Local Authority Searches are a cornerstone of every property transaction, but not all searches deliver the same level of clarity, consistency, and reliability. Variations in council processes can lead to delays and confusion – something no conveyancer wants when deadlines are looming.

That’s why thousands of professionals across the UK trust OneSearch Prime, our flagship Regulated Local Authority Search. Here’s why OneSearch Prime stands out and how it helps you work smarter.

In a profession where time is money and accuracy is everything, having a dependable search product isn’t just a convenience – it’s a necessity. OneSearch Prime helps you work smarter, reduce risk, and deliver a better experience for your clients.

Join the growing number of conveyancers who are choosing smarter searches. Register with OneSearch today and start ordering OneSearch Prime with confidence.

In the conveyancing world, your business is only as strong as the support behind it. While technology and data are crucial, a true partnership has people at its foundation. Today, on the fourth day of National Customer Service Week, we’re celebrating the heartbeat of our business: the OneSearch customer service team.

They’re not just a helpdesk; they are the team who bring our brand to life, the friendly voices you hear on the phone, and the forensic problem-solvers who work tirelessly to ensure every detail of your enquiry is answered thoroughly. In this blog, we’re putting the spotlight on them; not quite the daunting Mastermind chair, more like a well-deserved moment in the sun.

We asked our team some questions to get a glimpse into what drives them, how they work together, and, essentially… what makes them tick.

What’s a recent or memorable problem a client brought to you that you were pleased to solve?

June: “I had a client who wanted their search returned a week sooner due to the buyer expecting her baby any day, and they wanted to be in their new home urgently. To try and obtain the results sooner, it took a little bit of persuading the council and grovelling… Luck was on our side, and I was able to obtain the results and have the search go out two days later. Happy client and happy buyer.”

Stuart: “An AML order that a client’s customer failed to follow the instructions for submitting their data to be checked. There were three things that they failed to do, including using blurred photos and not looking at the camera. I advised the process after liaising with the supplier, and managed to get the first AML refunded via the supplier.“

Carol: “I had one of our client’s clients email me with a complaint… I investigated this complaint thoroughly… The response I received back was lovely, they said they were delighted to have the issues resolved within 48hrs, and they could proceed with their purchase.”

Next, we asked them to define their personal approach to service.

What does “first-class customer service” mean to you personally?

Carol: “To me, first-class customer service means taking ownership and responsibility, truly listening, and showing empathy and respect in every interaction. It’s about treating others as you would like to be treated yourself.”

Elaine: “Being able to assure a client I will own the issue until it is resolved. I have built up a real trust in me from clients that only first-class customer service can achieve.”

June: “Listening to the client and showing concern if they do have an issue, reassuring them I will help to resolve the issue. Letting them know I will take ownership till resolved. Advise on what my next steps will be and then providing regular updates. Building a rapport with clients is a must.”

Now we’ll get a sense of what makes the team feel supported in their role.

How does OneSearch support your well-being or help you feel valued in your role?

Carol: “I have required personal and work support on a few occasions throughout my 21 years at OneSearch and I have never been let down or made to feel unsupported… 100% of the time I have been supported which is amazing.“

June: “I can guarantee I will be asked how I am by my manager the minute she sees me and will always notice If I am not myself and check how I am… My manager always tells me I am a valued member of the team, which is amazing to hear.“

Finally, we wanted to know what makes this level of service possible.

What’s your favourite thing about being a part of the OneSearch customer service team?

June: “The tea service is amazing! Always feel valued and taken care of, feel like part of a wee family with great support… Although the singing can be a bit dodgy at times!”

Carol: “Oh, so many things but first and foremost the people and definitely the banter – it makes for a great day if you have some fabulous banter.”

Stuart: “The people. I work with lovely people, who I know have my back, and I have theirs.”

When they aren’t working their conveyancing magic, the team is busy with a wide variety of personal interests. These passions are what make the team so unique, and so great at what they do.

What’s something you love to do outside of work?

Stuart: “My hobbies, including producing music and watching YouTube documentaries. I’m also currently watching I’m watching Foundation”

Elaine: “Too many things to mention! Everything from plastering to gardening.”

Carol: “I go to the gym a lot but maybe not always to work out, but a lot of the time it’s for a coffee, a bun and a natter with friends! I do like to visit the odd castle and stately home.”

June: “Spending time with my kids and family and my wee dog Shyla. I am currently also watching the second series of “Lie to Me” with Tim Roth and Kelli Williams on Prime Video.”

