Should I use EA solicitor?

superkick40

Due to agree on a purchase on Monday. Broker (independent and DIP) in place just need to choose my solicitor have had a few quotes from just under £2k to around £2.5k. 

I contacted a decent sized firms branch local to me for a quote and then received one from another branch of the same firm through the estate agent. This second quote was cheaper with fees only to be paid on completion. Any pros and cons in this? Should I go independent?

kinger101

It can depend on the nature of the recommendation.

Often it's given solely on the basis of a commission rather than quality of service.  

The conveyancing process can be quite stressful  and I'd happily pay a bit more for somewhere with a good reputation.

ACG

Difficult to say without knowing more. 

We use 2 firms, one of them our conveyancing goes via a different branch to their "main" office. The branch we go via is basically a conveyancing arm of the main firm. Its cheaper and in most cases quicker. However, if something goes wrong, it can become a bit more work as it becomes a call centre kind of thing. But thats on us to deal with. 

So basically maybe 8-9 times out 10, its quicker. If your "THAT" case, it is probably going to be slower. 

I normally say to avoid agents solicitors as they normally end up with about £300 kickback which ends up going on your bill. But in this case that foes not seem to be the problem. 

In a nutshell, it should be fine. But maybe check the reviews? 

Jemma01

I opted for the least amount of headache, esp as the purchase/sale process is inherently stressful. I paid 2.5k for a Google review of 5stars solicitors, and it was the best decision I made. They were fantastic. My solicitor would reply on sundays if I emailed on Sunday, same goes to her assistant. Exceptional service. I didn't need to chase anything, they ran with it, they chewed on lots of things and pointed out stuff I didn't know I needed to know about, and kept me informed. Some things are worth paying for.

I also didn't go for someone recommended by the bank (so paid extra £350 for HSBC to allocate their own solicitor to protect their interest), and I got my own to protect my own interest. I wouldn't trust EAs to make recommendations for me in case they rush the process to please the EA rather than ensure full thorough due diligence (not saying they would, I just avoid potential conflict of interest).