EDITION 13
INSIGHT FEATURE
At the end of 2022 my wife and I finally made a decision we had talked about for years. It was one of the most important decisions we could make together but for some reason we had failed to make it until now…
The decision was to finally make a legal will. "How disorganised! How irresponsible!" I hear you say! I know, and I apologise to you all but as the saying goes ‘life just always seemed to get in the way’. But not this time, I was determined to make it happen but where to start? I didn’t know any local solicitors so I asked my financial advisor (who I trusted having used him for many years) who recommended a local firm who he said were ‘very thorough’.
I picked up the phone and was about to call them when I suddenly thought - hang on, I’m in the business of customer reviews I should really check them out online first – even though I had a trusted personal recommendation. So, I Googled ‘Best solicitor’ in my town and as always the ‘map of 3’ came up which included the firm recommended to me. Excellent! I thought, no need to do anymore research, but then I saw they had only a handful of reviews (9) compared to the other two firms who both had 30+ reviews.
It was then that I decided to do more online research. The Google review ratings of all three firms were similar, around 4.5, but of the nine submitted to the firm recommended to me, 4 were over a year old and another three were the classic ‘but’ reviews. You know the ones, the review starts off well enough then halfway through there is a ‘but’ which effectively turns what started as a positive review into a negative one.
Looking at the other two firms they both had similar customer review ratings and a number of reviews, but one stood out. Their reviews were more recent and all of them had been replied to by the firm’s Director. When I moved onto their own website - which wasn’t very well designed to be honest - however, it had more recent reviews streaming and again all of them were replied to. The reviews weren’t all perfect and a couple of them were one star but the Director of the business had taken the time to reply and explain the issues. All of this gave me confidence that even if there were problems in the process the firm would address them.
On that basis I went against my trusted word of mouth recommendation and picked up the phone to the other solicitor and I’m glad to say my choice was vindicated. We have a nice new shiny will in place and I feel like I’ve already achieved my personal admin goals for 2023, right where’s that Gin & Tonic!
Quiz: How agile is your estate agency?
Do you dream of speedier selling times, simpler processes and happier clients? Discover how becoming more agile can give you the edge you need to succeed.
It's a challenging time for estate agents. With surging inflation, rising borrowing costs and squeezed profit margins, pressure is mounting on all sides. Trying to predict the future is a fool's game right now, but one thing is certain. To navigate these complex and turbulent times, estate agents must be ready to respond and adapt quickly to whatever the market throws their way.
But how? Enter: Agile.
If you're not all that familiar with the term agile or this is the first time you've ever heard of it, this could be the perfect time to explore it a little further. Agile isn't just for tech companies; it can help any business perform better. Take our short quiz and find out how agile your agency already is, you may even surprise yourself, you might already be more agile than you think!
Take the QuizWhat makes winning an ESTAS Award so special?
On 22nd October this year we will be hosting the 20th annual ESTAS Awards. Each year the top agents, conveyancers and mortgage brokers gather in London to see if they have managed to scoop one of the most prestigious awards in the UK property industry.
The reactions of the winners never fails to surprise me, the sheer emotion etched on their faces says it all because winning an ESTAS Award is like nothing else in the industry and here’s some of our winners to explain why…
If you would like more information about how your business can experience The ESTAS go to https://www.theestas.com/contact-us
Transactional efficiency for maximum returns
For any law firm, ensuring that private client, property, or other legal matters are delivered in a consistent, high-quality, and profitable manner with the minimum of demand on team members is key. Intelligent automation through workflow achieves precisely these outcomes, allowing their valued teams to focus on servicing their customers.
Ochresoft, part of Landmark Information Group - the largest property and land data business in the UK - is a leading workflow and case management solution designed by lawyers for lawyers, in the areas of conveyancing and private client. Our ‘Workflow as a Service’ technology has been designed to make it easy for law firms to deliver client work in a range of practice areas, while maximising efficiency and profitability.
Making legal work a breeze through workflow automation
Ochresoft’s workflow tools ensure that lawyers and other legal practitioners follow a carefully structured, pre-defined process from the moment a client is onboarded, to the completion of their matter. This ensures that a consistent approach is taken, all steps are completed, and the potential for delays and errors are removed. Not only are our workflows designed by lawyers for lawyers, but they are also regularly reviewed and updated, whether to conform to new regulatory and compliance requirements or based on changes to best practice.
Ochresoft’s ‘Workflow as a Service’ solution is a cloud-based, automated, fully comprehensive and dynamically responsive workflow solution and precedents library. Our software is designed to promote greater levels of collaboration and delegation within legal teams while giving them the confidence that a pre-defined workflow will take users through each step of their work process.
Our purpose and mission is to remove complexity and uncertainty from transactions while making them smoother, faster, and more secure for all law firms. When it comes to compliance, you can relax in the knowledge that Ochresoft is compliant with the rigorous requirements of Lexcel, the Law Society Conveyancing Protocol, and the Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme. We are ISO9001 and ISO27001 accredited; and also members of the Institute of Customer Service.
Key benefits of our workflow solution
Ochresoft’s ‘Workflow as a Service’ solution offers several key benefits to law firms of all sizes, including:
Interested to learn more?
Ochresoft’s friendly and highly knowledgeable legal workflow specialists are here to answer any questions you have. Based on your needs, we can explain how our ‘Workflow as a Service’ solution can transform the efficiency of your practice.
For a demonstration of Ochresoft’s ‘Workflow as a Service’ offering or to discuss how our solution will meet your law firm’s needs, call today on 03300 366700, visit ochresoft.com or send an email to [email protected].
If, like me, you have been suffering from the dreaded lurgy over Christmas and new year, then this recipe is for you. Whenever I am feeling under the weather my body craves veg and nutrients, this recipe does the trick.
It’s so quick and easy and uses ingredients which you will most likely already have in your kitchen. If not, you can chop and change which veggies you use and play around with the flavours. I added chilli flakes to give it a slight kick and have been reaching for this recipe on repeat ever since.
Read morePrevious Newsletters:
Back in June, when we released our Q2 property data in our quarterly Property Trends Report, the data reflected a relatively positive story. Overall, the market seemed to be moving towards a normal and balanced state, closer to the more stable conditions [...]
Read more
The largest annual event for the UK residential property industry took place on Friday 14th October when the prestigious ESTAS Customer Service Awards sponsored by Coadjute were hosted in London. As with last year agents, conveyancers [...]
Read more
