The conveyancing workforce in England and Wales has contracted by 15% in little more than three years, prompting calls for firms and the wider property industry to address the pressures facing the profession.
Law Society figures cited by RG Law show the number of conveyancers fell from just over 13,000 in September 2021 to 11,140 in January 2025.
The law firm said the decline comes as conveyancers are being asked to handle a broader range of regulatory and risk requirements while also facing demands for faster transactions, more frequent communication and lower costs.
Responsibilities now extend across areas including anti-money laundering checks, source of funds, digital identity, fraud prevention, building safety, consumer protection, material information, environmental risks, sanctions and overseas ownership.
RG Law said many firms estimate that compliance, risk management and regulatory work takes between 30% and 40% more time than it did 10 years ago.
PRESSURE ON THE PROFESSION
Karen Marsh, sales and marketing director at RG Law, said: “Conveyancing has increasingly been treated as a process that clients and estate agents simply have to go through, with little appreciation for the work required to progress a transaction safely to completion.
“Conveyancers are under constant pressure from multiple directions. Clients want to move, estate agents are pushing for exchange and completion dates, and referrers often have their own expectations. However, legal work cannot be rushed without increasing risk.
“Many talented conveyancers feel overwhelmed by growing workloads, increasing compliance requirements and unrealistic expectations. Some are leaving the profession, while others are moving into auditing, training, compliance or consultancy roles.”
The firm argues that greater use of legal assistants, customer-service teams and online tracking systems could remove routine communication and administrative work from conveyancers. It is also calling for greater investment in training, professional development, wellbeing and workload management.
TRANSACTION TIMESCALES
RG Law said conflicting expectations over completion dates can create unnecessary friction between conveyancers, estate agents and clients. An agent might suggest that a transaction will complete within eight weeks, for example, when the conveyancer considers 12 to 16 weeks more realistic.
The timetable can also be affected by mortgage lenders, local authorities and other parties in a property chain.
Marsh said: “Estate agents and conveyancers need to deliver a consistent message from the outset. When clients understand the likely timescale and the factors that can affect it, they have greater confidence in the process.
“I often use the analogy of taking a car for an MOT. If the garage discovers that the tyres are bald, most people will not expect the garage to replace them for free. The issue could not have been identified until the vehicle was inspected.
“Clients are not paying for problems to be created; they are paying for problems to be identified, managed and resolved so they can make an informed decision about one of the largest financial commitments of their lives.”
Issues such as restrictive covenants, title defects, leasehold matters and additional enquiries may only emerge once searches, title information and supporting documents have been examined, potentially adding legal work, cost and time to a transaction.
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
RG Law said competition based heavily on price and transaction volumes could make it harder for the sector to retain experienced staff. Some conveyancers are moving into non-client-facing positions or becoming self-employed consultants, although the latter can involve additional costs for insurance, regulatory compliance, technology, accountancy and professional memberships.
The firm has established the RG Law Academy as a route into the profession, with an emphasis on developing technical knowledge alongside communication and relationship-building skills.
RG Law is calling for greater professional development and investment in technology, as well as closer alignment between estate agents and conveyancers over transaction expectations and greater public understanding of the legal work involved in buying a property.
