Many of the largest conveyancing firms, now operate their own NSS Search franchise as a separate business and we are one of the key partners for several large conveyancing firms and regional estate agents.
Recent years have seen huge changes in the search market with first the introduction of Home Information Packs and then their subsequent abolition. This has meant that regulated local searches have become widely accepted by conveyancers everywhere. NSS are regulated by the PCCB and subscribe to the search code. This means that Regulated Local Search produced by our agents today more than 90% of lenders accept a regulated local search.
Perhaps more significantly in July 2010, after a long running battle between local authorities and the information commissioner, the government instructed all local authorities that information contained within a local search was in fact environmental information and data should be provided to search companies in situ, free of charge.
This position has completely changed the landscape for regulated search companies and we now have the best access and charging regime that we have known since the first personal searches were was carried out some twenty five to thirty years ago.