SortRefer hails Land Registry consultation on digital conveyancing

14 March 2017

SortRefer, the online conveyancing portal, which enjoyed its best year for completions in 2016, believes that now that recent concerns over privatisation have been dismissed, the Land Registry can now focus on modernisation and bring forward plans to move to fully digital conveyancing.

The Land Registry has opened a consultation on its rules with a set of proposed changes that include a wholesale shift to digital channels for conveyancing and registrations, and the use of the GOV.UK Verify service to authenticate identities.

Kevin Tunnicliffe, Managing Director at SortRefer, endorses the move, and hopes that implementation will follow quickly.

He said, “For those of us who have been leading the battle to move the whole conveyancing process into the 21st century, I am delighted by the announcement from the Land Registry. I remember there had been a pilot scheme for electronic mortgages over five years ago but there was little demand at the time. However, improving technology and the means to deliver being so much quicker because of faster internet speeds have already revolutionised much of the lending industry.

While we at SortRefer have made it easier for brokers to access top quality conveyancing, provide penny accurate quotes and 24/7 communication between conveyancer and client via our online portal, the actual mechanism of conveying title and its associated transactions, is still largely manual. Provided the Land Registry is prepared to move quickly on what I believe will be a positive response from the lending and conveyancing industries, we will see a real revolution in the way in which house sale and purchase is transacted.

SortRefer stands ready to assist any positive move by the Land Registry that helps speed up the process.”