ESTAS Forum - can agents and conveyancers work better together?

The property market over the last 18 months has seen unprecedented activity - as a result of changed priorities, the stamp duty holiday and positive buying and selling conditions.  

According to the ESTAS, often labelled as the Oscars of the property world, it has also highlighted the relationship between agents and conveyancers - and in some cases lack of it. The average time for a sale to complete is longer than it has ever been and abortive transaction numbers are rising.

"We owe it to the public to try to make the process as streamlined and stress-free as possible. That is why, at The ESTAS Forum sponsored by Coadjute, the relationship between agents and conveyancers will be under the microscope," Simon Brown, founder of the ESTAS, said.

The event, which is supported by Estate Agent Today, will be held in London next month. This year's bash will be a return to an in-person affair having been held virtually last year due to the pandemic. 

The format will see a series of panel discussions looking at what the problems are and exploring some of the solutions that are already being used by some agencies and conveyancers. In this spirit, the theme of the forum is ‘working together better’.

EAT readers are being encouraged to come along and join the debate, share their experiences and help to find some solutions that will improve the home buying and selling process for everyone.

"If you are in any way involved in the home buying and selling process, attending this event is a must, as the famous saying goes ‘If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem," Brown added.

“I talk to agents and conveyancers every day and unfortunately there is sometimes a blame game developing which just isn’t healthy or helping the end client. We wanted to create an event that gets under the skin of what the issues really are and see if we can find some practical ways to make the process easier and less stressful for all parties that have a vested interest to get deals done.”

Dan Salmons, CEO at headline partner Coadjute, commented: “A successful property transaction depends on a whole ecosystem of different professions working seamlessly together. Technology clearly has a major part to play in this, but I think it’s fair to say that to date the property market has not embraced it to the extent we’ve seen in other industries. The ESTAS Forum is a great chance to discuss what the barriers and opportunities are, and what an industry-wide network like Coadjute can do to make life easier for estate agents and conveyancers”.

The forum takes place at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Friday 22 October prior to The ESTAS Customer Service Awards that same afternoon. The event will be hosted by Rob Hailstone, CEO of Bold Legal Group, along with Sarah Edmundson, CEO at Agency All Stars and Agents Together, and Iain McKenzie, CEO of The Guild of Property Professionals. You can click here for more info about the event and to purchase tickets.