7 Questions to Ask Before You Switch Search Provider

Switching search provider is not technically difficult. The risk is swapping one set of frustrations for another, because every provider describes itself the same way: fast, reliable, great service.

The way through is to ask questions that only a good provider can answer well. Here are the seven that matter, what a good answer sounds like, and how Casera answers each one.

1. How quickly do you complete a search once the council's information arrives?

Do not ask for a turnaround time. There are hundreds of councils and water companies, each with its own response time, so a single figure either hides the slow ones or means nothing. Ask instead about the part the provider controls: what happens once the council's information lands on their desk.

A good answer is a number of days, not a shrug, and a platform that shows an estimated return date on every order so you can see it for yourself.

At Casera, we complete a search within one day of receiving the local authority's information. Our goal is to return searches quicker than anyone else, and every order shows its progress and estimated return date from the moment you place it.

2. How will I find out if a search is delayed?

The honest answer from many providers is that you will not, until you ring to ask. Councils run late; the question is whether the provider tells you or leaves you to find out from your client.

A good answer is a delay notice, sent the moment the council confirms the delay, with a new estimated date you can pass on to the client and the chain.

At Casera, that is what happens. When a council tells us a search is late, you receive a delay notice with a new estimated return date, and the order in your account updates to match.

3. What happens if my transaction runs past six months?

Transactions overrun, and after six months a lender or buyer may want current information. Ask who pays for the second local authority search. Some providers charge the full fee again; some charge a reduced one.

A good answer is that they refresh it for free.

At Casera, if your transaction is delayed beyond six months, we refresh your regulated local authority search at no cost.

4. Who answers the phone, and how quickly?

Ring them before you sign anything. Count the seconds, note whether you reach a call centre or a search specialist, and ask that person a real question about a search. You will learn more in that call than in any sales conversation.

A good answer is a person who knows your firm, within seconds, who can look at the order while you are on the line.

At Casera, a UK-based search specialist answers in 20 seconds. No call centre, no hold music, no chatbot. If the answer is in the search, you get it on the same call. If something needs to be chased, we chase it and come back to you.

5. How long do quotes take?

Not every search has a list price. Commercial property, unusual titles and some council areas need a quote, and a quote that takes three days is three days the file does not move. Ask how long quotes take and who prepares them.

A good answer is a day, with a specialist on the complex ones rather than a generic desk.

At Casera, we aim to turn every quote around within 24 hours, and a search specialist experienced in complex transactions prepares the difficult ones.

6. What do your reports look like?

Ask to see one before you order one. A search report should tell you what matters on page one, so you can find the risk, explain it to the client and move on. If it takes ten minutes to work out whether there is a problem, the provider has moved its work onto your fee earner.

A good answer is a sample report, with the findings summarised and flagged up front and the same layout whichever council it covers.

At Casera, every regulated report follows one clear layout, with each enquiry flagged so the entries that matter stand out. You can view our sample reports before you speak to us.

7. What am I signing up to?

Ask about the contract length, the minimum monthly order, the fees that are not on the price list and the notice period if you want to leave. Then ask why any of them are necessary. A provider confident in its service does not need to lock you in.

A good answer is none of the above.

At Casera, there is no fixed contract, no minimum order and no hidden fees. Your search pack is priced for your firm up front. You can leave whenever you like, and you can keep your current provider while you try us on a single case. We would rather you stayed because you want to.

How to run the comparison

Put the seven questions to your current provider and to the one you are considering, and write the answers down side by side. Then run one live case through the alternative. A new case, not a file already in progress, so nothing is at risk.

Compare what came back: how long the searches took after the council's information arrived, whether you were told about any delay before you had to ask, how long it took to reach a person, and whether the report told you what mattered on page one.

If you would like to see what Casera's answers look like in practice, read how we improve property searches for conveyancers, or book a 20-minute demo.