Rightmove is urging estate agents to prepare for changes to the home buying and selling process as greater emphasis is placed on providing property information earlier in a transaction.
The property portal will host a webinar examining the Government’s home buying and selling reform plans, including upfront sales information and digital property logbooks.
The session will focus on how agents can identify potential problems before a transaction progresses and what constitutes a property being genuinely “transaction ready”.
It comes as the property industry increasingly looks at bringing legal and property information forward in an attempt to reduce delays and failed transactions.
PROPERTY RED FLAGS
Rightmove’s Property Information Revolution webinar will examine common issues capable of holding up a sale, including leasehold complications, restrictive covenants, rights of way and flood risk.
It will also consider what information should be contained within a sales pack and how agents can assess whether information is ready for use by a conveyancer.
Jason Charles (main picture), Head of Education at Rightmove, says: “The Government’s proposed reforms are designed to create a faster, more transparent process for buyers. As greater emphasis is placed on upfront information, agents will need to understand how to spot potential issues earlier and help prevent avoidable delays.
“In this session, agents will be able to hear from Sally on where transactions most commonly stall, the warning signs agents should look out for, and the practical steps they can take to keep chains moving and reduce unnecessary delays.”
TRANSACTION READY
The webinar will feature Sally Holdway, founder of Home Owner’s Passport, and will also look at how agents should assess providers of upfront sales information.
Holdway says: “Upfront information forms a central pillar of the Government’s home buying and selling reforms and so is here to stay. However, we are conscious that it can look like another layer of compliance, and there’s a worry that digging deeper can surface tricky legal issues.
“We’ll be sharing some of these hints and tips in the session. Handled well, our experience is that upfront information is a triple win: it helps agents win more instructions, shortens completion timescales and brings fall-through rates down.”
The webinar takes place from 10am to 11am on 23 September, with attendees also receiving guidance covering the reform roadmap, common transaction red flags and implementing sales packs and property logbooks.
