A solicitor is pledging to put the excitement back into buying property in a move away from online transactions.
Jo Anderson says the biggest purchase of most people’s lives can often be nothing more than a paper exercise with legal professionals sometimes not even speaking with their clients.
Having just joined the residential conveyancing department at BHP Law in Darlington, Jo is pledging to ensure that buyers enjoy a more personal experience.
“Buying a property is a huge moment in most people’s lives yet the growing reliance on online and email can reduce it to a paper exercise. Conveyancing factories have become too much the norm,” she said.
Recognising that clients may wish to obtain a quick quote online from BHP Law for their property transaction, she added: “As a modern firm, we provide that service and we recognise that some buyers, such as investors, might prefer to work through the transaction with little contact.
“Others, however, may want a more personal service, where they can speak with and meet the solicitor who is overseeing their purchase. We are happy to go and visit them and invite them into the office to sign documents if they wish.
“For first time buyers especially, there’s nothing like the excitement of signing on the dotted line for your new home and we feel we should make something of that experience and celebrate a client’s first, or next, step on the property ladder.”
Jo has returned to BHP Law, which she first joined in 2014 before leaving to have her two sons.
“It’s a very, very strong team at BHP, actually the strongest I have come across because we all help each other out. I feel very welcome and looked after,” she said.
She had earlier specialised in family law, an area of expertise that she is able to apply when property is a contentious issue in separation or divorce.
She explained: “Family law has given me extra insight into the important role of property when relationships break down and I empathise with that when clients are moving on and purchasing following separation.”
While the General Election and Brexit seem to have contributed to buyers’ caution, experts in the industry believe confidence will return this spring.