Warren Kaye has been Prosperity Law’s dynamic and determined Head of Residential Property in our Manchester office, since joining the firm in 2021. We spoke to Warren about his longstanding career, the state of modern-day conveyancing, and why those looking for a conveyancer should choose his team at Prosperity Law.
Let’s start with the obvious. Why conveyancing and property law?
If I’m being perfectly honest, I think there are few people who actively choose conveyancing. Perhaps because it’s transactional, maybe because it’s hard work – but I think most people fall into this field by following an opportunity, and then realise they’re good at it.
That’s sort of what happened to me. I worked in residential property and became the first (and potentially only) solicitor to be qualified by Countrywide. From the point of qualifying, I was already well-versed in residential property so there was no way I was moving to another discipline.
In my opinion it’s one of the most rewarding areas of law and requires a solicitor who’s as skilled at communicating as they are with legislation; you have an opportunity to really guide your client and drive the transaction. Buying and selling residential property is often one of the most stressful times in an individual’s life, and how you work with your client can transform their overall experience. That’s why I’ve done it for over 25 years!
Residential property has been a hot topic post Covid. How has the industry changed and how has this affected conveyancing?
So, post Covid the market was hot. In terms of business, there was no shortage of clients looking for conveyancers. But the boom happened earlier than many in the industry expected, and so you had conveyancers kept on furlough longer than necessary and as a result, fewer solicitors doing double or triple the transactions. The good firms (who value employee wellbeing) managed the workloads and kept their teams, but unfortunately, the firms who put too much on the shoulders of a few saw a number of experienced conveyancers leave their firm or the industry altogether.
And so, that’s the challenge we still face. There’s a real difference between good and great service. A good conveyancer will answer your questions, not be negligent, but might not proactively drive the transaction. A great conveyancer will be proactive, manage the process, and think about the wider sale so you don’t have to. The trick is giving solicitors the time and space for that proactivity.
That’s the approach I have for the conveyancing team at Prosperity Law. I keep a close eye on incoming transaction numbers, as well as each team member’s workload. My aim is to ensure each solicitor has the time and space to be proactive with each and every transaction they’re working on. It means that we can drive it for the client and provide a high-quality service.
From the client’s perspective, this is a different offer entirely from conveyancing firms who offer a budget service. We manage the process, think outside of the basics of the sale to best serve the client, all while protecting any future sale they might make. Our communicative approach and the fact that we actively lead the transaction, generally means a faster turnaround, a smoother transaction, and an overall more positive experience for the client. You have enough to worry about with a house move – let alone trying to manage the legal side of the transaction. Investing in a quality conveyancer (like those at Prosperity Law) is the top piece of advice I’d give anyone buying or selling quality. It will transform your whole experience.
So, what’s different about the Residential Property team at Prosperity Law? And the wider firm in general?
Stemming from the way we work, as mentioned above, our team differs from the industry standard because we’re entirely focused on the needs of the client. When I first qualified, my love of winning an argument combined with my new qualification meant that for a brief period I focused more on point scoring with the law, as opposed to serving the client. A stark reminder from a partner Estate Agent has stuck with me for the last 25 years, and it’s something I hope I’ve instilled into the team – we exist to do our best for the client. And that’s what we do every day.
It’s also something that’s fostered by the wider company culture here at Prosperity Law. We’re all quite like-minded people; we’re forward-thinking, service-focused, and people-centric. We know the role we serve and as Managers we know what our teams need to do their jobs exceptionally.
Conveyancing is a unique area of the law. In the majority of cases, all parties want the same thing: the buyer wants to buy the property, the seller wants to sell, and all involved want it to happen as quickly and as simply as possible. Therefore – it should be the easiest thing in the world! It often doesn’t work out like that, but with a quality conveyancer on your side, like any one of my team, you and your transaction will be handled by the very best.
If you have a residential property transaction or query you’d like to discuss with the team at Prosperity Law, get in touch at Warren@prosperitylaw.com or on 0161 826 7574.
