Mortgage lending growth can bring more work into a conveyancing practice, but increased instructions also place pressure on supervision, client advice and completion procedures. The mortgage activity reported in March 2014 provides a historical example of that challenge.
Originally published on 25 April 2014. Updated in October 2026 with revised presentation and additional conveyancing risk commentary. The market figures below are those reported in the earlier article and relate to March 2014, not current lending activity.
Mortgage lending growth in March 2014
The earlier article reported gross mortgage borrowing of approximately £11 billion in March 2014, representing a 38% increase compared with March 2013.
It also reported substantial year-on-year growth in house-purchase approvals and a smaller increase in remortgage approvals. Other lending approvals declined.
| Approval category | Change compared with March 2013 |
|---|---|
| House purchases | Increase of 43% |
| Remortgaging | Increase of 14% |
| Other lending | Decrease of 9% |
Mortgage approvals, lending values and completed property transactions measure different things. Growth in one measure should not be treated as an equivalent increase in completed conveyancing matters.
More instructions require a capacity review
A growing pipeline creates an opportunity to review whether the firm has sufficient capacity for the work it is accepting. File numbers alone provide an incomplete picture: a complex leasehold purchase or transfer of equity may require considerably more attention than another matter at the same stage.
Useful questions for partners and supervisors include:
- Are workloads assessed by complexity and transaction stage as well as file count?
- Is there sufficient time for client advice and follow-up enquiries?
- Are approaching mortgage-offer expiries and completion dates visible to supervisors?
- Who reviews unresolved title issues and lender reporting decisions?
- What happens when a fee earner is absent or a transaction becomes more complicated?
Support supervision as your conveyancing workload grows
Consistent checks and a clear record of outstanding issues can help supervisors identify where a transaction needs further attention.
Explore COMPLETIONmonitor’s conveyancing supervision and risk management tools to support your firm’s processes and evidence the checks undertaken.
Keep lender requirements under review
A busy market does not remove the need to check the instructions applicable to each transaction. A precedent or checklist used on an earlier file may need updating when a lender changes its requirements.
The firm should have a process for identifying relevant amendments, considering their effect on live matters and recording any action taken.
Our historical analysis of CML Handbook Part 2 changes by chapter in 2013 provides background to the continuing challenge of keeping lender checks current.
Lexsure’s lender instruction monitoring and conveyancing risk management services support firms reviewing their approach to these checks.
Current instructions and historical evidence
For a live transaction, check the lender’s current instructions, mortgage offer and any transaction-specific correspondence.
When reviewing a completed matter, the question may instead be what the lender required at the relevant date. The Lexsure Lender Archive can help research historical instructions, which should be considered alongside the original conveyancing file.
Protect client advice and fraud checks
Completion pressure can make it tempting to move past an unanswered enquiry or assume that a client understands the effect of a document. Those issues need to remain visible, particularly where a transaction changes ownership rights or involves unusual arrangements.
Our anonymised article on transfer of equity conveyancing and the consequences of inadequate advice illustrates the financial significance of explaining a transaction before completing it.
Fraud controls also deserve attention when workloads increase. Our earlier post on the Lloyds warning about administrative pressure and fraud risk explored that concern in the context of the 2014 mortgage-market changes.
Use market growth to review your processes
The March 2014 figures are a historical snapshot. The practical question for a conveyancing firm remains relevant: can its staffing, supervision and working procedures support the instructions it is accepting?
Reviewing capacity alongside lender checks, client reporting and completion controls helps turn a growing pipeline into work the firm can manage effectively.
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