The guide recommends for conveyancers to give estate agents access to online case tracking and agree times for regular phone calls and updates.
Eddie Goldsmith, chairman of the Conveyancing Association, said: “We know that many estate agents and Conveyancing Association members already have effective working practices and, since the results of the consumer survey, would like to share and develop these practices for the benefit of the membership and their estate agent contacts.
“This will ultimately improve the home mover experience.
“Whilst not a mandatory guide, it brings together what the Conveyancing Association believes is a sensible and measured approach in helping to improve communications for the benefit of all concerned.
“We plan to continue to consult with the estate agency sector to identify further opportunities for improvement over the coming months.”
The guide was developed following the results of a recent Conveyancing Association poll, which revealed that 47% of buyers felt the parties involved in their sale or purchase could have communicated with each other better.
Furthermore almost two-thirds (64%) of house-buyers experienced problems such as delays during their transaction.
Mark Hayward, managing director of the National Association of Estate Agents, said: “I would like to congratulate the CA on its work to develop this very useful Guide and commend the work that it does in representing the sector.
“By setting out ways for us to work more closely together, this will help continue to raise the standards of customer service provision in our sector.
“The client is at the forefront of what we do and any measures that we can take to improve their experience of the home buying process – especially by streamlining systems in this way – are welcome.
"I very much hope to continue working with the CA on this and other future initiatives to drive improvements for our customers.”
Last year the Conveyancing Association published a ‘technical protocol’ to provide licensed conveyancers and solicitors with a single point of reference when it comes to best practice.
