In one of my rare quieter moments, I often question myself as to why anybody buying or selling a property would use a packaged solicitor recommended by a corporate estate agent. Let me explain. I recently went to a valuation in Cwmbran where the vendor had sensibly asked more than one estate agent to value their property and explain their services with a view to putting it on the market. One of the other estate agents was a corporate; who had provided a package quotation for conveyancing costs, which to me seemed somewhat expensive. I then rang a reputable local solicitor who had in fact provided the package quotation for the aforementioned estate agent. I obtained a quote some £250 cheaper for exactly the same job. You may wonder who gets the extra £250? All I can say is that the next time that you are offered a packaged solicitor quotation by a corporate estate agent, ask the agent, “Exactly how much of these costs are kicked back to you?”. If you do manage to get an answer, please email it to me and I will ensure that it is posted on the blog.
We all have to make a living but f!£$ me…
