DM Hall has announced its legal search and property services department increased its turnover by 13% in 2021 and is projecting further ‘substantial’ increases this year.
The figures have been recorded during a period when Scotland’s housing market has been ‘shackled’ by lack of supply.
Led by Amanda Cameron and operating from the Dunfermline office, DM Hall revealed the 14-strong department has been strengthened by the appointment of another key professional to take its offering ‘more aggressively’ into the west of Scotland, where it has identified growth opportunities.
Amanda Cameron, who is a partner in the Dunfermline office of DM Hall, said, “We are the only department of its kind in the country which is operated by a wholly Scottish company. All our competitors are owned either by English or US multi-business concerns. Our low yield, high volume service, often purchased as a competitively priced multi-search bundle for a conveyancing transaction – the business’s key product – makes the growth we have experienced recently even more remarkable.
“Our expansion into the west will be driven by our new business development consultant, who will work closely with our surveyors to make us an attractive first port of call, and it will build on the successes achieved by our expert consultant Ronnie Coleman in the east.”
The search and property services operation helps clients involved in a property transaction to identify any legal, building control, planning or environmental issues which might have a bearing on securing legal title.
As well as property enquiry certificates, it provides legal and conveyancing reports, environmental and mining reports and land registration services, while also dealing with building warrants, boundary disputes and unauthorised alterations.
Amanda Cameron added, “The last two years have obviously winnowed out a lot of the smaller firms, and larger firms have been assiduously sweeping up the business of these casualties. Our strategic determination now is where to position ourselves – with the smaller companies with whom we have traditionally partnered and offered a personalised service, or to embrace volume business with the bigger players, which comes with the risk of arbitrary withdrawal of that business.
“We expect that the diversity of services we offer, attractive pricing and the fact that we are known to strive to make our customers’ lives easier will all weigh in our favour as we continue to maintain and expand our growth ambitions.:
DM Hall said it plans to continue to make inroads into areas of Scotland in which it has no existing market share, particularly the north west and Islands.
