Buying or selling a property should feel exciting not exhausting. Yet, delays in conveyancing remain one of the biggest frustrations for clients, agents, and solicitors alike, and can leave you wondering how to speed up conveyancing. The good news? Many of these delays are preventable with better communication, clearer expectations, and smarter workflows.
Here are five practical ways estate agents and solicitors can work together to reduce delays and keep transactions moving smoothly.
1. Provide complete and accurate information from day one
One of the biggest causes of early‑stage delay is simply missing information.
When agents prepare a listing or negotiate an offer, the details they collect upfront can significantly influence how quickly the solicitor can open the file and identify risks.
Agents can help by providing:
- Full legal names of all sellers – if part of a client’s name has changed by marriage or deed poll it’s worth reminding the client that the legal team will require the relevant marriage certificate/ deed poll.
- Details of any Attorneys or Executors acting on behalf of the registered owner(s).
- Details of any alterations requiring Building Regs/Planning.
- Details of any gifted deposits or unusual financial arrangements.
- Management pack contact information for leasehold properties or freehold properties subject to a freehold estate management company.
Solicitors can help by:
- Sending concise “What We Need From You” forms at instruction stage
- Requesting title documents immediately (upon receipt of client funds)
- Flagging missing items early rather than waiting.
A strong start prevents the “email tennis” that often wastes the first 2–3 weeks.
2. Encourage clients to instruct solicitors at the point of marketing
Many sellers wait until an offer is accepted before instructing a solicitor. This alone can add 2–4 weeks to a transaction.
Agents can reduce delays by:
- Encouraging clients to instruct solicitors as soon as the property is listed
- Suggesting they complete property information forms (TA6, TA7, TA10) in advance
- Asking the seller to locate deeds, guarantees, FENSA certificates, boiler service records, etc from the outset.
Solicitors can reduce delays by:
- Opening files promptly
- Ordering title documents immediately
- Preparing contract paperwork while marketing continues
When a buyer is found, the contract pack is ready to go upon receipt of the sales memorandum and letter confirming instructions from the buyer’s solicitor.
3. Improve communication channels between all parties
Communication gaps create unnecessary anxiety and slow transactions down.
Agents can streamline communication by:
- Establishing a single point of contact on both sides. Each conveyancer will usually have support staff, it’s best to copy both the conveyancer and any support staff into each email.
- Set aside reasonable time/days to follow-up for updates. Generally, Friday is the busiest day for conveyancers dealing with exchanges and completions. If an agent emails a conveyancer at 10am on Saturday and chases for a response at 9:30am on the Monday it is very unlikely that the conveyancer has actioned or reviewed the request made during non-working hours. Provide a weekly update call or email to keep momentum.
- Ensuring messages are passed on accurately and promptly to clients.
- If a conveyancer is waiting on a response, completed form or confirmation from a client, a helpful “nudge” to the client may assist matters.
Solicitors can help by:
- Providing a weekly update call or email to keep momentum. A weekly update to an Agent on current transaction (urgent matters would expect more attention) helps keep parties in the chain up to date with the current position.
- Giving clear timescales. Do not make statements that cannot be met. If a task on a file will take a few days to carefully examine and respond it’s best to be honest with both the agent and client for full transparency.
- Explaining why something is outstanding (e.g., “We are waiting on the management pack, which typically takes 10–15 days”)
- Using plain English that clients and agents can easily understand (e.g., “There is a restriction on the title, we are locating who/why this has been registered what is needed to have this removed or complied with to allow to avoid any registration risks for the new buyer).
A transparent communication chain prevents misinterpretation and reduces the number of “chase emails”.
4. Speed up the enquiry stage with more clarity and better preparation
Many delays arise because enquiries are either: unnecessary, repetitive, or incomplete.
Agents can assist by:
- Ensuring sellers complete the TA forms fully and honestly
- Identifying potential red‑flag issues early (e.g., missing permissions, unregistered land, lease extension needs)
- Encouraging sellers to gather paperwork before it’s requested
Solicitors can help by:
- Raising enquiries in one clear, well-structured piece of correspondence.
- Avoiding overly generic, standard enquiries that don’t apply
- Responding thoroughly to avoid follow‑up questions
Fewer enquiry rounds = quicker progress (generally speaking!).
5. Use digital tools and e‑signatures to keep momentum
Digital conveyancing is no longer “the future”, it’s happening now. Agents and solicitors can dramatically reduce delays by adopting:
- Electronic signatures for client care packs, TR1s, and other deeds (where compliant)
- Digital ID verification instead of in‑person checks
- Online management pack ordering and automatic updates
- Shared progress platforms where all parties can see the status of key tasks
These tools cut out days, sometimes weeks of downtime while documents are posted, scanned, or chased.
Smooth conveyancing relies on teamwork. When estate agents and solicitors collaborate proactively, communicate clearly, and prepare thoroughly, the results are faster transactions, fewer fall‑throughs, happier clients and less stress for professionals
Even small improvements at each stage of the process can add up to a significant reduction in delays.
How can we help?
Alex Wright is a Licensed Conveyancer in our Residential Conveyancing team. Alex has gained a wealth of knowledge in all aspects of residential conveyancing including sales, purchases, transfer of equity, remortgaging, shared ownership, new build and both freehold and leasehold transactions.
If you’re wondering how to speed up conveyancing or have any queries on the above subject, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Alex on 0845 543 5700 or complete our online enquiry form.