Easing stress with digital support
In an age where digital convenience has become the norm, akin to ordering a coffee with just a tap on your phone or streaming a film instantly, consumers have come to expect everything in their life to follow suit and buying and selling property is no exception.
Easier said than done
However, when it comes to transactions as big and as complicated as the buying and selling of property, this is easier said than done. Conveyancing is a complex and nuanced journey, requiring infinitely more expertise and legal advice than any simple day to day transaction. As we have touched on in our previous blogs following the release of the Smoove Home Movers Trends report in May this year, conveyancing often emerges as one of the key stressors for those buying a house, with a particular reference to a perceived lack of communication. Nearly half of consumers (49%) agreed this was an issue for them.
The levels of stress are the same for both first time buyers and those moving home for a second time, suggesting the findings are not purely down to experience of the process (or lack of). Home movers go on to cite a perceived lack of transparency and visibility on progress as a contributing factor with less than a third (30%) feeling fully informed throughout.
For conveyancers, the reality is often that external factors make real time updates difficult. The number of instructions is increasing according to our latest research, and, with multiple other parties to engage with as well as the complexity of the process and the buying chain, the workload of conveyancers and the immense pressure on them is clear.
While they are diligently managing these capacity issues in a bid to make the consumer outcome as good as it can possibly be, the ability of firms to provide efficient responses manually can be limited by circumstance.
Balancing automation and the human touch
A level of automation for basic tasks is key, leaving them free to focus on more complicated queries and cases that need their expertise while being able to increase their capacity with all the revenue benefits that brings. Importantly, consumers support this:
- Two thirds (69%) acknowledged that they were more likely to choose a conveyancer if they operated with a 100% digital and paperless service.
- 45% said they’d be happy for AI to play a role in things like ID and fraud checks,
- 42% said they’d be happy with automation of case updates
- 39% said they’d be happy for chatbots to answer generic questions
All of the above shows a real indication of the need to drive efficiency for all.
We need a multi-channel approach to support conveyancers in doing so, and there are platforms out there that help firms do just that, including eConveyancer, designed to provide reliable, transparent and up-to-date information for its users, resulting in a smoother conveyancing process for all. The platform measures the communication and efficiency of the conveyancing process in every case transacted through firms on the panel, allowing them to reduce queries and save up to three hours per day per client as a result.
PEXA is another example – the platform can also send automatic updates to clients at each stage of the process and even trigger lender to lender updates as different forms are completed and the transaction moves along the journey. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but combining tech with the human touch and conveyancers’ expertise would go a long way addressing the communication pain points for all stakeholders.
Not only is this vital in helping them manage capacity, but it will also enable them to focus on complicated and nuanced transactions where they can focus on the provision of legal advice rather than admin. This will bring back some essential job satisfaction to the profession. It’s time to help conveyancers, ease their stress and drive smooth processes for all.
You can download The Home Movers Trend report via the following link: The Home Movers Trends Report 2025.
Read our last blog on the time considerations facing UK homebuyers here.