• 22 Sep 2016
• •
• 2 min read

Estate Agents can actually help the conveyancing lawyer

Conveyancers witness the work of so many estate agents in their day to day legal work, and any will tell you the quality ranges dramatically. Just as estate agents will say about conveyancing lawyers. A sure fire way to tell which estate agents a conveyancing lawyer rates might be if they promote the best on their legal website. But otherwise, simply asking a local lawyer who they rate is a good way to make sure you select the right estate agent in the area for your sale.

But what defines a good estate agent in the eyes of a conveyancing lawyer?

Bearing in mind that an estate agent does not get paid until the lawyer achieves the exchange of contracts estate agents can be a real help to the lawyer to help speed things along. The longer the legal process takes, the more chances of one party getting cold feet, and the deal is lost. Sitting back and letting the lawyers take over will simply add to the delay, and estate agents know this. Instead, the following qualities of an estate agent offer real assistance to conveyancers and can make for a surpassingly good team (Agent and Lawyer):

• the full EPC being attached to the Rightmove advert for the property
• the Estate Agent’s Memorandum of Sale including:
• the particulars (brochure) of the property
• the full names of the buyers (to help the lawyers draft the legal papers)
• the timescale the parties provisionally want to achieve
• the estate agent’s personal email address to receive updates
• never just calling for an update, but estate agents who call the lawyer to offer information they have discovered
• offering up in any telephone call, what can they do to help

A rule of thumb should be 4 weeks to an exchange of contracts from the buyer’s offer being accepted. An expertly prompt lawyer – making no legal mistakes – and a hands on estate agent can really help that happen. Conveyancers know that fact well, as they achieved it daily.

If you are looking for conveyancing services in the South, our expert residential property solicitors based in Salisbury, Southampton, Poole, Bournemouth and Winchester are on hand to provide you with the legal help and guidance you need. Don’t hesitate to contact Partner and Conveyancing Solicitor Tim Higham, on 01722 426985 or contact us here.