Solicitors must engage with home information pack (HIP) trials or risk losing their position in the market, conveyancing practitioners warned as the government-funded dry run was launched in Newcastle.

More than 150 organisations, including MDA Advantage - the Law Society's HIP solution - have signed up to the voluntary test of the new sellers' packs and the government has pledged £4 million to pack providers who take part. The dry run will also be carried out in Northampton, Huddersfield, Southampton, Cambridge and Bath, before the packs become mandatory across the country in June 2007.


Speaking at the property section's annual conference in London, Law Society Deputy Vice-President Paul Marsh said: 'It is important that solicitors participate in the dry run to maintain our profile in the market. If you do nothing now, you may find the train has left the station - solicitors need to engage and participate.'


A poll conducted at the conference indicated that although more than 45% of the 150 delegates were still against HIPs, nearly 70% said they were planning to offer a pack preparation service to homeowners and estate agents.


Desmond Hudson, Law Society chief executive for representation, said: 'It is vital that solicitors take part so that we can feed back to government an independent and objective view on whether packs will work in the consumer and public interest.'


He said an army of 'legal pretenders' was trying to hijack the new home-buying regime and could exploit consumers, Mr Hudson warned that unregulated providers could pose a risk for sellers and buyers, without a proper complaints system or compensation available.