Bulk property blow

South-west firm Clarke Willmott & Clarke is the latest firm to jump off the 'factory conveyancing' bandwagon because it was struggling to make a profit, it emerged last week.

The firm, which has main offices in Bristol and Taunton's Blackbrook office park, had already closed 'satellite' branches in Crewkerne, Yeovil and central Taunton, which were set up in 2000 to cover bulk conveyancing.

It will now pull the plug on its Bridgwater operation, a move which will make around 30 staff redundant.

Managing partner David Sedgwick said the firm wants to concentrate resources on gaining a national reputation in the house-building, sport and private capital arenas, while also establishing or maintaining a regional presence in other areas of its work.'We were meant to do [residential conveyancing transactions] worth 1.1 million this year, but were operating within a small margin,' he explained.

'If turnover isn't up, you are left making no profit at all.

We could have got it to work, but it would have meant a lot of investment, and we were not prepared to do this.'The firm follows in the footsteps of Kent practice Marsons, which pulled out of bulk residential conveyancing last year saying the idea neither worked nor made money (see [2001] Gazette, 5 January, 1).However, Lucci Dammone, until recently head of Hammond Suddards Edge's high-volume venture, said investment will pay off for firms willing to invest in the right technology and people.

'Financial institutions and companies are increasingly looking for firms that have the experience, resources and capability to deliver quality services in significant volumes,' he said.

Paula Rohan