If you do a Google search for conveyancers in your area, it will probably bring up a number of solicitors firms based in your nearest town centre.
Dig a little deeper, and you’ll probably find that most of these firms don’t just deal with property. Many pride themselves on being a ‘one-stop shop’ for a whole range of issues affecting people in their local area: a bit like your GP surgery, but for law. So alongside conveyancing, they may also handle matters such as family, wills, employment, and criminal defence.
This type of business is often called a high street solicitor firm.
With the office on your doorstep, it can be reassuring to know that you can always pop in if you need to, however unlikely that may be. Likewise, if your solicitor has asked you to sign some documents or produce some ID, you have the option of perhaps leaving them with a reception on your lunch hour.
Going local can also make sense if you are the type of person who likes to deal with matters face-to-face rather than over the phone.
With the office on your doorstep, it can be reassuring to know that you can always pop in if you need to, however unlikely that may be. Likewise, if your solicitor has asked you to sign some documents or produce some ID, you have the option of perhaps leaving them with a reception on your lunch hour.
Going local can also make sense if you are the type of person who likes to deal with matters face-to-face rather than over the phone.
High street firms are an established part of the local legal community. Solicitors and other professionals from the same geographical network are used to working with each other, which can sometimes be helpful in getting things done quicker.
Many of us are now well-used to dealing with things like banking and insurance entirely online. So when it comes to conveyancing, the traditional way of doing things can be a little frustrating.
Smaller local firms can be slow to implement the new processes that can make the practical side of conveyancing easier. For instance, you may have to wait for routine documents to come through your letterbox, instead of them being sent to your phone. Likewise, despite the existence of digital ID-check technology, you might still be expected to come into the office to produce formal documents in person.
Local conveyancing solicitors often pride themselves on high levels of personal service, delivered face-to-face.
In practice, the property department of a small firm might comprise of one or two conveyancing solicitors and a few assistants. Many are unable to take queries or arrange appointments outside of traditional office hours, which can be inconvenient if you are tied up during the day.
You also may not have a go-to account manager to deal with the entire transaction for you. Instead, a solicitor might handle the key parts of the process (exchange of contracts, for instance), while assistants deal with day-to-day queries. If you want to know what’s going on, or if you have a quick question, it can sometimes be difficult to get hold of someone who can give you an answer.
“How much will it all cost?”
Let’s face it; when choosing a solicitor, this question comes pretty much top of the list. Trouble is, a local conveyancer isn’t always able to give a definitive answer.
Many local firms still prefer to work on the basis of ‘likely estimates’ rather than ‘fixed fees’. If it’s a simple transaction, you should find that the estimate is pretty close to the actual amount. However, if there are special considerations (a leasehold flat, a group purchase, or a requirement for specialist conveyancing searches, for instance), smaller local firms can be more reluctant to provide a definite quote from the outset. You may also be required to pay, even if the purchase doesn’t go through.
These organisations are qualified solicitors or licensed conveyancers who are based online instead of at a brick-and-mortar office. Unlike many high street firms that do a little bit of everything, online conveyancers tend to specialise in one thing: progressing property transactions.
From searches and contract exchange through to gaining formal mortgage approval, most elements of the conveyancing process can now be done digitally. Online conveyancers embrace this, which means there’s no need for clients to physically come into the office at any stage.
Online conveyancing firms also tend to be very good at giving you the information you need, right when you need it. If you want to check where you are in the process, you can simply log into the online portal for an instant update.
An online conveyancing service doesn’t mean sacrificing the personal touch. In fact; far from it. With Muve, for example, as well as being kept fully up-to-date via the client portal, you also get a dedicated account manager, available by phone or email when you need them.
Behind the scenes, online conveyancers are often much better equipped to keep things moving than their traditional counterparts. For instance, case management technology will automatically flag up the fact that another party needs to be chased, so matters are pushed swiftly along.
Good online conveyancing firms combine both the knowledge and the technology to progress your property purchase as quickly and effectively as possible. As part of this, they can be much more definite on things like timeframes and (just as importantly) fees.
Online firms can give you a fixed, guaranteed price for your conveyancing purchase, with no nasty surprises later on. They should also offer a no-move-no-fee arrangement as a matter of course.
Local firms often thrive from word-of-mouth recommendations. For online firms, reputation is just as important. Thanks to independent review
sites such as Trustpilot, it’s often easier to verify the firm’s reputation, rather than relying on anecdotal accounts.
Your online conveyancing solicitor probably won’t have personal knowledge of your local area. But just how important is this?
Well, back when things like local authority searches involved a lot of manual processing, it sometimes helped if you were on first name terms with the person dealing with it at the council to move things along. But now that these processes have mostly gone digital, local familiarity is much less relevant.
If you are the type of person who prefers to conduct business face-to-face, it’s fair to say that an online solicitor might not be for you. But remember, the personal touch means much more than being in the same room as your conveyancer. Is there a single point of contact looking after everything for you? Do they respond when you need them? This is what matters – and it tends to be something that the best online conveyancers excel at.
If you value having your conveyancer physically nearby, or perhaps you have a longstanding relationship with a local firm, then staying local may be right for you.
Alternatively, if you are looking for the most efficient service possible, making the most out of the latest technology (while still keeping that personal touch), an online conveyancer makes perfect sense.
For more information about conveyancing, be sure to check out our knowledge hub. Alternatively, you can meet our amazing team of online conveyancers right here. Need a quote? Contact us here.
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