Can you recommend a solicitor?

Yes, we can recommend a solicitor for you

Going with a solicitor we recommend is usually the best bet. Why?

There are a lot of poor solicitors... (You want to avoid these)

Solicitors vary so much in how quickly they work and how much they'll communicate with you.

And quite honestly there are some really, really bad ones out there:

• Solicitors who still aren't fully modernised (they'll only communicate by post instead of email, stretching the sale out by many more weeks and risking things going missing in the post or in their mail departments).
• Solicitors who really aren't bothered if you're in a rush to get moving (they'll make you wait on them - rather than driving things forward to hit your timeframes)

This means you won't be able to get hold of them for updates and things will move slowly.

Sadly, this is one of the major reasons so many sales fall through: A lack of significant progress, and a lack of communication.

There are some really outstanding solicitors too

Fortunately there are some really outstanding solicitors too.

Believe me, we know the difference. We've dealt with hundreds upon hundreds of solicitors, and have seen the full spectrum.

This means we know a great firm and a great individual when we find one - and we make sure to only work with them.

So, you can recommend a great solicitor?

Correct. Instead of having to search online or take recommendations from a friend or familiy member who may have only sold one or two properties, a recommendations from us basically benefits from having dealt with hundreds and hundreds of solicitors.

Our Service Level Agreements are also crucial

Another reason we get such a great service from solicitors is that we give them repeat business. This means they know the only way to keep getting future customers from us is to keep delivering for the existing customers.

You get to benefit from this: you slot in to an existing system which is set up to deliver fast completions, and keep you informed and in control throughout.

Is it a problem if the solicitor you recommend won’t be nearby to me?

No. Everything can be done remotely.

You can return documents by email or post, and all your conversations with them can take place over the phone.  The solicitor can send you documents by email (or by post, if you prefer).

It’s actually quicker than this way too: If you have to wait for an appointment with a solicitor to speak with them in person, or to go through documents with them the sale will take much longer – because they won’t have much availability.

So why might I choose to use my own solicitor?

There are only really a couple of reasons:

1. Trust/control/comfort

Some people just feel more comfortable using their own solicitor, rather than being recommended to one by a company. We completely understand this, and we want you to feel in control. This is why you don't have to use a recommended. The choice is ultimately up to you.

Just bear in mind that the solicitor we recommend acts for you. Not for us. They have to work in your best interest at every point of the transaction. They’d be in breach of solicitor regulations otherwise.

If it is really important to use a solicitor you’ve found yourself though, then just be aware that it might slow the sale down. Very few solicitors are used to doing very quick turnarounds. We’ll always do our best to work with the solicitor you’ve found, but just be aware that it does introduce a bit of an “unknown” into the process, and it may make it harder to deliver in our normal timeframes.

2. Experience & long-standing relationship

If you’ve bought and sold a lot of properties and you always use the same solicitor, you might already know that they’ll be able to get the sale done quickly for you, and keep you informed throughout.

If this is the case you may be just as well off sticking with them.

In summary

The solicitor we recommend:

• Will work to the timeframes you’ve set (this is rare … Most solicitors work to their own timeframes. You'll be waiting on them)
• They’ll communicate with you throughout (again, this is surprisingly rare. Most solicitors will provide an update once per week, or less. You’ll often be left in the dark – which can be really, really frustrating)
• How can you be sure they’ll deliver for you? Well, if they don't work fast or don't communicate they wouldn’t get more business from us. (Not in their best interest at all).
• However, you can use your own solicitor. (Just be aware that it may mean the sale takes longer than our usual, if they don’t work as quickly as the solicitors we normally recommend)
• So it’s completely up to you which you prefer to use.
• And either way we cover their bill, so neither will cost you a penny.

Read more

• How a sale to us works (including how important the solicitors are to the whole process)
• We can but your house fast (solicitors are important for a quick sale, but who your buyer is is even more important)