Firstly, I want to thank everyone who attended, contributed and took part in our fantastic…
With the party conference season now in full swing, we have once again been reminded of the extent to which housing policy dominates political debate.
This past couple of months has seen not only the suggestion that stamp duty could be abolished altogether, but now more recently, the idea it might instead be staggered, allowing buyers to spread their payments over time.
Both proposals are clearly designed to stimulate activity, and as an Association we would naturally welcome any measure that helps to unlock the housing market and encourage greater mobility. However, there is a danger here.
The uncertainty created by this kind of speculation does little to instil confidence. Over the next two months, while the industry speculates on which of these options – if either – will be chosen, many buyers and sellers are likely to delay decisions, holding off to see what the Chancellor eventually announces. That kind of hesitation risks dampening activity at precisely the time we need to be encouraging it.
Next All-Member & Legal Member meetings
It is in that context that our next All-Member and Legal Member meetings will take place at the House of Commons on 2nd October. I cannot think of a more appropriate location.
The setting itself is a reminder that conveyancing, for all that it is a professional service delivered by firms across the country, is deeply intertwined with the political decisions made in Westminster. Policy announcements, even in draft form, ripple quickly through the market. That makes our role as advocates for a more efficient, more certain homebuying process all the more vital.
The agenda for this meeting reflects the range of challenges and opportunities currently facing our profession. We’ll have a members workshop and panel looking at Digital ID and Qualified Electronic Signatures, how to create enduring efficiencies in conveyancing, best practices for storing transaction data and lifetime engagement with clients, and a live demonstration of the new PEXA UK Sale and Purchase platform.
Industry focus on cutting fall-throughs
Alongside this, we will continue to focus on compliance, regulation and professional standards, ensuring our members are equipped for the practical realities they face every day.
This year, our case has been bolstered by powerful evidence from Santander’s Fixing the Broken Chain report which has laid bare the true cost of failed transactions, with more than half a million purchases falling through each year and losses to the economy and consumers estimated at £1.5 billion annually.
What is perhaps most telling about the report is how closely its recommendations align with the solutions the CA has championed for years. Upfront information, digitisation, data sharing, and better consumer education are repeatedly identified as the practical ways to reduce fall-throughs and improve the customer experience.
This is exactly the direction in which we have been pushing – whether through the development of the Digital Property Information Protocol, our engagement with Government departments, or our partnership working with other industry bodies. For us, it is further confirmation that the answers are not elusive. They exist, and they are already being developed. The challenge now is to ensure they are implemented at scale.
So while we will, of course, continue to monitor what the Government may announce in the forthcoming Budget, we will also keep making the case that certainty, efficiency and modernisation matter more than headline-grabbing speculation. Our members know that every failed transaction is wasted time, money and energy – both for professionals and customers. Reducing that waste is the most direct way we can add real value to the market.
I am therefore looking forward to welcoming our members to the House of Commons in October, and to ensuring that, at the very centre of political power, our profession’s voice is heard clearly.
Nicky Heathcote is Non-Executive Chair at the Conveyancing Association (CA)