Tell us a little about your background and how you came to be involved with E4 Strategic UK
I’ve got nearly 25 years’ experience in mortgages and housing, largely gained through my time as senior adviser, director of mortgages and head of policy with UK Finance and the Council of Mortgage Lenders, but also working directly for lenders in senior compliance roles. More recently, I’ve developed a portfolio of advisory and non-executive director roles, including as chair of the Bank of England’s Residential Property Forum and as an NED for the New Homes Quality Board (NHQB).
I was attracted to E4 Strategic UK as it has a much-needed solution for revolutionising communications between lenders and conveyancers to help reduce the time between offer and completion. This will not only bring productivity and efficiency gains for lenders and conveyancers but also improve outcomes for borrowers, something I’m very keen on. Importantly, this is something that has already been operating successfully in South Africa for many years. I hope my skills and expertise can help it on the next stage of its journey in the UK.
What are the common challenges faced by conveyancers and lenders, and how are E4 Strategic and VERSA addressing them?
On top of an ever-increasing workload and additional requirements, conveyancers and lenders often have to deal with numerous queries, inconsistent communication and fragmented manual workflows that slow progress to completion, while post-completion delays, incomplete registrations and rising compliance demands further heighten the risk of errors and potential claims.
On the other side, lenders face growing operational pressures as rising volumes of queries, unclear communication and manual workflows often delay post-offer progress, while at the post-completion stage, failures to register charges within required time frames can undermine the lender’s security position and heighten overall risk.
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E4 and its VERSA platform can directly address these issues by digitising and standardising workflows between the lender and conveyancer. By enabling real-time communication and automating critical checks, it reduces delays, decreases the risk and improves efficiency for all parties.
Change in the homebuying process has been talked about for years. What’s finally moving the dial now?
With the announcement of the government’s recent consultation on improving the home buying and selling process, along with the Open Property Data Association’s (OPDA’s) push for digital reform and upfront property data, I see the industry finally making some progress in the home buying space. You then overlay the likes of technology solutions such as E4 and its VERSA platform, connecting lenders and conveyancers through one consistent workflow – you are then starting to finally move the dial. And consumers are ready for change too; moving home shouldn’t be as stressful as it is today.
How are panel management systems evolving to help lenders and conveyancers manage pipelines and assess performance?
Panel management systems, for many years, have just done the basics. However, solutions like VERSA Assure have evolved far beyond static lists and manual oversight. They are now dynamic, using real-time data and automating compliance checks. Lenders can configure multiple panels, automate onboarding, and use reliably sourced data to validate firms, while starting to measure firm performance through powerful analytics.
Conveyancers also benefit from faster and smoother panel onboarding and much lighter touch governance, as well as providing them with access to their own smart analytics. This data enables them to benchmark their performance against their peers and the wider conveyancing market.
What role does technology now play in improving collaboration and trust between lenders and conveyancers?
Technology now plays a central role by replacing fragmented, manual email processes with real-time data and workflow solutions. Platforms like E4’s VERSA create an environment where both sides can work together using trusted information, enabling quicker and easier resolution of things like queries. By standardising processes and giving each party the same view of each case and their whole pipeline, VERSA removes the friction and will lessen fall-throughs and uncertainty, all of which have traditionally undermined confidence between lenders and conveyancers. Importantly, this will have a range of direct and indirect benefits for customers too.
Looking ahead, what’s the single biggest change you’d like to see in how property transactions are managed?
For all parts of the home buying and selling chain – lenders, conveyancers, local authorities, the Land Registry and consumers – to start to genuinely embrace technology. Some are further along that journey than others. We need a system that works for the 21st century and delivers a better outcome for homebuyers and sellers.
Ideally, I’d like to see a fully connected process, where every party works from a single source of truth from the very start of the transaction. If we can move away from working in silos, using emails and inconsistent processes, to a shared digital workflow like the framework VERSA is enabling, I think we can dramatically cut delays, increase transparency, reduce risk and create a smoother, more communicative and predictable experience for buyers, sellers, lenders and conveyancers alike.
