BLOG: It’s time conveyancers and estate agents ‘buried the hatchet’
Solicitors and agents need to forge better relationships – it will make everyone's jobs easier and speed up property sales, says Adam Bainbridge of RG Law.
With over 50% of conveyancing business coming from estate agent referrals, it’s time for conveyancers to rethink their approach to these partnerships.
Estate agents are not just lead sources—they are critical stakeholders in the transaction process, influencing both the listing and sale stages.
As the first point of contact for buyers and sellers, agents often determine which conveyancers are recommended, making it crucial to build strong, strategic relationships rather than relying solely on transactional interactions.
Poor communication
Too often, estate agents and conveyancers operate in silos, leading to misaligned expectations, poor communication, and missed opportunities.
Estate agents seek more than just efficient case handling—they value proactive communication, streamlined service, and solutions that facilitate smoother transactions.
Estate agents seek more than just efficient case handling—they value proactive communication.”
When estate agents see that a conveyancer is truly acting in the best interests of their clients, they are far more likely to provide consistent referrals based on trust, not just financial incentives.
To transform relationships from transactional to strategic, conveyancers must focus on delivering real value – not just by processing cases efficiently, but by offering legal expertise, compliance insights, and exceptional service that estate agents can rely on.
Breaking down barriers
One of the biggest challenges in the conveyancing process is communication, or the lack of it.
Some law firms refuse to engage with estate agents, believing they shouldn’t have a role in the transaction.
However, estate agents play a crucial role in keeping buyers and sellers informed, and their involvement can help speed up the process, particularly when dealing with a law firm on the other side that may not prioritise communication.
Some estate agents set unrealistic expectations, assuring clients that their sale will complete in just a few weeks.”
On the flip side, some estate agents set unrealistic expectations, assuring clients that their sale will complete in just a few weeks. This often leaves conveyancers in a difficult position, having to redefine timelines and manage expectations when legal complexities arise.
Clear, upfront discussions between conveyancers and agents can prevent these misunderstandings and create a smoother experience for everyone involved.
Managing client expectations
Another common issue is cost transparency. Some estate agents provide clients with rough estimates of legal fee, often underestimating the true cost. For example, clients frequently mention: “The agent said it would be around £1,000 all-in,” when in reality, the final fees could be significantly higher.
To prevent unexpected surprises and frustration, estate agents and conveyancers should align on accurate pricing structures and ensure clients have a clear understanding of costs from the outset.
Changing mindsets
At RG Law, we encourage our conveyancers to build genuine relationships with estate agents, many of whom go beyond professional collaboration to develop trusted partnerships and even friendships.
However, estate agents also need to shift their mindset, moving away from the belief that conveyancers intentionally slow down transactions.
Conveyancers operate under strict regulations that require careful due diligence.”
The reality is that conveyancers operate under strict regulations that require careful due diligence. Cutting corners or overlooking key compliance checks could lead to serious legal consequences, including investigations or even firm closures.
For example, conveyancers are legally required to flag suspicious sources of funds, but they are not allowed to alert clients or third parties when doing so.
What may seem like unnecessary “stonewalling” to an estate agent is actually a necessary step in protecting against fraud and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Source of funds
One of the biggest pain points for conveyancers today is verifying the source of funds. While estate agents often conduct a light-touch assessment, conveyancers must perform an in-depth financial review. This can lead to difficult conversations, especially when funds don’t add up.
For example, a client deposits £30,000 in cash into their savings account, claiming it comes from regular salary deposits.
Without a clear audit trail, the money becomes intermingled and unusable, ultimately forcing the conveyancer to decline the transaction.
These delays and rejections often lead to estate agents blaming conveyancers for slowing things down, when in reality, they are simply adhering to legal obligations.
The bottom line
Ultimately, both estate agents and conveyancers share the same goal: a smooth, successful transaction for the client. The key to achieving this lies in better communication, mutual understanding, and respect for each other’s roles.
By working together more effectively, conveyancers and estate agents can streamline processes, reduce delays, and enhance client satisfaction—leading to stronger partnerships and long-term success for both sides.
Adam Bainbridge is Sales Manager of RG Law.
It seems both sides ie Solicitors & Estate agents need to work closer together.
Until the wheel is reinvented the system needs to be much smoother & and far more transparent between both above parties.
Transactions take a ridiculous amount of time and once both parties give each other more respect then sadly nothing will change.
Change will come when change can be agreed by all involved.
Everyone needs each other and without sales there would be no business for either party.
Jigsaw Group
Much of this is good but to say estate agents don’t need to legally check source of funds is completely untrue.
Under UK law, estate agents are legally required to verify the source of funds for property purchases. This is to comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations, which aim to prevent the use of criminal money in property transactions.
Agents must confirm not just that the buyer has the necessary funds (proof of funds) but also where the money originated (source of funds). This could involve verifying savings, property sales, inheritance, gifts, or other income sources.
Failing to do this can lead to severe penalties, including fines and criminal charges for both the agent and the agency. It’s a non-negotiable legal obligation designed to protect the property market from fraud and money laundering.
Isn’t it time to look at radical change? Do we even need both an estate agent and conveyancer on the sale side?
Would a merged proposition work better? For the seller, it would simplify the process to have only one professional representative in the deal. As your article states there is repetition in the data gathering and validation process. We just don’t need estate agents and conveyancers repeating the same processes. Particularly as digital technology and the opening up of data sources mean that these processes are quicker and easier to complete.
Rather than looking for ways to digitise current bad practice and vested interest, now is the time for a creative approach to improving the customer experience.
Your comment suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of the distinct roles of estate agents and conveyancers. While there may be some overlap in data gathering, the obligations and expertise of each profession are entirely different.
Estate agents focus on marketing properties, negotiating offers, and facilitating the sale, whereas conveyancers handle the legal transfer of ownership, ensuring all legal requirements are met, protecting both parties from future disputes. The idea that these roles could simply be merged overlooks the complexities involved in property transactions.
Rather than eliminating key professionals, the real opportunity for innovation lies in improving collaboration and streamlining processes using technology—without compromising the legal safeguards that exist for buyers and sellers.