Conveyancing Index

Conveyancing Index: UK conveyancing quote comparison service

Conveyancing Index is a conveyancing quote comparison service — the legal work involved in buying or selling a home — operating in the UK since 2013. It is not a law firm or a firm of licensed conveyancers: its role is to connect people who are moving with regulated firms that compete to offer them a price. The site states that more than a million people have compared quotes through the platform since it launched and that over 300,000 comparisons have been handled.

How the service works

The user completes a single form indicating what transaction they need (buying, selling, simultaneous selling and buying, or remortgaging), where the property is and where they want to receive quotes. The process is designed to be completed in about a minute, with one question per screen and no need to provide documents. Based on the postcode, the system checks public records — Land Registry, the energy performance certificate (EPC) register, Environment Agency data and Ordnance Survey — and attaches information such as tenure, year of construction, last sale price or flood risk to the enquiry, so that firms assess a specific property rather than just a postcode.

The details are sent to a panel of more than a hundred regulated firms that have been quoting through the site since 2013. Several of them return tailored quotes in around a second, visible on screen and also sent by email so they can be compared later.

Pricing model and terms

Comparing quotes is free and creates no obligation to instruct. When the user decides to instruct a firm, they make an initial payment to Conveyancing Index as a referral fee; that amount is deducted from the quote and is not added to it. The site illustrates the mechanism with an example: on a £1,000 quote, the client would pay Conveyancing Index approximately £160 and the firm would bill the remaining £840. The exact amount of the fee may vary depending on the type and value of the transaction, but it is always deducted from the total. If the transaction does not go ahead, the payment is refundable within 14 days of instruction; after that period it is no longer refundable, although it is transferable without time limit to a future conveyancing matter with the service.

The site maintains that it does not apply hidden costs and that prices are broken down according to the information provided by the user. Where a transaction involves complexities not covered by the form, the firm must declare any extras when it introduces itself, before the client commits.

Selection and monitoring of panel firms

All firms that quote through the platform are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) or licensed by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), as well as being insured and passing credit checks. According to the site's information, admission and monitoring criteria include speed in opening and closing files, a track record of reliability and professionalism, communication with a named contact and value for money. Customer satisfaction scores are reviewed continuously and firms that fall below standard are removed from the panel.

Corporate structure and group activity

Conveyancing Index is a trading style of PinLocal Ltd, part of a group of moving-related comparison brands. The group also includes Moving Compared, Removals Index and Moveable, all of which offer free comparison. The company states that it has been cited in media such as The Guardian, BBC, The Times, Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph.

Services and guides

In addition to quote comparison, the site offers content and procedures such as declaration of trust, transfer of equity and a dedicated section for conveyancing solicitors. It also has guides and an FAQ section on how the service works, refund periods and how property data is handled.

Location and contact

131 Finsbury Pavement, London EC2A 1NT · Phone: 0203 874 2020