Kevin Tunnicliffe, CEO of Sort Group, is masterminding a new industry campaign aimed at addressing key issues within the conveyancing sector, designed to bring a smoother journey for the law firm, intermediary and client, alike.
The inaugural event hosted in Manchester brought together key industry players from a range of conveyancing firms along with three panel managers for an open discussion on pressing issues facing the legal sector and how they can work together to solve them.
Attendees included Keith Ahmed (Sort Group), Rhodri Howells (Sort Legal), Andrew Sadler (SortRefer), Tony Leonard (Smoove), Keith Young (CAL), Mark Tosetti (Movera), Tammy Jones (Birchall Blackburn), Ray Langley (Birchall Blackburn), Matt Slade (Fidler & Pepper), Mark Slade (Fidler & Pepper), Fiaz Khalid (LPL), Dan Hickey (PLS), Kevin Smith (Simplify Group), Martin Hoare (Gorvins), Lorraine Lockie (Gorvins), Martin Crighton (Right Choice Conveyancing) and Fraser Shuba (Shuba Consultancy).
Topics covered included standards in conveyancing, training and development, conveyancing as a career, service vs perception, communication, no completion-no fee, legal fees, caseloads, and panel managers.
The success of the first meeting has led to the decision to make the ‘Levelling Up’ forum a regular fixture on the industry calendar with events set to take place three times a year.
Tunnicliffe (pictured) said: “The first ‘Levelling Up’ forum marked a pivotal moment for us, bringing together influential figures for an open dialogue on key industry issues in our bid to restore conveyancing to its rightful place in the property transaction and to ensure that buying, selling, or refinancing a property can be as efficient as it should be.
“There is a lot going on in the tech space around conveyancing, with many claiming to have ‘game changing’ solutions, but nobody seems to be addressing the key issues that are at the very core of the industry – low fees, high case loads, over worked conveyancers and the lack of understanding or empathy from large parts of the property sector.
“Conveyancing isn’t broken, but the length of time it takes to complete a property purchase is way too long and if things are going to improve, then change has to happen. Upfront information and investment in technology will undoubtedly help, but with such low margins in conveyancing, the conversation around fees took place and the need to invest in the staff to ensure that they can create a career in conveyancing without the work stress and regular ear bashings and abuse that they currently get.
“Our vision is to expand these discussions to ensure that the whole of the conveyancing sector is represented and to also involve other experts from across the mortgage and estate agency sectors as well as the surveying industry and hopefully lenders too to foster collaboration and identify opportunities for development to ensure we achieve the art of the possible.”
