The government has dropped its proposal for ‘dual conveyancing’ where one conveyancer would work for both parties. Critics raised conflict of interest concerns.
However, it will introduce greater transparency over referral fees and has not ruled out banning them altogether.
Conveyancers welcomed the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government’s response this week to its Call for Evidence on ‘Improving the home buying and selling process’.
Proposals include a voluntary reservation agreement to stop gazumping and an enforceable Code of Practice for estate agents.
Eddie Goldsmith, chairman of the Conveyancing Association, said: ‘If we are being brutally honest then we would have preferred a larger degree of mandation particularly around, for example, providing certainty on completion with, for example, with the use of our own Conveyancer’s Code for Completion.’
