Speeding up front-end conveyancing information

Timely delivery of front-end information is of paramount importance in ensuring the conveyancing process works smoothly. Owen Davies, Chair of DWSN and Searches Business Development Manager at Severn Trent Services offers his thoughts on the issues around speeding up information, specifically searches.

“There are many challenges in compiling the information needed for homebuyers in the conveyancing process. Even if searches are compiled by one organisation, they are drawing together information from a variety of sources all with individual timelines, reflecting the different types of data coming from organisations with separate operating models, resourcing and investment. There is no one-size fits all – no single timeline.

COVID has seen some of the challenges brought into sharper focus particularly around resourcing – an area that impacts, for example, some local authorities, who tend to have fewer resources than a commercial operator. And, whilst online portals and data streaming have the potential to improve many aspects of the process, not least delivery times, there will always be some data that needs specialist intervention and that takes time.

DWSN’s members provide responses to the Law Society’s CON29DW Residential Enquiry and have made considerable investments in infrastructure and in its people over the last two decades to provide those responses with progressively more improved turnaround times. With an industry average for 2021 of 1.43 days, this is something we are justifiably proud of. Yes, I’d like to see improvements in reducing this still further, but I recognise that this must not be at the expense of quality, and that there are still elements that require specialist review or intervention.”

Owen Davies, Chair of DWSN and Searches Business Development Manager, Severn Trent Services