A focus on your firms and your needs

Firstly, a very big thank you to all those who attended our series of meetings in London last week, plus a huge thanks to Howden for hosting us at their offices, plus of course the drinks that followed.

I always receive really good feedback from our sessions but I genuinely believe this time it was the most positive from those who attended, both long-standing members and new firms in terms of what we were able to cover and the benefit to be garnered from it.

What I heard a lot was the positives in terms of focusing on both the here and now, the ‘coal face’ aspect of conveyancing and running a business in this space, but also what we were able to cover in terms of what the future might bring, in terms of securing opportunities and how to tackle specific threats, whether those are business-based or indeed in areas like fraud or liability.

A special note I think as well for the Conveyancing Survey Workshop, excellently chaired by Sam Strong which I think showed the CA working at its best. Questions being asked, and an open and sharing environment where firms were more than willing to outline the way they work, what works for them, what doesn’t, in order that others might gain and learn from those experiences.

I have been in so many sessions over the years – not within the CA I might add – where participants feel like they aren’t able to speak freely, they feel they are somehow sharing the company’s crown jewels, or that they are losing some sort of competitive advantage by sharing an experience or work process.

That is never the case at the CA and I think this Workshop showed this. We exist to represent the interests of conveyancing firms but we’re also here to help conveyancing firms, and often the best way to do this is by facilitating these discussions and sessions, because a problem shared is often a problem halved, particularly for those who have been through an experience already.

One thing I’d always like the CA to be able to do is provide a forum – whether public or simply in terms of allowing members to have a conversation with each other – where they can talk about anything ongoing in the market, and where questions can be asked, and everyone feels free to answer.

That I feel is the CA working at its best for both its member firms and the wider good of the industry, and I thank all those for taking part both last week and at previous meetings who contribute in such a way.

Conference sessions and what to expect

Last month, I mentioned that we’d have more detail to share on next year’s Annual Conference and Dinner, which as I hope you know, is taking place at the Hilton Deansgate, Manchester on the 30^th January.

Further details are available here, but I did just want to highlight some of the sessions we have taking place during the Conference itself, including a look at what might happen in the economy and housing market in 2025 from our key-note speaker, behavioural economist, Roger Martin-Fagg.

Alongside this we have a number of interesting discussion panel sessions taking place covering topics as diverse as: social media, marketing and PR; pricing models within the conveyancing industry; recruitment; and using technology in conveyancing.

There will also be a major focus on AI within conveyancing, and this is all before we have our Charity Dinner, in aid of the Children’s Society, and an opportunity to let your hair down at the party afterwards.

Again, it promises to be a really informative day for conveyancing firm representatives – one that focuses on both the here and now, and what you can do to ensure you’re working at the top of your game, and of course also has one eye firmly on the future in terms of what might be coming over the horizon. I really hope you can join us.

So here it is…

Which just leaves me to say that, as this is my last blog of the year, I’d like to wish all our members a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

I hope you all have a wonderful break over the holiday season and we’re looking forward to seeing you all at the end of January in Manchester.

Nicky Heathcote is Non-Executive Chair at the Conveyancing Association (CA)