Why all advisers should be active in conveyancing

Providing conveyancing advice, particularly to those clients who might not have any idea what conveyancing is let alone who they should be trusting to conduct it for them, may on the surface seem like something of a no-brainer for mortgage advisers.

But we’re acutely aware that isn’t necessarily the case. Some advisers immerse themselves in this space, and will provide conveyancing recommendations as a matter of course for as many clients as possible, others want nothing to do with, often worried that a) they don’t have the necessary experience, and b) that a poor service delivered to the client will reflect badly on them.

Of course, it is quite understandable that an adviser might feel concerned about being judged on the service of a conveyancing firm. Of being worried that it might reflect badly on them should that service not be up to scratch.

However, in every advice decision an adviser is making in the mortgage sphere, they are weighing up the same concerns, and taking into account, for example, the service of a lender when making a recommendation. So, what is the difference?

Now, some advisers will argue that – at the end of the day – they have to come up with a recommendation for a product/lender, because that is what the contract between them and the client expects. And that is right. And they may even be choosing the ‘least worst service option’ when it comes down to the lender they opt for.

However, for most occasions, this will be a balance made up of many considerations including rate, criteria, and of course, service. And then a recommendation is made. And that could still be the case for conveyancing too.

Using all the adviser’s knowledge of the sector, particularly in terms of who provides good service, who they (and their clients) have had a good experience with, who provides value for money, who is a strong communicator, and who ultimately doesn’t let the client down and gets them to exchange/completion within the desired timescale.

All that can be weighed up on behalf of the client and a recommendation can be offered on conveyancing. Surely this is a far better approach than leaving the client to their own devices, where on the whole they are going to have none of the ability of the adviser to make an educated choice.

Surely this is also a far better option than providing the client with a range of possible options, again without the knowledge that comes with working in this space day-in, day-out, and without utilising a portal/platform like our own which will outline service issues that could be an issue, or indeed simply offering a list of local solicitors who may not even specialise in conveyancing.

There is also much to be said for the more you offer advice in this area, the more confident you will be in what you are offering and the more compelling your advice and recommendation can be.

When you qualify as a mortgage adviser and work on your first few cases, no-one expects you to have the working knowledge of the mortgage market that someone who has been active for 10/20 years’ has. You build that up over time, you build experience, you lean on those who do have that knowledge and do have that experience to be able to help you shape better outcomes for that client.

Similarly, in the conveyancing space, you can lean on both colleagues who are already active, and you can lean on businesses like ourselves, who are entrenched in this sector, work with other advisers and conveyancing firms every single day, and who can also provide you with the help and support you need to bring these services to your client.

It also places you at the heart of the transaction for your client; it means you can offer a far greater degree of control, and you can use your experience and the strong relationships you have to help sort out any potential issues. With a conveyancing firm you have no relationship with, what are the chances you’ll be able to influence and cajole in the same way? Severely diminished I would say.

So if you’re not active in conveyancing because you are fearful of reputational damage, then work with a platform like Broker Conveyancing, and you immediately cut down on that risk, while providing your client with access to quality conveyancers, all while ensuring they are looked after and they’ll get to the end of the process in a much quicker time. Far better to have a client in this position rather than left to make mistakes on their own.