Conveyancers suggested by estate agent?

VultureDodger

We had an estate agent out to value the house today, with a view to putting it on the market and noticed that they have in-house conveyancers. Apparently they'll provide "a fixed price confirmed upfront and if the sale doesn't go ahead, there'll be no legal fees to pay".

This whole selling thing is entirely new to me and we bought our current home 17 years ago, so I'm afraid I'm a bit wet behind the ears! Is there a reason why I should steer clear of using solicitors/conveyancers that have been suggested by the estate agent? Or does it sound like a good offer?

I've also had suggestions for conveyancers from my financial/mortgage advisor...

Many thanks :beer:

G_M

1) the EA will push their conveyancer - it's business. Does not mean they are the best choice. Don't believe statements like "It'll be quicker because communication is easier" or similar.

2) Many conveyancers will offer 'No sale no fee' if you ask - nothing unique about this. But read the small print carefully. It will (almost) certainly not include 'disbursements' that the conveyancer has spent (eg searches). It may also only apply if the sale fails for certain reasons, or if the other side pulls out (eg if your puchase falls through and you pull out of your sale it may not apply...)

3) As with everything, shop around. Compare their 'fixed fee' with the fees quoted by other conveyancers. Check what is.isn't included - some firms quote low fixed fees, but hide 'extras' in the terms of business, so you end up paying more. Always compare like for like.

4) I would never instruct a conveyancer without speaking to (better still meeting) them first, to se if I felt confident with them. Visit several local firms.

marksoton

VultureDodger wrote: »

Is there a reason why I should steer clear of using solicitors/conveyancers that have been suggested by the estate agent?

Yes, they're normally 5h1te.

BritishBibliophile

A good conveyancer is well worth the price, this is going to be an extremely important transaction, and while this is MSE and savings are important, there are some things you really shouldn't penny-pinch on.

We found our conveyancer after I was given advice on which local ones to avoid, I then emailed the other three with a set of questions that were pertinent to our situation (including checking they were on the board for our mortgage provider), luckily the one that came back with positives to all our questions also responded very quickly, we had a meeting with him last week and found him to be very knowledgeable and happy to talk us through the rest of the process, so we've signed up with him. He may not have been the cheapest, but I'm fairly confident that we'll at least have an easier time than with someone who might have been cheaper, but not as good.

smallholdingsister

Having once gone with the conveyancer offered by the E
A who was rude, arrogant, terrible at her job and not very bright, I would agree it is not something to scrimp on.

She forgot to register the title of the house and the £200 quid we got back from complaining did not make up for the stress she magnified during the process.

Get word of mouth recommendations definitely.

I don't think the conveyancer offered by the EA will necessarily be bad, and there are good conveyancers who are not qualified solicitors, but personally I would choose a solicitor next time.

There is nothing worse than the combination of incompetent AND arrogant!

Davesnave

VultureDodger wrote: »

Is there a reason why I should steer clear of using solicitors/conveyancers that have been suggested by the estate agent?

Many thanks :beer:

marksoton wrote: »

Yes, they're normally 5h1te.

Maybe too sweeping a generalisation, but if they're linked as a business then avoid, and also avoid if you're only offered the grand choice of one.

EAs can be the source of good, pro-active solicitors; after all it's in the EAs interest that the sale progresses smoothly. Yes they might have an informal business relationship; after all, beyond conveyancing, many businesses do. It's normal.

A comment from one solicitor was quite revealing. When told who our selling agent was, she replied, "Oh, him! He'll be snapping at our heels every week!"

I think it's fair to assume she wasn't on his list!

We only found out how bad that particular solicitor was by choosing from one from three recommended by the agent for our onward purchase. We spoke with all and didn't reveal his recommendation.

As promised, the lady we chose was ruthlessly efficient. Between us we found four errors in the title docs, plus what she felt was an unfair clause, all of which were sorted-out. Those problems were mostly long-standing and missed at earlier changes of ownership.

knightstyle

Ignore estate agents advice.
Get a LOCAL solicitor or conveyancer based on recommendations or your gut feeling AFTER meeting, not phoning, them.

Waldorf_Statler

I've used cheap conveyancers.

And I've used good (a little bit more expensive) conveyancers.

The cheap lot were a disaster and cost me a lot more in worry, stress and time by chasing up their malfeasance and ineptitude.

Get it done properly. That means not going for the cheapest, or easiest, option.

mattk_180

Unless someone independent can recommend and vouch for them I would be inclined to stay clear.


A good solicitor is worth the money and most will offer you some kind of insurance to transfer their services to a new property if it falls through, even if it is at a small cost, it could pay for itself in the long run.

Surrey_EA

knightstyle wrote: »

Ignore estate agents advice.
Get a LOCAL solicitor or conveyancer based on recommendations or your gut feeling AFTER meeting, not phoning, them.

I wouldn't have said that's always the correct advice.

There might just be a chance that an experienced local estate agent might know who the best solicitors to speak to are. As Davesnave says, it's in the EAs interests for the sale to go through smoothly.

As others have mentioned I'd avoid any conveyancing recommendations that are tied to the EA in some way, and go for an independent, local solicitor.

lillibet_dripping

Whatever else you do, do not UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, use Countrywide who are part of Bairstow Eves. They lost me my buyer through incompetance