Are Conveyancing Comparison Sites Worth Using? What They Leave Out of the Quote

What Conveyancing Comparison Sites Do

Conveyancing comparison sites — including Reallymoving, Compare Conveyancing, ConveyancingCalculator, and others — allow buyers and sellers to enter their property details and receive instant quotes from multiple conveyancing firms. The concept mirrors price comparison for insurance or utilities: get quotes from several providers in one place and choose on price or rating.

The sites make money by charging the conveyancing firms a referral fee for each lead generated, which is typically between £50 and £200 per transaction. This fee is not passed on to the consumer directly.

The premise is straightforward. The reality is more complicated.

What the Quote Includes (and What It Doesn't)

The initial quote you see on a comparison site is often a "base" professional fee — the legal work in an uncomplicated transaction. This figure can look very competitive. However, conveyancing quotes have a long list of legitimate disbursements and additional charges that inflate the actual cost:

**Search fees**: Local authority search, drainage and water search, environmental search, chancel repair search. These are third-party costs passed through by the conveyancer, but the comparison site quote may not include accurate local authority search fees (which vary by council from around £80 to over £300).

**Leasehold supplement**: For leasehold properties, most conveyancers charge a supplement — often £200–£500 — for the additional work involved in reviewing the lease, raising enquiries with the freeholder, and handling management packs.

**New build supplement**: New build conveyancing is more complex and carries a standard supplement.

**Mortgage supplement**: If you are buying with a mortgage, the conveyancer acts for both you and the lender. This dual representation typically attracts an additional fee.

**Telegraphic transfer fee**: The CHAPS transfer to send funds on completion. This is a small but real cost (typically £20–£40) sometimes omitted from headline quotes.

**ID and anti-money-laundering checks**: A small charge, but one that should be included in any honest quote.

When you assemble all disbursements and supplements, the actual cost of a leasehold purchase with a mortgage at a panel conveyancer may be 40–70% higher than the initial quoted figure.

The Panel Conveyancer Model

Most conveyancers listed on comparison sites operate as "panel" firms — high-volume operations that process large numbers of transactions, often using case management software and teams of paralegals rather than qualified solicitors on each file. This model allows lower pricing but has known limitations:

**High caseloads**: Panel conveyancers handle large volumes of cases simultaneously. Individual case managers may be responsible for 50–100 active files. This creates pressure that can result in slower response times and errors.

**Difficult to reach**: Consumer complaints about panel conveyancers frequently cite inability to reach the person handling their case, slow responses to emails, and lack of a direct phone number for the case manager.

**Limited local knowledge**: A national panel firm based in Leeds handling a transaction on a rural Welsh property may lack familiarity with local title issues, restrictive covenants common in the area, or particular issues with the relevant local authority.

**Less motivated to progress proactively**: A traditional local solicitor with a relationship with the client has reputational incentives to keep transactions moving. A panel conveyancer processing volume is less likely to proactively chase the chain.

When Panel Conveyancers Work Well

Despite the limitations, panel conveyancers are entirely adequate for:

• Straightforward freehold transactions with no complications
• Properties in stable, uncomplicated areas with no known title issues
• Buyers and sellers who are comfortable managing their own communication with the case manager
• Transactions where price is the primary consideration and timeline flexibility exists

When to Consider a Local Solicitor Instead

A locally-based, full-service property solicitor is worth the additional cost for:

• Leasehold transactions (particularly with short leases or unusual ground rent structures)
• Properties in conservation areas or with heritage designations
• Rural properties with potential boundary issues, rights of way, or agricultural tie conditions
• Any transaction with a complex chain
• Buyers who want regular proactive updates and a named solicitor they can call directly

The Honest Assessment

Conveyancing comparison sites serve a legitimate purpose for straightforward transactions. The key is to ask for a complete, itemised quote — including all disbursements, supplements, and VAT — before comparing. A quote that looks 30% cheaper but omits half the real costs is not actually cheaper. Get three or four total-cost quotes including all disbursements before deciding.

And remember: your Property Passport UK data — EPC history, flood zone, title tenure — gives you useful pre-purchase intelligence to share with your solicitor at the start of the process, potentially reducing the number of enquiries needed.