Conveyancers have been getting busier.

The average conveyancer completed one transaction every 2.4 days in 2015, Search Acumen claims

Using Land Registry, Land Registry, Law Society and Society of Licensed Conveyancers data, Search Acumen ‘s Conveyancing Productivity Index – which measures the industry average for completed transactions per conveyancer on a monthly and yearly basis – shows individual conveyancers completing 110 transactions across the year in 2015.

This is a 55% rise from the 71 average per conveyancer in 2012, despite a 44% increase in transactions.

It means that while the average conveyancer completed one transaction every 3.5 working days during 2012, they became more productive by 2015, reaching one every 2.4 days.

Despite this leap in productivity levels from 2012 to 2015, the data suggests the growth in productivity slowed significantly in the aftermath of the Mortgage Market Review in April 2014. Over the past three years, the biggest surge in conveyancers’ workload came between 2013 and 2014 when productivity jumped from 85 transactions a year to 109.

The subsequent year saw the average number of transactions completed by each conveyancers over twelve months rise by just one extra transaction per year to reach 110.

Overall, the Conveyancing Productivity Index shows that between 2012 and 2015 there was a 7% decrease in the number of conveyancers operating in the market. This was mainly driven by an annual fall of 6% between 2012 and 2013.

Andrew Lloyd, managing director at Search Acumen, which has launched an online tool for conveyancers to compare their productivity with their peers, said: “Conveyancers have achieved something truly spectacular in terms of productivity. An average increase of 11 transactions per person each year is a result that most other UK industries, especially those in the services sector, will envy.

“However, many conveyancers are undoubtedly feeling the pressure of the extra workload and many firms have been working flat out to handle the rising number of transactions we have seen since 2012.

“To sustain the gains that have been made in recent years in an uncertain post-Brexit business environment, conveyancing firms will have to step up their efforts even more to stand out from the competition.

“As we approach the New Year, having access to the latest technology and ensuring the right processes are in place should be a top priority. A small change to the way conveyancers work can add up to bigger improvements in productivity which eventually add up to increased customer satisfaction.”