At what point do you need to choose a conveyancer?
What does a conveyancer do for you? In the simplest of terms, they are in charge of transferring ownership of a property from one party to another. It is easy to assume you don’t need any outside help when handling home purchases for your clients, but the transaction process can be more complex than expected, with all sorts of legal issues coming into play.
Conveyancing solicitors are here to make the process go as smoothly as possible. With years of experience dealing with different property transactions, they are best placed to help you deal with all the different nuances surrounding your client’s purchase.
Consequently, the question of whether or not you need a conveyancer is never really asked. It is a given that you will require their services. Instead, the question revolves around WHEN you should choose one.
Before clients come to you
If you are dealing with commercial or residential property sales, it is a smart idea to have access to a conveyancing solicitor from the very beginning. Conveyancers are only required when an offer on a property has been accepted. Therefore, you may assume that you’ll only need to choose one when your client’s offers have been accepted by sellers. In reality, having a solicitor in your phone book before a client even comes to you is the better approach.
Why? Because it saves valuable time later down the line. As mentioned above, they only kick into action when an offer has been accepted. So, in the lead-up to this point, your conveyancer won’t do anything and won’t charge any fees. But, when the client’s offer is accepted, you can instantly instruct them to begin the conveyancing process.
A common error is to wait until this point before choosing your conveyancer. While this seems logical, it can mean you waste time looking for the right solicitor. As more and more time passes by, the seller of the property may become annoyed and agitated, possibly pulling out of the sale.
Consequently, you may end up with angry clients who have missed out on their dream property because you didn’t act fast enough.
When clients come to you with property ownership concerns
There are times when clients may come to you with property ownership concerns outside of the buying/selling process. A great example is when ownership of a property gets passed down from one person to another. This can happen when someone passes away and leaves a house in their will.
Here, you will need a conveyancer to handle the Deceased Estate Transfer. In this scenario, they are transferring ownership of the property from the previous owner to your client. So, this is another key reason to choose a conveyancer way before any clients come to you. Here, you can instantly get on the phone with the solicitor, informing them of your client’s particular concerns and requesting legal assistance. They will even give you advice on what information is required to transfer the ownership from the previous owner to the current one.
Why do you need a conveyancer?
Simply put, they take the stress out of the property transaction process for you. When dealing with residential or commercial property settlements, there are many legal issues that can cause roadblocks in the process. Having a professional solicitor handling things will ensure these issues are ironed out or dealt with very easily. The same goes for any cases when ownership is being transferred from one person to another.
A conveyancer is there to make your life as a real estate agent easier, it’s as simple as that. If you are looking to choose a conveyancing solicitor, ensure you pick one with ample experience in this field. Make sure they have handled transactions like yours before – especially if this is a high-end one. Likewise, be certain they can handle any specific cases, like deceased estate transfers. As a result, you will find someone that’s more than capable of meeting your needs.