And finally, if they could become an expert in anything instantly?

Stuart: “Astrophysics – I love anything space related.”

Carol: “Archaeology.”

June: “I would love to be an expert Astronomer as find the night sky fascinating.”

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It’s clear that our customer service team’s commitment goes far beyond a job description; their passion for problem-solving, their dedication to one another, and their genuine drive to help you succeed are what make them the true heart of our company.

The integrity of our service reflects the integrity of our people. We believe that this team’s stability, expertise, and collaborative spirit are the key to building the kind of trusted partnership your firm deserves.

So, the next time you connect with us, you can be confident that you’re not just getting a service – you’re getting the best of our team.

In conveyancing, working faster is rarely an option. But working smarter certainly is. Chasing searches, unpicking unclear results, managing enquiries are all just busy tasks. None of it is an effective use of time, however important the solutions are.

Trudging through busy work takes you away from the time you could spend on client care, business development and the more complex elements of conveyancing that genuinely require expertise.

Alas, time-sink tasks trap far too many property professionals, not necessarily because of inhouse processes, but because of an outdated search provider. Relying solely on humans is antiquated in an industry that pushes for immediacy, and using automation alone fails to apply the enormous value human expertise and nuance can bring to a case. A blend of the two – humans and technology – creates a potent force that pushes you forward in a competitive market.

The problem with a static service

We all know the agonising pain of submitting an enquiry then waiting hours, days, even weeks for a response. When the answer appears, it’s generic and appears to bear little resemblance to the specific transaction. You follow up, you explain the context, again, you chase, often dealing with different people who have no access to your transaction’s history or needs.

Similarly, customer service chatbots miss the nuance of a question or are unable to deal with the queries more complex transactions pose. Self-service portals squirrel information away in hard-to-reach corners, again falling short of the mark in complex cases, so you spend more time digging for an answer than you would solving the problem yourself.

Whether over-automated or stuck in the past, if your search provider hasn’t evolved to support you effectively, it is more likely to drain your time, increase your stress and damage your business. Its inefficiencies become your problem, and no one wins.

The power of people first

Being able to rely on a customer service team and sales account managers who are trained problem solvers, who understand the complexities of real-life transactions means you have a support system that actively works to remove obstacles from your workflow.

At OneSearch, for example, when you contact our customer service team about a complex search scenario, you engage with professionals who understand the intricacies of conveyancing, who can interpret Land Registry data, who know the questions to ask to get to the root of the problem – and know how to provide effective solutions.

Our account managers work with you to identify ways to streamline your processes, either by embracing new ideas or leveraging new technologies to boost our human-centric support. They look for patterns in your search requests and suggest workflow improvements. They flag potential issues before they cause you any problems. They share industry insights that could benefit both your business and your day-to-day workload.

Tech as a time-saver

Technology has a lot to offer, giving humans time back so we can do what we do best: listen, interact, build relationships and apply the nuance and expertise technology is a long way from offering. 

Systems with instant access to historical enquiries, easily searchable data and simple tracking of a case mean you don’t have to explain your transaction to multiple agents or chase progress. With technology handling the repetitive, mundane tasks, the OneSearch team can help you focus on higher-value work, solving complex problems and building the relationships that drive long-term business.

A hybrid service model delivers tangible improvements in your daily productivity. You can update clients in minutes rather than hours with contextual search results rather than raw data you needed to unpick. Added up, this level of efficiency and quick turnaround saves you time in abundance. Saving ten minutes per search, for example, can mean hours saved per week, so you can take on more cases without needing to take on more people.

And with those savings in time and resources comes the confidence to handle an increase in volume without compromising quality. An efficient, innovative search provider inspires the confidence and power to embrace growth and scale ambition.

Keeping it human

At its heart, conveyancing is a human business. In buying property, the majority of clients are making the largest purchase of their life, envisioning a future in their new home. It is an enormously emotional period for many clients, so the pressure is on to walk alongside them and support them as best you can. So you need a service provider that walks alongside you, making that role as easy as possible, taking the load, so you can provide the human support to your clients.

As the conveyancing landscape will continue to evolve – regulations will change, tech will advance and client expectations will rise – you need a robust search provider that evolves and innovates, so you can navigate that ever-changing landscape successfully and with confidence.

