CLC responds to government announcement re: homebuying process

Responding to the government’s announcement yesterday re improvements to the homebuying process Stephen Ward, director of strategy, Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) says:

“The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) is determined to support improvements to the home buying process. It is only through a number of changes – some of which are inter-dependent – that the process will get better for consumers and were pleased to see that yesterday’s government announcement reflected the scale of changes required.

“We support moves to ensure that customers are made aware of any potential referral fee by an estate agent before they make a decision on who to instruct, and that the should be encouraged to make greater use of review sites. Review sites are used, rated and increasingly trusted by consumers to guide their buying decisions. It is this route, rather than kite marks or additional quality standards beyond existing regulatory requirements which we believe will best support consumers in shopping around and lead to informed consumer choice.

“We recognise that there is significant overlap between the government’s announcements and the ongoing work in response to the CMA recommendations. We are already working with other regulators to ensure greater transparency and the provision of better information for consumers to guide their choice of a conveyancer.

“Similarly, we have been working with a range of providers as well as our regulated community for some time now to see how conveyancers can make use of digital platforms and other emerging technologies to drive innovation. We believe this is an essential part of improving the home buying process and one we will continue to support.

“At CLC we are committed to playing a leading role to help make the process of buying and selling of a home smoother, less stressful and more secure. We now look to the government to take a leadership role on this exciting agenda to help ensure that all stakeholders make progress together for the benefit of consumers.”

Kindly shared by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC)