The Conveyancing Association (CA) has updated its member pledges in light of the publication of its Digital Conveyancing Protocol Document and the introduction of the FCA’s Consumer Duty rules.
CA member firms commit to uphold the pledges, which focus on ensuring all clients – institutions or individuals – are treated fairly, and this culture of fairness extends to all dealings with third-parties.
Originally, the pledges covered: quality of service, client satisfaction, efficient processes, title and registration, combating fraud, and providing mutual support and working towards a trusted community of conveyancers.
In this iteration, quality of service was highlighted in order to ensure members are focused on reviewing a selling client’s title and highlighting issues which impact the sale.
In light of recent digital progress, including the launch of the CA’s own Future Digital Conveyancing Protocol, two new specific CA pledges were also added.
These included a focus on Net Zero, which will enable members to take steps to encourage clients to identify how they can improve the impact of their property on the environment to meet the Government’s Net Zero targets.
In addition, the CA added pledge regarding digital data storage will also see members take steps to enable property data to be delivered and stored digitally to enable future digital interaction with the property throughout its life cycle.
Beth Rudolf, director of delivery at The Conveyancing Association, said: “Our CA pledges are all about how member firms can engender a culture of fairness around the work they themselves carry out, and how they can prove this not just to clients but all stakeholders within the process.
“This most recent iteration of our pledges includes the addition of two new ones, focused on how firms can take pro-active steps towards meeting net zero targets, and how they deliver and store digital property data, so it is able to be accessed by all those who interact with the property both now and in the future.
“The new and updated pledges follow the publication of our Digital Conveyancing Protocol document and our updated Technical Protocol, in terms of the CA providing member firms with a range of information and recommendations on how they can secure the best experience for all those they deal with, and how they specifically tap into the benefits that can be secured by using digital solutions.
“This is all about delivering an improved home buying and selling process, and how we make that process less stressful and much more timely, which will provide huge benefits for all.”
