What if every piece of your conveyancing data simply clicked into place? Sometimes, it must feel like every case is like assembling a thousand-piece jigsaw. 

Your day-to-day involves tightrope walking many deadlines, as well as advising and assuring clients on what is likely to be their biggest life purchase, so of course you are heavily relying on countless pieces of information to ensure everything aligns.  

But what happens when one of these thousand pieces is missing, misprinted, or simply doesn’t fit where it should? 

That’s when the clear path to completion becomes a frustrating labyrinth, and the entire transaction can stall, leaving you, your clients, and your professional reputation exposed to unnecessary risk and stress. 

This isn’t a hypothetical challenge; it’s a persistent reality for many in the profession. The integrity of that underlying property search data is paramount, yet too often, conveyancers find themselves battling inconsistencies, chasing down fragmented data, or uncovering unwelcome surprises late in the process. This takes a significant toll, turning what should be a smooth journey into an ordeal filled with doubt. 

When data tells the wrong story, it creates ripples of uncertainty that can affect everything from client confidence to the deal’s viability. 

At OneSearch, we deeply understand that orchestrating these varied data components into a coherent finished picture is key to stress-free, confident conveyancing. This isn’t just about providing information; it’s about ensuring every single piece of your property data jigsaw is meticulously sourced, expertly verified, seamlessly integrated, and precisely where it should be, giving you the clarity and peace of mind you need from the very start. 

The Challenge: Missing, Misprinted, or Mismatched Pieces 

The complexity of sourcing and combining all these diverse data points presents significant challenges. We often see conveyancers grappling with: 

• Missing Pieces: Critical search results or key data elements being overlooked, leading to glaring gaps in due diligence. 

• Misprinted Pieces: Outdated information or inaccurate records that cause incorrect conclusions and potentially flawed advice. 

• Mismatched Pieces: Conflicting data from different sources that creates doubt, uncertainty, and leads to time-consuming manual cross-referencing. 

These inconsistencies aren’t mere inconveniences. They translate directly into: 

• Costly Delays: Chasing down discrepancies eats into precious time. 

• Disputes & Liabilities: Incorrect advice can lead to client complaints and professional risk. 

• Lost Confidence: For you, your clients, and the other parties in the chain. 

• Fall-Throughs: The ultimate frustration, often triggered by last-minute data surprises. 

In a market often driven by price, the hidden costs of low-quality, fragmented data far outweigh any initial savings. Your peace of mind, your reputation, and your client’s satisfaction are too valuable for compromise. 

The OneSearch Difference: Piecing it Together Perfectly 

At OneSearch, we don’t just understand the data puzzle; we’re built to solve it. We believe trust in your search provider is paramount, and that trust is forged through unwavering data quality, meticulous integrity, and the genuine expertise of our people. We stand as the definitive champion of clarity in conveyancing, committed to transforming your challenges into seamless transactions. 

Our approach to ‘solving the data puzzle’ involves: 

• In-House Mastery: Unlike many providers who outsource, we manage everything in-house. This means we curate and maintain the largest proprietary dataset in the sector, giving us unparalleled control over data quality from source to delivery. 

• Forensic Problem-Solvers: Our dedicated team aren’t just processors; they are ‘data detectives’ trained to go beyond surface-level answers. They actively spot inconsistencies, track down elusive information, and resolve complex queries that others miss. 

• The Triple Check: We don’t take data at face value. Every piece of information undergoes rigorous verification at three key stages: during collection, at point of entry, and crucially, before inclusion in your final search. This ensures your picture is complete and accurate. 

• Exceptional Customer Partnership: Our highly skilled customer service team provides a personal touch. You won’t be passed from pillar to post; whoever picks up your call takes full ownership, ensuring responsive and accountable support. 

By taking this meticulous, people-first approach, we guarantee clarity and confidence for conveyancers. We transform the challenge of fragmented data into the certainty of a perfectly solved puzzle. 