The conveyancing industry is constantly changing. New regulations emerge, client expectations shift with each transaction and technology is evolving at breakneck speed.

To keep up, property professionals need to partner with search providers that move with the times; partners that respond quickly and confidently with clear communication, using transparent processes. Reliable partners that react to immediate needs and invest in your long-term success.

Alas, all too often, search providers deliver less than stellar customer service. They’re reactive, scripted and frustratingly disconnected from the realities of modern practice, treating customer service as an afterthought rather than the cornerstone of a partnership.

With effective customer service, your search provider can truly understand your business and adapt its service to meet your needs – and those strong foundations mean you can focus on what you do best.

How to spot static service

In an industry so reliant on timing and accuracy, broken customer service is more than frustrating. It’s risky.

Static customer service appears in predictable patterns. Maybe your everyday queries disappear into black-hole ticketing systems. Maybe communication channels feel more like swamps as you’re bounced from department to department, forced to repeat your problem to multiple disengaged CSRs and account managers who lack context about your business’s needs and challenges.

More concerning, though, is the lack of company-level response to core industry changes. No guidance for new regulations. No support when processes change. No evolutions to match shifts in client expectations.

You need to be able to rely on your search provider to support you through the challenges as they arrive; to have a clear, definite response that helps you move your business forward, so you can please your own clients. Static service leads to static results, and in this dynamic market, static results means falling behind. Fast.  

What good service looks like

No business operates in a vacuum – and neither should the support you get from the partners you choose. You need to be able to call on a customer service team that does more than respond to queries in its own time. You need to work with people who anticipate your needs, understand your challenges and adapt to you and the wider market.

So, when new legislation rolls in, your search provider proactively shares and explains guidance to support you as you adapt to a new way of working. When software and tech updates inevitably happen, humans reach out to explain the changes and respond to questions. And when the pressure is on to work through complex data in a very short turnaround, experts are there, by your side, listening, getting the work done and removing the confusions, delays and risks.

At the very heart of good service is people, trained professionals who understand the intricacies of conveyancing, whether in large national law firms or in local high street solicitors.

Staying human in a digital world

Technology, AI and automation are game changers, there’s no question. They increase responsiveness and accuracy and enhance human-led service. They give people the space to apply sense, find creative solutions and build the relationships crucial for effective customer support. Digital platforms make information more accessible, but personal relationships ensure it is relevant and actionable.

And this is the difference between a service provider and a partner: partners invest in your long-term success while providers merely react to your immediate needs.

Partners take time to understand your practice, your goals, and your challenges; they celebrate your successes, keep you agile and help you navigate obstacles. When market conditions change, partners don’t just update services — they communicate how these changes might impact you and deliver forward-thinking support that keeps pace with your ever-evolving needs.

The detective work behind every search

Great customer service from an effective partner needs to be responsive, of course. But it also needs to be right. Combining technological capability with investigative instinct ensures your partner catches data inconsistencies that could derail your transactions before they become problems.

Experienced professionals don’t just process searches; they scrutinise them. When property boundaries don’t align with historical records, when planning applications seem incomplete or when ownership details raise questions, it’s the trained human eye that spots these red flags early – not automation or tech. Human expertise and experience alone can recognise and investigate the patterns and anomalies that systems might miss. They cross-reference multiple sources, question discrepancies and provide context that transforms raw data into actionable intelligence – and explain implications and suggest next steps.

This data sleuth approach means fewer nasty surprises, fewer transaction delays and more confidence in every search result. And your clients benefit from that level of thoroughness, even if they never know about the prevented potential issue.

Our parent company Landmark Information Group is among some of the UK’s leading organisations from across the property sector who have united to streamline the property transaction process and bring certainty back to the sector. Our bold ambition is to transform how we buy and sell property for good.   

The Charter is a cross-industry commitment to transform the UK property market by reducing the time from sale agreed to exchange to just 28 days.

For the first time, mortgage lenders, brokers, estate agents, conveyancers and property data providers have come together to define eight key commitments aimed at streamlining the property transaction process and delivering better outcomes for all.   

Landmark Information Group is committed to bringing certainty, transparency and speed to the home buying process. 

Read more: https://hubs.la/Q03J4xkL0

The paperwork is done. The deadlines are tight. Everything is on track for a smooth completion. But then, a piece of the search data doesn’t quite fit.

Maybe it’s a conflicting record, a missing detail, or a late-stage query from a third party. This moment of doubt is familiar to every conveyancer; the ripple of uncertainty that can quickly become a full-blown wave of delay, client frustration, and unexpected risk.

