The estate agents solicitor versus my own?

I’m afraid you are not well informed Glorianny. It happens in some firms, by no means ‘most large firms’. Mostly in firms who offer cheap conveyancing, though doubtless you would not class it as cheap. It’s the only way such firms can do conveyancing and make any profit. You forget what I did for a living - in what I call good firms. For ‘good’, read ‘expensive’. Personal attention and no unqualified assistants, in any area of law.

I know what you did for a living GSM I know quite a few solicitors. Expensive isn't always the best. Sometimes just charging more is just that. Conveyancers are qualified. Their sole focus is house transactions.

My vendor had a personal solicitor. Her experience was similar to mine. We sorted things ourselves.

Conveyancers are not always qualified Glorianny. Some are, some are glorified secretaries. But you pays your money … and evidently it didn’t go well for you because you chose cost over quality. The firm probably paid your EA for the recommendation a similar amount to what they charged you. Consider the ethics and the conflict of interest. Your choice - it certainly wouldn’t be mine.

I would get my own personal lawyer. It may seem a bit more expensive but could save you money in the long run.

When I sold my flat some years ago the company strongly advised me ,after 6 weeks on the market, to accept a low offer rather than wait a bit saying it might take a very long time to sell. I believed them and went ahead.
In hindsight I realised that I was in no rush and I had a good property in a good area.ie it was very marketable.

The company was a law firm that also did conveyancing. They would rather make some money than none or have to have a protracted sale time which involves more of their time and resources, with the same fee as they had quoted, and so push sales through.

Their lawyer could not give me impartial advice.

Several thousands less to me was only a small amount less to them

Exactly.

Use your own preferred solicitor.

I'm going to. Very useful thread.

We were persuaded by the EA to use their solicitor. It was a major mistake as they delayed the purchase by months and two years later we discovered that our neighbour owned our house as well as his own. Our solicitor had failed to register our purchase properly with the land registry. DO NOT fall for the estate agents’ offers.

The person making this mistake is unlikely to be a solicitor. The good old glorified secretary filling in the registration forms, which are very simple and straightforward, and nobody checking them.

I have now dealt with solicitors on behalf of our Management Company for the sale of six flats here. I am continuously astonished at the differences between different conveyancing Solicitors.

As leasehold flats it always commences with the Management Company having to supply all the paperwork and the queries on the standard LE1 form.

Some Solicitors will then come up over the course of several months (!), with several more queries. I have found that occasionally, even asking the same question in two or three different ways.

So, towards the end of last year, the flat being sold actually sent to me eighteen (18) extra queries before completion, whereas a flat that has just completed sent NO extras.

Could be that the first Solicitors was very zealous, or the second one was too 'casual'.? Mind you one of the questions asked by the first Solicitor was whether we * (Management company) had any plans in place for unplanned expenditure? AND accepted my rather exasperated reply that my Crystal Ball was currently not working!!!!

Also, our flats have Share Certificates as the Leasehold is owned by the Management Company. Increasingly I seem to have to advice the Solicitors (or their clerks), as to the name of the correct paperwork to be supplied for this.

The legal side of house sale/purchase takes a large sum of our money. . We really do need to be assured we are getting properly qualified people for this.

I couldn’t agree more Fran. I suspect that the reason why questions are asked over a period of months is that the paperwork is collated by unqualified people and the solicitor (if indeed a qualified solicitor is involved) only sees it once everything the unqualified person has been told to gather is to hand - then once the solicitor sees it they realise it’s not all in order and/or further questions need to be asked (18 is a bit surprising though because you’re obviously very organised and know what’s needed).

I am glad people are bringing up unqualified people doing the work of qualified solicitors but being charged solicitors rates!

My friend is now retired but worked as a legal secretary having left school at 15 with no qualifications. She worked in various depts over the years and used to tell me of all the stuff she did that was then billed out at her boss’s rates which was several hundred £ per hour when she was paid about £10 an hour!

When I have bought and sold houses I always used a Licensed Conveyancer rather than a solicitor. Very good service and considerably cheaper.

Generally speaking conveyancing charges are far too low to support the work being done by a qualified solicitor, because people don’t want to pay much. Therefore a lot is done by unqualified people which is not, in my opinion, satisfactory but that’s the way things will continue until clients are willing to pay proper rates. Licensed conveyancers are ok but their knowledge and experience are within a much narrower field than a solicitor’s and you can’t predict when that deeper knowledge will be needed.

The first two properties I bought I had some issues with the solicitors, who were recommended locally.
For my last move I got quotes from local solicitors and the EA recommended one - all prices were similar. I used the EA recommended one and they were very efficient and helpful.
I have had bad experiences with conveyancers holding up chains so would not use them.
I think it's luck if you get someone efficient unless you already know someone well.

The worst of these Conveyancers seem to be those who do not actually have an office, just work on line, and can be difficult to contact.
After I signed my contract, I expected these to be exchanged that or the next day. Small chain, just four of us in total, We were held up for nearly a week, as the first time purchasers at the bottom had used one of these on-line people and nobody (Solicitors, Estate Agents) could make contact with them.

I have never had a problem with any licensed conveyancer I have used. Conveyancing is what they specialise in so they are not dipping in and out of other types of business.

The first time I used one I got quotes from 2 local solicitors and was quite shocked at how expensive they were. Then I read about Licensed Conveyancers and got a much lower quote. I was very young then so this was all new to me. I nipped into one of the solicitors and asked him why his costs were much higher ….. he sat back in his chair, waved his arm towards his coffee making facilities and said “with us you will get personal service.” I went with the LC! 😝

If there’s a problem with your conveyancing it often doesn’t come to light until you sell.

Imo Go with own solicitor. Safer every time. Their only interest is in doing a satisfactory job for you their client