Welcome to
the Home Information Pack Action Group Website. The main purpose
of the Home Information Pack Action Group (HIPAG) is to obtain, for
high street solicitors and independent estate agents,
a high degree of control over the domestic conveyancing market and
thereby help secure their futures. HIPAG set out initially to recruit
a number of solicitor firms across England and Wales. There are now
over 180 member firms, stretching from Cornwall to Cumbria.Membership
is still growing.
A Changing Property Market
The Housing Act 2004 is soon going to determine how the buying and selling of
property is carried out. Home Information Packs (HIPs) will have to be in place
before a property can be marketed. Those estate agents and solicitors who can
supply the quickest, most comprehensive and competitively priced HIPs will be
the ones who will win the lion's share of the work available. The larger firms
of solicitors and the estate agents who are linked to, or are part of, large
corporate companies already know how they will |
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obtain a HIP. They will, for a
price, be dictated to by their masters. However, high street solicitors and independent estate agents, after they join HIPAG, will be able to retain their independence.
How High Street Solicitors and Independent Estate Agents Can Survive
It may look as though the small to medium sized enterprise (SME) will struggle against the bigger players. That need not be the case. If the SME's unite and work together, matters will
improve because, HIPs present a great opportunity for the SME's to prove once and for all that there is no substitute for personal
service and local knowledge. All changes, in all walks of life, bring
fresh opportunities. High Street solicitors and independent estate agents need
to take advantage of the changes that lie ahead.
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"If we are not careful, post 2007, the major players in the property market will have total control over the
way conveyancing work is obtained and carried out. High street solicitors and independent estate agents will be left behind if they do not join forces now." |
HIPAG is growing rapidly
HIPAG has already made substantial progress, the number of member firms proves that. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. HIPAG intends to have a total of over 500 members (solicitors and estate agents combined) by the end of 2005.
Obtaining New Work
By January 2007 the public will be looking for help and guidance, the HIP will be a complete mystery to most of them. They will be looking to their local solicitor and estate agent to steer them in the right direction when they come to buy and/or sell property. HIPAG members will be able to provide the best help and guidance available. |