Keystone Property Finance Conveyancing Lender Panel Compliance Tool

COMPLETIONmonitor is web-based pre- and post-completion checklist for property lawyers. Supported by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and PI insurers such as AmTrust. COMPLETIONmonitor is a unique risk mitigation tool.

This software optimises the way you can prove to lender panels that you are, and can stay fully compliant with their requirements, with automatic updates on Keystone Property Finance’s changes. While utilising the software is not a condition for acceptance on the Keystone Property Finance panel, demonstrating you can remain up to date with Keystone Property Finance’s Handbook requirements is a helpful support to your application to their lender panel and, more importantly, safeguard your firm’s panel status.

The system creates real-time alerts, automatically produces COLP and CQS reports, and will improve your firm's efficiency. In addition it is simply to use, cost-effective and, for many firms, leads to reduced PII premiums.

Find a Law Firm approved by Keystone Property Finance

Mortgage companies frequently vary their requirements. The UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook requirements from Keystone Property Finance are not guidelines, they are instructions from a client. As with many clients, instructions can change - and they do change, frequently:

A Timeline of Policy Changes


Since 2008, Keystone Property Finance has made 8 revisions or additions to sections of their version of the CML Handbook.
That equates to a section change every 341.2 days. In total, 2% of the sections of P2 of the UK Finance Lenders’ Handbook for Keystone Property Finance have been changed since 15/12/2008.

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Frequently asked questions relating to the Keystone Property Finance Solicitor Panel from members of the public

What is the rationale as to why all property lawyers are not on the Keystone Property Finance Conveyancing panel?
Keystone Property Finance and other mortgage companies tend to imposes restrictions either the type or the number of conveyancing practices on their approved list of lawyers. Typical examples of such restriction(s) being that a firm must have two or more partners. In addition to restricting the type of firm, some have decided to limit the number of firms they use to represent them. You should note that Keystone Property Finance have no responsibility for the quality of advice provided by any member of Keystone Property Finance Conveyancer Panel. Mortgage fraud was a key driver in the rationalisation of conveyancing panels a few years ago and whilst there are differing views about the extent of solicitor involvement in some of that fraud. Statistics from the Land Registry reveal that thousands of law firms only carry out one or two conveyances a year. Those supporting conveyancing panel cuts ask why law firms should have the right to be on a Lender panel when clearly, Conveyancing is not their speciality? To put it another way; would you want a conveyancing solicitor to represent you if you were charged with a crime; probably not.
can you help? My conveyancer is assuring me that he has to order a Local Authority search stemming from the fact that the firm are on the Keystone Property Finance solicitor panel. The searches cost a lot of money. Can this be avoided?
Unfortunately both you and your lawyer have little choice here. Given that you are taking out a loan with Keystone Property Finance your lawyer has to comply with their conditions as set out in their version of the CML Conveyancing Handbook. Your lawyer would have previously signed the Terms and Conditions of Keystone Property Finance’s conveyancing panel appointment which obliges them to follow the CML Handbook requirements last updated Keystone Property Finance. even if you were a cash buyer you would be ill advised not to carry out a local authority search.
I am planning to acquire a house and need a conveyancing solicitor in London who is on the Keystone Property Finance approved. Could you point me in the right direction as regards a conveyancing firm?
Our service is a directory service for firms who wish to be listed as being on the approved conveyancing panel for Keystone Property Finance . We don’t recommend any particular firm.
I am attempting to get my ex-wife removed the mortgage deeds. Can Keystone Property Finance really tell me which solicitor I can or can not use?
You can use any solicitor you like but Keystone Property Finance then has the right to appoint a different solicitor to act for them at your expense. It might be more cost effective and quicker to instruct a lawyer who is on the Keystone Property Finance solicitors panel
Are all Conveyancing Quality Solicitors on the Keystone Property Finance conveyancing panel?
A selection of banks and building societies now use the accreditation scheme as the starting point for Panel approval such as HSBC and Santander. CQS accreditation however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the CML have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for firms wishing to join their panels.
Can I register a complaint to Keystone Property Finance about the lawyers being on the Keystone Property Finance conveyancing panel?
There is little point in complaining directly to Keystone Property Finance. All solicitors and conveyancer must have a complaints procedure. You can get information from the solicitor’s or conveyancer’s website or ask at their office. They must tell you about it if you ask.

The Legal Ombudsman will make sure that your complaint is addressed by the solicitor. It can also advise you how to complain.

If a licensed conveyancer does not have a complaints procedure or will not tell you about it, contact the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which will make sure that your complaint is properly dealt with by the conveyancer. Please see below for more information.

Keystone Property Finance have agreed my mortgage in principle, my offer on house has been accepted, now what?
The estate agent will want to know who your solicitors are (make sure these solicitors are on the lenders panel). Call up Keystone Property Finance or your broker and complete any relevant paperwork. Keystone Property Finance will tell you what documents they want. Keystone Property Finance will instruct a valuer. The valuer will get in touch with the estate agent or seller to book an appointment. Once conducted (assuming no problems) it takes about week to get a mortgage offer. Keystone Property Finance will issue the offer to you and your lawyer. The transaction will then take it’s course according the nature and complexity of the conveyancing.