What’s New in the Home Moving Trends Report 2014?
Hot on the heels of the Veyo 2015 Conveyancing Report which we reported on last week we have the second annual survey of Conveyancing Home Moving Trends 2014 from Search provider the TM Group.
Both reports highlight the pluses and minuses of clients’ Conveyancing experiences
We can now discover what clients value most and want to see from their Conveyancing Solicitors when they move home.
A legal, if you will, So, Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really Want..
What Clients Really Really Want in Conveyancing
Two of the three main conclusions findings of the TM Group research were: –
- Customer service experience matters in order to generate repeat business & earn referrals.
- Home movers are not particularly price sensitive – motivated more by service & communication.
The 4500 people in the Survey who had moved home within the last twelve months at least two thirds rated their Conveyancer as “good” or “excellent”.
Nearly half of home movers considered their conveyancer to exhibit excellent ‘professionalism’ and, intriguingly, the ability to ‘avoid jargon’ and speak plainly – something that conveyancers have traditionally been charged with being poor at.
The ability to avoid conveyancing jargon is something we have done with “What’s the Name of That Legal Thingy”
How to Manage Client Expectations in Conveyancing
The report showed that there was room for improvement in two areas:
‘speed/proactivity’ and ‘communication’; both could be improved simply by managing customers’ expectations better.
We know from our own website data the areas of the Conveyancing Process that home movers are most interested in.
We can pinpoint our legal content to match the demand or fill in the gaps. We did this with our most recent: Get All Your Ducks in a Row Between Exchange and Completion.
The Best Conveyancing Solicitor
This question in the Report aimed to provide an insight into the attributes that consumers deem most important when comparing different conveyancers.
An overwhelming 70% had rated as really important and top of their Conveyancing wish lists that their conveyancer should be:
- ‘proactive’
- ‘professional’ and a
- a good ‘problem solver’
These are interesting findings as in previous surveys the words most used were ‘professional’, ‘efficient’ and ‘friendly
The need for proactivity and proactivity are not so surprising but a Conveying Solicitor who is good at solving problems is a tremendous and sought-after benefit.
This may be explained by the complexities in the Conveyancing Process and perhaps the lower level of Conveyancing experience that some of the larger Law Firms employ.
We are firmly of the belief that an experienced Solicitor acting for you throughout will be able to identify and solve the “problems” which can punctuate your home move and improve the overall Conveyancing experience.
Cheap Conveyancing
The report was definitive that the cheapest conveyancing quote was not sought by the vast majority of home movers.
87% who moved home in the previous 12 months did not opt for the cheapest conveyancing quote.
And those who selected the cheapest conveyancer were less likely to want to recommend them.
These figures were an increase on the previous year and give further proof that consumers are becoming more aware of “you get what you pay for” with Conveyancing fees.
How Often Should Conveyancing Solicitors Contact You During the Conveyancing Process?
Nearly three quarters of respondents (72%) want to be updated at least once a week, if not more, even if there is not necessarily anything to report.
We agree that communication is very important through the Conveyancing transaction.
We have created an automated email sequence which we call the Clutton Cox Experience.
This is a great way of explaining all the steps in the Conveyancing Process. It also acts as a companion to the matter in hand, with information on what to expect next and how to give feedback as the sale or purchase progresses.
We ensure clients are contacted at least once a week throughout their Conveyancing transaction.
We’re still trying to improve the Conveyancing experience and it remains very much at the forefront of our thinking.
What Does That Mean For You When You Move Home?
Let me give you a final extract from the Home Movers Trends Report 2014:
“forward-thinking law firms should focus on communication, professionalism and proactivity”
We hope you agree, at Clutton Cox, we aspire to those goals and are working hard to achieve them for you.
