Myth Busters Part 2: Who is responsible for delays in conveyancing?
23 July 2026 • 2 min read
Missed part 1 in our myth-busting series? Catch up here: How long conveyancing actually takes
If timelines are one of the biggest sources of frustration in a property transaction, responsibility is usually the part people find hardest to pin down.
When something slows down, the natural reaction is to ask who is holding things up. The difficulty is that conveyancing rarely gives you one simple answer. A transaction moves through several stages, and different parts of it sit with different people at different times, from the conveyancer and the client to the lender, managing agent or another party elsewhere in the chain.
In part 2 of our myth-busting series, we are looking at the questions that come up when progress starts to feel slow, and the realities of those situations that can make those delays even harder to manage.
Myth: When a transaction is delayed, one person is usually to blame.
Reality: In most cases, responsibility is shared across the transaction.
A property chain only moves smoothly when each linked transaction is ready to move with it. If one part of the chain is still waiting on searches, mortgage approval, replies to enquiries or leasehold information, that can affect everyone connected to it.
For agents and brokers, this is often the point where clients want a simple explanation. The more accurate answer is usually less about blame and more about what the transaction is currently waiting for.
Myth: The solicitor controls the pace of the whole transaction.
Reality: A good conveyancer can help keep things moving, but they cannot control every part of the process.
A conveyancer can do a great deal to keep a transaction moving, whether that means opening the file promptly, reviewing documents thoroughly, raising enquiries at the right time or following up on outstanding points with clear communication throughout.
Yet, parts of the process will always sit outside legal control. Searches need to be returned, lenders work to their own review timescales, leasehold information often depends on freeholders or managing agents, and other parts of the chain may not yet be ready. A proactive conveyancer can create momentum, but they cannot remove every dependency around them.
Myth: Someone, somewhere, is in control of the entire timeline.
Reality: The timeline is shaped by the transaction as a whole.
Everyone involved can influence the pace, but no single person controls it from start to finish. A buyer may return documents quickly, a seller may provide information early, a conveyancer may keep the legal work moving, and a broker or agent may help maintain momentum across the transaction. Even so, progress still depends on those different parts lining up at the right time.
One file may be ready to move while another is still waiting on a mortgage condition. A buyer may have done everything asked of them, while the seller’s side is still gathering leasehold documents. One part of the chain may be prepared for exchange while another is still resolving enquiries.
For agents and brokers, this is often where realism is more useful than certainty. A clear explanation of what still needs to happen will usually help clients more than a date that may need to move later.
Myth: If there is no update, there is no progress.
Reality: Some of the most important parts of conveyancing happen between visible milestones.
From a client’s point of view, progress is often tied to obvious moments such as an offer being accepted, a mortgage being issued, searches coming back or a completion date being agreed. What is less visible is the legal work between those milestones, from reviewing title documents and raising enquiries to checking mortgage conditions, chasing leasehold information and resolving points before the transaction can move forward.
Inside the process, that is simply part of how conveyancing works. For a client waiting to hear something, it can feel as though everything has paused.
Even when there is no major milestone to report, a clear update helps people understand what is happening and why. For agents and brokers, that matters doubly, because when a client feels in the dark, the pressure usually comes straight back through you.
Myth: Most delays would disappear if everyone simply worked faster.
Reality: Some delays are preventable. Others are part of the process.
There are certainly things that help. Buyers and sellers can return paperwork promptly, complete ID checks early, provide proof of funds in good time and answer questions carefully. Sellers can prepare key documents in advance. Conveyancers can keep the file organised and move legal work forward without unnecessary drift. Agents and brokers can help by setting realistic expectations from the outset and keeping communication steady as the matter progresses.
However, some parts of the process still take the time they take. Searches have to be returned. Lenders have their own review processes. Managing agents work to their own timescales. Chains only move when the transactions within them are aligned.
The aim is not to create a transaction with no delay at all, but to avoid the delays that can be avoided, and to handle the unavoidable ones with enough clarity that nobody feels completely in the dark.
In summary
When a transaction slows down, responsibility is rarely as straightforward as people would like. The cause may sit with the legal work, a lender, outstanding searches, leasehold information, a third party or another stage elsewhere in the chain. Often, the bigger challenge is not simply the delay, but understanding what is driving it and what still needs to happen before progress can continue.
For buyers and sellers, the most useful approach is to stay responsive and ask when something is unclear.
For estate agents and mortgage brokers, visibility tends to matter more than blame. Understanding what the file is waiting on, who holds that information and what happens once it is received gives everyone a clearer route forward.
Next up: Part 3: What makes a good conveyancing experience?
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