Memorandum of Sale – speeding up a transaction

I OFTEN ASK ESTATE AGENTS what a conveyancer can do to help them and the answer is usually the same – answer the phone, return their calls, give updates and get the job done as quickly as possible. Yet it was only recently that an estate agent asked me the same question – what can an estate agent do to help me? With this question in mind, I reviewed some of my conveyancing files and the different estate agents I had encountered. Ultimately, the success and speed of a conveyancing transaction comes down to two elements: relationships and communication. So it was surprising to find that even the very good estate agents had failed in their first piece of communication to the conveyance – the Memorandum of Sale. Often underestimated, the Memorandum of Sale always seems rushed and incomplete. If agents took a little longer to complete them, I am sure that they would see the results. A sales contract is a very standard document and most conveyancers will make very few amendments. However, I almost always have to amend the names. Sometimes middle names are missing, or only a surname is provided and ultimately this is owing to the lack…

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