Selling via an estate agent.. Use in-house solicitor?

If you use a local solicitor like I did, you can pop in with details required, or to ask and answer questions in person. So much more civilised. The agency I was with also wanted me (almost using strongarm tactics) to use their conveyancing services, which were based in St Leonards on Sea, down on the Sussex coast and miles away, so that every communication would have been a more long-winded process and popping in for a quick chat would have been out of the question.

MM

Thanks for the input, MM. But isn't a telephone call or an email even more convenient than popping in to a local office? If so, then the solicitor might as well be 50 miles away. No?

JK

It's a good question and I'd like to know the answer. Is there any body or society that the solicitor should belong to, so that you get some functional avenue of redress or arbitration in the event of a complaint or dispute? What about teh solicitor's qualifications? I personally need one who is familiar with planning regs and building regs and leasholds and commonholds etc.

Jake

Absolutely not. My solicitor is fifteen minutes away. I can jump in the car and be there in no time. I paid the solicitor several visits in person to clarify things and speed things up instead of waiting for the mail to be delivered one or two days later, then a further delay while my reply is sent back. Solicitors need some things in writing, i.e. printed on paper for the client to sign and return. Another good reason was that the fixed price deal from my local solicitor was some two hundred pounds cheaper than the agent's conveyancer!

MM

The in town one may now have, or be likely to have in the future, a relationship with the other party which might influence their advice to you. If the circumstances warrant, it might be sensible to avoid any possibility of this.

In this case I would want to know whether there was any commission passed between them.

That's a matter of opinion. I think that it's perfectly civilised to do business by phone/fax/email/post.

There were a couple of good reports on these people in Epsom if it's any help

Are you aware of solicitors bill auditing services ? It might not be worth it for conveyancing though.

That's my attitude. I used a solicitor I knew to be good who was 100 miles away for some conveyancing, rather than choose a local one I knew nothing about. However, if the solicitor is required to carry out meetings or court appearances local to the client, then it may not be worth the increased travel charges.

Daytona

"MM" wrote

Another good reason to do it by post - gives you the chance to read the paperwork with your feet up in a nice comfy armchair & a cup of coffee, without the solicitor trying to rush you through it!!

Is it always advisable to get a *written* quote from the chosen solicitor before the work starts? That may sound like a silly question, but I'm not familiar with using solicitors. Do they mind if you ask them for a written quote, or do they say: "If you don't trust me, bugger off and find someone else."?

JK

I took the papers home, read them, then returned them. All within a morning. And peace of mind that nothing got lost by the Royal Mail.

MM

A fixed price deal for conveyancing is a fixed price deal! That's what 'fixed' means in this context.

MM

lol! I missed that - I've only just heard of bill auditing services myself, so got a little carried away as it sounds like a useful service.

Daytona

In message , J Kemph writes

Is this like Countrywide agencies recommending Countrywide Lawyers, i.e. very closely affiliated? Or are they recommending a local independent firm who they get along with, and who they know to be good?

If the former, avoid it like the plague - their interests are probably the agents and not yours. If the latter, it is quite normal and can avoid you choosing a crap solicitor who does not help to make things happen.

In either case, due to the way the English system works, you will still probably have some issues during the transaction which may lead you to think either the solicitor or agent are not too good - this is also normal.

What is normal? That the solicitor or agent are not too good, or merely that he will be led to think so?

:-)

I note the :-)

the fact is that with both solicitors and estate agents, (the latter moreso), we are sold the sizzle, and not the sausage. As a result, the reality is less than the expectation.

Exactly! (even down to the name!)

That was the gut feeling I got by the way the estate agent was trying to push their services on me.

Thanks for the input..

JK

In message , JKemph writes

I used to be an estate agent and many of our clients used Countrywide to arrange their mortgages. Their broker told me that he recommended as few as he could to their lawyers, and everyone else to a local independent.

Why was that?

JK

I would go along with the agent's suggestion as long as the solicitor's price is OK. The agent wants to get the sale done so it's in his interest to use a solicitor he has a good relationship with and who he knows acts quickly.

Robert

AFAIK it is normal for the solicitor's fee to be paid only when the buyer moves in. He deducts it from the incoming payment before sending the rest on to you.

In message , JK writes

I understand that there was pressure to get buyers and sellers to use their "in-house" lawyers, (probably targeted), but because he wasnt impressed by their performance/service, he recommended the minimum he could get away with.

i actually reached the point where if a buyer was using a solicitor who performed badly repeatedly, we would recommend that a seller sold to someone else, (an alternative which had usually been available over the last 5 years or so).

In message , Robert writes

In many instances this is OK, but not always.

Although when buying, there are certain things where the solicitor wants money up front - e.g. local search.