The Conveyancing Association (CA) is launching a lender survey to identify areas where the industry can collaborate to improve the mortgage and conveyancing process.

Each year, the trade body for the conveyancing industry asks conveyancers to complete the survey which includes questions that rate lenders’ waiting and response times, consistency of reply, clarity of mortgage instruction, and follow-up actions.

The CA also asks conveyancers to provide information on raising post-offer queries, receiving amended offers or those which were withdrawn, and the nature of this activity, so that it can identify how much time the material information could save its members and lenders.

Previous iterations of the survey have enabled the CA to work with property industry stakeholders including surveyors, valuers, valuation panels, valuation software providers, RICS and lenders to share working practices and identify how post-offer queries might be reduced. The outcome of this is now being delivered by the HBSG Property Data Trust Framework Group which will support the interoperability of data and the authentication of the provenance of the data.

The latest survey is open until 20 June and the trade body is urging all its member firms, as well as the entire conveyancing industry, to complete the questions in order to provide results on what is happening across the sector. The full results of the survey are to be collated and discussed with lenders and the Land Registry at the CA’s member meeting, taking place in London on the 6 July.

Director of delivery at the CA, Beth Rudolf, said: “Previous work in this area has allowed us to meet with lenders, run workshops, plus engage with other stakeholders on the positive changes required in order to deal specifically with post-offer queries and how best to reduce their number. 

“As a result of this, the work being undertaken by the Property Data Trust Framework Group will make a huge improvement for all in the home-moving process.

“This year we will be collating the results in double-quick time in order to have a full and frank roundtable discussion with a number of lender representatives at our 6 July meeting in London, and again we want to ensure as many members as possible join us to take part in this.

“Providing evidence from the ‘coal face’ of conveyancing is absolutely vital and will allow us to continue to collaborate as an industry to improve the mortgage and conveyancing process for all.”

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