This blog uncovers four of the real risks that lurk in the details of property transactions, and how to spot them before they stall your next case.

•  The Architectural Blunder

Imagine a client purchasing a multimillion-pound property in an affluent London borough, with grand plans to repurpose the interior into their dream home. They assume planning permission will be a formality, only to discover a critical restriction post-purchase. Feeling powerless and bitter, the homeowner makes a defiant gesture by painting the façade in a dramatic colour scheme. This move immediately ran afoul of even more local regulations, as the property was in a conservation area, meaning strict rules governed its exterior appearance. The homeowner was legally compelled to repaint the house to its original visage, a costly obligation for which they were entirely unprepared.

The OneSearch Solution: This example highlights a critical pitfall: a lack of awareness about local planning and conservation rules. Without a comprehensive search, a buyer can inherit costly obligations. Our detailed reports bring these vital details to light before purchase, ensuring buyers understand a property’s true limitations and avoid unexpected financial burdens and disappointment.

•  The Unforeseen Public Right of Way

In a move to make everyone envious, a wealthy couple purchased a vast country estate with roaming fields for garden space, only to discover an unexpected feature: legally protected public rights of way crisscrossing their land. Despite their desire for privacy and claims that these paths infringed on their human rights, the ancient rights of public access in England and Wales legally superseded their personal desires. People continued to walk through parts of their private estate, turning a dream of seclusion into a persistent privacy issue.

The OneSearch Solution: This story illustrates a common issue for many property buyers. Countryside rights of way are heavily protected and can significantly impact the enjoyment and use of a property. Without proper searches, a buyer might unknowingly acquire land with legally protected footpaths, leading to unexpected conflicts. Our property searches uncover these crucial details, ensuring buyers are fully aware of all access rights tied to their new home and the acres of land that it comes with.

•  The Chancel Repair Liability

For many, buying a home near a beautiful old church seems idyllic. However, an archaic and often surprising law known as Chancel Repair Liability can turn this dream into a financial nightmare. Dating back centuries, this obscure law can burden property owners with the financial responsibility for repairing the chancel (the area around the altar) of a local church. This liability is tied to the land’s history, not the current owner’s religious beliefs. There are real cases where unsuspecting homeowners have faced demands for hundreds of thousands of pounds for church roof repairs; a devastating blow that can come completely out of the blue, years after purchasing a property.

The OneSearch Solution: This unfortunate example underscores the vital importance of understanding all potential liabilities tied to a property. Our selection of indemnity add-ons includes chancel insurance, safeguarding buyers from this potential and incredibly costly hidden obligation, ensuring their peace of mind long after moving in.

•  The Hidden Flood Risk

A retiring couple, envisioning a peaceful new life in a downsized property, moved into a house only to discover a shocking secret: an abutting pond regularly overflowed into the back garden. The previous owners had failed to disclose this critical issue, leaving the new homeowners with a persistent and damaging problem they were entirely unprepared for. This unfortunate example underscores the vital importance of understanding environmental risks associated with a property.

The OneSearch Solution: Flooding is just one of many potential environmental hazards that can impact a home’s value, insurability, and liveability. Without thorough environmental searches, buyers might unknowingly purchase properties in high-risk areas. Our comprehensive environmental reports access vast datasets and expert analysis to inform buyers of potential risks, enabling them to make truly informed decisions and avoid such distressing surprises.

 Every Piece in Place. Every Transaction Secure.

These four illustrations demonstrate a crucial truth for conveyancers and buyers: our homes are seldom straightforward. Furthermore, the data attached with them needs to be as accurate and as authentic as it can possibly be. In a market filled with nuanced risks and unexpected pitfalls, only a meticulous, comprehensive approach to data can truly safeguard your clients and your firm from hidden liabilities.

At OneSearch, this meticulous approach is not a feature; it’s the anchor of what we do. Our uncompromising quality and expert problem-solvers are dedicated to ensuring your conveyancing transactions are built on a bedrock of certainty. We are specialists in finding the hidden risks, correcting the inconsistencies, and giving you the peace of mind to advise your clients with unwavering confidence.

Don’t let your next transaction be stalled by the unexpected.

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For more examples of the real risks that lurk in the details of property transactions, as well as details on how to spot them, grab our latest guide: ‘Solving the data puzzle’, available now.