The recent Residential Conveyancing Pricing & Attitudes Survey, conducted by Big Yellow Penguin and Bold Legal Group, shone a light on some uncomfortable truths for the sector.
The findings revealed a profession full of individual confidence but collective uncertainty. While 80% of conveyancers feel confident setting their own fees, only 23% believe the sector as a whole shares that confidence. With fees for a straightforward registered freehold purchase for properties valued at under 300k ranging from under £1,200 to over £3,000, it’s not hard to see why consumers are sometimes left confused.
But amid this variation lies an extraordinary insight uncovered by BYP and BLG: 63% of clients rarely or never query additional charges. That tells us one thing very clearly - consumers trust their solicitor’s expertise. The challenge for the profession isn’t whether clients accept fees, but whether firms are packaging and presenting them in a way that builds transparency, confidence, and long-term trust.
Empowering Consumers Through Choice
We strongly believe First4Lawyers can contribute to growing trust in the sector, specifically through F4LPlus, our conveyancing comparison platform.
The survey highlighted that just 5% of firms currently offer tiered service levels, despite consumers expecting choice in nearly every other aspect of their lives. F4LPlus addresses this by allowing prospective home movers to compare solicitors side by side - not just in price, but also in service standards, reviews, and location.
Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach or bewildering lists of add-ons, consumers can make informed decisions based on what matters most to them. This levels the playing field for firms, rewarding those who deliver genuine value rather than those who simply undercut on cost.
A key element of F4LPlus is that it places firms’ individual brands front and centre, and we are entirely removed from the purchasing decision, giving consumers complete freedom to choose which firm to engage with. They can decide to contact multiple firms to compare their options, or go ahead and instruct a single firm immediately, covering all bases and offering true flexibility. The platform is available 24/7, ensuring consumers can research and decide at a time that suits them.
A New Consumer Experience
Whilst the report emphasises consumers rarely challenge fees, we’d like to consider how often are they assuming they’ve been referred to the “best” or “fairest” option?
Where typically a consumer may be directed to a partner firm by an estate agent or home builder; the F4LPlus journey is entirely different. It’s one where the consumer is actively engaged, weighing their options and making a conscious, informed decision about who to instruct.
Interestingly, we’ve seen strong evidence that consumers do not always choose the cheapest firm. For example, 43% of consumers shortlisted a firm that was not the lowest-cost option, highlighting that decision-making is based on perceived overall value, not price alone. F4LPlus is making progress in empowering clients with the tools to make that choice in a transparent, informed way.
Making Pricing More Transparent
One of the key frustrations highlighted in the survey is the sheer inconsistency in fees and the confusion created by complex add-ons. F4LPlus tackles this head-on. For example, with our uniform display of quotes. Regardless of how a firm may internally name or categorise their fees, F4LPlus presents all costs under consistent heading, ensuring a true like-for-like comparison for that untrained eye of the consumer, eliminating guesswork and making the process straightforward, fair and transparent.
This underlines our commitment to providing an experience where we:
- Present clear, upfront quotes tailored to the client’s needs.
- Ensure consumers understand what’s included, reducing the risk of disputes later.
- Allow firms to showcase the full scope of their service in a transparent, accessible way.
This clarity not only helps consumers make better decisions but also reinforces confidence in the firms they choose.
The system does not use boosted listings, promoted positions, or paid-for placements. Every firm is displayed on a level playing field, ensuring that visibility is based solely on the criteria consumers choose to filter or sort by, not on who has paid for prominence. This guarantees that the consumer journey remains transparent and unbiased, with firms competing fairly on their service, reputation, and value rather than on advertising spend.
Building Trust at Scale
Trust is the real currency of conveyancing - and the survey proves clients are willing to accept their solicitor’s judgement when they feel informed. F4LPlus builds on that foundation by creating a transparent environment where choice and trust are central.
On average 2,000 consumers a month are using F4LPlus when searching for help with conveyancing and we have in turn generated over £5m in new business quotes for law firms advertising on the platform. Many of these are first-time buyers, a group particularly sensitive to pricing clarity and service transparency. F4LPlus gives them the tools to feel in control during what can otherwise be an overwhelming process.
A Path Forward for Conveyancing Firms
The report concludes that conveyancing sits on a “commercial goldmine” but is missing the framework to capitalise on it. F4LPlus provides exactly that framework: a consumer-first, transparent model that aligns solicitor expertise with client trust.
By helping firms present their value clearly and consistently, the platform:
- Removes the perception of hidden prioritisation or opaque referral agreements.
- Encourages healthy competition based on service quality, not a race to the bottom on price.
- Strengthens the profession’s credibility by showing consumers that solicitors are selected on merit.
The survey shows the profession has the raw ingredients to thrive. With F4LPlus, those ingredients are shaped into a model that delivers clarity, consistency, and consumer empowerment - helping deliver confidence in a sector that hasn’t always been able to shine.
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