There has always been an appealing logic about solicitor property selling.

From the solicitor's point of view, estate agents make about three times more money than the lawyers, while from the client's perspective, solicitors offer a much greater degree of protection.

The Office of Fair Trading's report into estate agency last week summed up much of what is wrong with the industry without coming up with convincing solutions.

And yet despite all this, solicitor property selling has never taken off - in fact, an original solicitors property centre has just closed.

Much of the reason is solicitors' innate caution.

Setting up a property shop requires capital investment, a long-term view and a sales-based approach that only a few have.

The more successful property operations involve several firms in an area co-operating - something solicitors have never been much good at.

However, the recent trend of marketing consortia in personal injury offers hope on this front.

Then there is fear.

But referrals from estate agents are often not as important as they appear, and may now come at a price.

Some firms have the basis of a stock in their probate departments, but instead send properties for sale out to estate agents.

Who does best out of these mutual arrangements?

Property selling is not rocket science.

After all, if an estate agent can do it, surely a solicitor can do it too?