider faster, more convenient and more secure processes that will give home buyers and sellers greater confidence in the progress of transactions. Watch this space.
Improvements in efficiency for buyers and sellers
HM Land Registry’s rules have also changed in the last couple of years and they now have the capability to allow transfers of ownership of property, leases, mortgages and other property dealings to be signed electronically.
Witnesses are also able to now sign electronically as well, although they do need to be in the same room as the person they are witnessing.
This coordination across the industry has allowed significant inroads to be made in streamlining what was once a fairly disjointed process. And of course, streamlining leads to greater time efficiencies, speeding up the process for both sellers and buyers.
Keen to go digital? Here’s how to find the right conveyancer for you
If a digital process is important to you, make sure you do your research ahead of time and find out what digital services are offered by the firms you are speaking to. Word of mouth from family and friends is often a great place to start when looking for your conveyancer.
You can also look on review sites such as Trustpilot to see how other people have rated the services they have received from any firms you may be considering. In fact, law firms may soon be compelled to point potential clients to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) where you will be able to see any decisions the ombudsman has made about the firm to help make it easier for consumers to choose a lawyer.
A recent study, published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), Council for Licensed Conveyancers, and CILEx Regulation found that the public considered reviews and comparison websites helpful in choosing a legal services provider, but more could be done to ensure information on services and performance was more readily available.
However you choose to find your conveyancer it’s important to make sure they are regulated by one of the legal sector regulators – either The Council for Licensed Conveyancers or the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Practices regulated by the CLC have our secure badge displayed on their websites which, when clicked on, will take people to our site and confirm they are regulated by us. You can find a list of CLC-regulated conveyancers as well as guides to buying and selling a property here.
For further information, please visit: https://www.clc-uk.org/consumers/
Stephen Ward is director of strategy and external relations at the Council for Licensed Conveyancers
