New survey shows professional and personal recommendations are far more powerful than price
Nearly a third (32%) of homebuyers choose a conveyancer recommended by their estate agent, compared to 40% who compare multiple firms before making a decision, according to new research from Lyons Bowe Solicitors.
The company surveyed 1,208 UK homeowners who had purchased a property within the last two years to find that estate agents remain the single most influential source of instruction.
Recommendations from friends and family were also important, with one in four buyers (25%) finding their conveyancer in this way.
Buyers were less likely to go in cold, with less than one in five (19%) using online search to find conveyancers.
Referral or recommendations biggest factor
Of the 40% of buyers who did consider multiple firms before deciding on a conveyancer, 38% said a referral or recommendation was the biggest factor in their final decision. In contrast, only 20% said price was the primary influence and only 11% based their decision on online reviews.
77% of homebuyers said they either wholly or mostly trusted their conveyancer throughout the transaction process.
Paul Lyons, managing director at Lyons Bowe Solicitors, said: “Referrals from estate agents continue to play a hugely important role in how buyers choose a conveyancer, particularly in a more subdued market where firms are competing harder for every instruction.
“That’s why it’s so important for conveyancers to invest time in building and maintaining strong relationships with local agents. Estate agents want to recommend firms they trust to deliver a reliable, efficient service that reflects positively on them and helps transactions progress smoothly.
“But securing the instruction is only part of the job. Once a client comes on board, firms then have to deliver a level of service that encourages future recommendations from friends and family, because word-of-mouth remains incredibly powerful in this sector.”