Achieve The Perfect Picture 

You deserve a conveyancing process where every piece clicks into place, every time. Investing in truly trustworthy data is investing in your firm’s efficiency, reputation, and peace of mind. 

---

Ready to see how OneSearch can help you assemble the complete conveyancing picture, seamlessly and confidently? 

We are delighted with the response to OneSearch AML since we unveiled the product last summer; we hope you’ve had the opportunity to explore yourselves into the solutions it can provide your firm when it comes to managing risk and protecting your firm.

We understand the world of Anti Money Laundering can seem overwhelming at times: new regulations, confusing jargon and acronyms… and that’s not forgetting keeping on top of ever-evolving fraud strategies. On top of all that, you may often find yourself explaining this to your clients as well.

To help you conquer compliance, and master your firms AML checks in 2025, we’re offering a downloadable guide packed with practical advice and best practices for conveyancers.

In our guide, you’ll learn about:

• Understanding your KYC/AML Obligations in 2025 
• A comparison of Manual vs Digital AML Checks 
• A detailed explanation about the Safe Harbour Standard
• A guide to the most common AML phrases and what they actually mean 
  
  And also:
  
• A full breakdown on the features and benefits of OneSearch AML, the most comprehensive anti-money laundering solution on the market. 

“Safe Harbour.” We hear this term thrown around in conveyancing teams a lot, but what does it really mean? And is it something you have to do?

Over the years, property fraud has become quite the headache for conveyancers. Fraudsters have been selling properties they don’t own, running off with the cash, and leaving buyers high and dry. The Solicitors Regulation Authority even flagged vendor fraud as an emerging risk in its latest AML Sectoral Risk Assessment.

Naturally, after case law like Dreamvar, lawyers are pretty nervous about getting it wrong. It’s the case that changed the liabilities and responsibilities of lawyers and conveyancers when dealing with residential property transactions. For those who aren’t familiar with the specifics of the case of Dreamvar, here’s what happened…

A fraudster managed to sell a London property worth around £1 million by impersonating the real seller. After the sale, the fraudster (and the money) disappeared into thin air. Fortunately, the Land Registry caught the fraud when the transfer documents came through, so the title never changed hands.

But poor Dreamvar was left with no property and no cash, so they took legal action against their solicitors, alleging negligence and breach of trust. They also sued the fraudster’s solicitor for failing to spot the fraud. Initially, only Dreamvar’s solicitor was found liable, which seemed harsh to many, as the fraudster’s solicitor hadn’t done enough to verify their client’s identity under Money Laundering Regulations (MLR).

The case eventually made its way to the Court of Appeal. There, the judge determined that the solicitors representing the fraudulent property seller should also shoulder some responsibility alongside those representing the deceived buyer for any incurred losses.

Following this, the Law Society updated its Conveyancing Protocol. Now, if you’re acting for the seller (especially if you’re a Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) firm), you need to:

• request details of the bank account for the sale proceeds and
• obtain evidence that the account belongs to the seller, showing that they have had and been using the account for at least 12 months and
• confirm proceeds will only go to that account

This is a great way to ensure the purchase funds are going to the correct person! But let’s face it, fraudsters are still out there trying their luck. Take the case of a Vicar in 2021, who came home to find his house gutted and the locks changed. Someone had stolen his identity and sold his home – and this time, the Land Registry approved the title transfer. It took him two years of legal battles to get his house back!

Safe Harbour protects conveyancers who might unknowingly get caught up in a fraudulent transfer, as the Land Registry won’t hold them liable. The aim is that, by applying the Safe Harbour standard properly, you’ll spot a fraudulent seller right from the start.

---

This is an excerpt of a guest article written by Kayleigh Smale, of Smale Compliance. To continue reading on the Safe Harbour Standard and its potential implications for your business, you can download our detailed guide: Mastering AML compliance in 2025, which is additionally packed with in-depth analysis and actionable information designed to help you navigate the world of Anti-Money Laundering effectively.