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Meet the Team: Emma Selfridge

28 April 2020

• Tell us a little bit about yourself Emma?

I started working for Redkite Solicitors in February 2019 and work as Head of the Cardiff Residential Property Team based in our offices on The Parade in the city centre.

I have been a Residential Property Solicitor for over 20 years and have worked for both conveyancing ‘businesses’ as well as Solicitor’s firms.  I much prefer the client contact and relationships you can build with Clients, Estate Agents, Brokers, and other Solicitors when you work in a High Street firm such as Redkite.

I have worked throughout South Wales for the last 20 plus years and I particularly enjoy the challenge afforded by residential conveyancing as it is constantly evolving.  I am always seeking to improve and develop myself so as to ensure our clients experience the best possible service and I think our client feedback and Google reviews show that we have been successful in that aim.

Myself and my team deal with all of the day-to-day running of the residential property files for clients who live in (or are moving into) Cardiff and the surrounding areas. As a senior member of the team I also tend to deal with the especially complex matters such as unregistered or leasehold  property transactions and new builds.

• Was becoming a Solicitor always your goal?

I think I was always going to end up as a lawyer because I like accumulating knowledge, refining processes and working with lots of different people.  Plus I have the sort of personality that thrives on attention to detail and organisation which is something the profession requires now more than ever.

• What is it about your job that makes you excited to get up in the morning and what does your typical day involve?

I enjoy the challenge as you never know what is going to come your way in residential conveyancing.  You can never really plan your day as you have no idea who will pop in, or call, or what will be in your post or emails.  As a result conveyancing tends to be very fast-paced and never ever boring! I thrive on rising to the challenge.

I also work with an immensely talented group of individuals at Redkite and thoroughly enjoy each working day. My Team has over 60 years accumulated knowledge between them and show me daily a great sense of humour and passion for conveyancing and customer service.

It can be quite stressful dealing with sales and purchases as this is such an important financial investment for the clients, and the process itself can put clients under great stress. We aim to take as much pressure off our clients’ shoulders as possible by being both proactive and explaining at every step what is happening and how long it is likely to take.

• Do you have any Top tips you can offer to anyone looking to find the right residential conveyancing solicitor for them?

My top tip if you are looking for a solicitor for any type of matter is to touch base with at least 3 or 4 firms and to take a good look at their Google and Trust Pilot Reviews. A good law firm and solicitor will be obvious from these…..and ask your family and friends who they would recommend as they will never tell you to go to someone useless!

Personal recommendations that you are given by Estate Agents, Brokers or Financial Advisers are also important. BUT sometimes they may have a financial incentive for referring work to a certain firm so always ask the question so you can be confident they are referring you because they genuinely feel that firm is going to give you the best possible service. With current Regulations these financial incentives (known as ‘referral fees’) have to be revealed to you – so don’t be shy in asking the question and establishing if that firm truly is the right one for you.

Remember: no one can insist on you using a particular Law Firm. The Regulations that bind Estate Agents, Solicitors, Brokers and Independent Financial Advisors (IFA’s) prevent them from forcing you to use a particular firm; however, it may not always be obvious that you have freedom of choice to instruct whoever you want to.

• What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given to you that you would pass on to someone else?

The most valuable piece of advice I have ever been given is “Buy Cheap – Pay Twice”.  In my opinion this is often true in every avenue of life.  If you want something super cheap you are not doing yourself any favours and you will end up paying over the odds in the long run. Cheap does not always bring you quality or expertise, or people who are really good at what they do.