In the first edition of this newsletter, I wrote about the uncomfortable reality of moving home in Britain. Sales fall through, transactions take months to complete, and buyers and sellers are often left with very little idea of what is happening behind the scenes. Estate agents, solicitors and mortgage brokers spend much of their time chasing information across emails, telephone calls, portals and filing systems, while problems that could have been identified at the beginning are allowed to surface when the transaction is already under pressure.
I also introduced the alternative we have been building. The Moving Hub, part of WiggyWam's property platform, that is designed to bring the property transaction together by connecting the people, information, documents, tasks, milestones and communication involved in a home move.
But technology is only one half of the solution. A better system can create visibility, reduce duplication and show everyone what has been completed and what remains outstanding. It cannot create integrity, professional judgement or a genuine commitment to the client. It cannot force someone to communicate properly, prepare thoroughly or care whether the transaction reaches completion. Any new system will ultimately be judged by the calibre of the people using it. That is where The Maverick Movement fits into the solution.
What do we mean by a Maverick?
The word Maverick is often used to describe someone who thinks independently, challenges convention and refuses to follow the crowd. That is precisely why we chose it. However, someone recently raised a fair and important concern. A Maverick can also be interpreted as a lone operator who ignores the team, rejects collaboration and insists on doing everything their own way. In a property transaction, where so many people must work together, that could appear to send the wrong message. That is not what The Maverick Movement represents.
A Maverick is independent in thought, but not isolated in action. They are willing to question a process that is clearly failing, while recognising that no transaction can succeed through individual effort alone.
Moving home requires sellers, buyers, estate agents, solicitors, mortgage brokers and lenders to fulfill different responsibilities while working towards the same outcome. Each person brings their own expertise and must retain their own judgement, but the transaction only succeeds when those individual parts connect. A Maverick does not reject teamwork. They reject blind conformity.
They do not continue following a broken process simply because it has existed for decades. They ask whether it still works, who benefits from it and whether it delivers the right result for the consumer. When the answer is no, they are prepared to say so.
Independent thinkers often make the strongest teams
There is an important difference between someone who thinks independently and someone who refuses to cooperate.
A lone wolf may avoid accountability, disregard the expertise of others or place their own interests above those of the client and the wider transaction. They see collaboration as a threat to their control.
A Maverick is different. They are secure enough in their own ability to recognise the value of other high-calibre professionals. They do not need to dominate every part of the transaction because they understand their own role and respect the expertise required elsewhere.
The best collaboration is not created by people who remain silent, avoid difficult conversations or agree with one another for the sake of appearances. It is created by people who are prepared to think critically, speak honestly and take responsibility for their decisions.
Mavericks may challenge unsustainable fees, hidden referral arrangements, conditional selling, factory-style conveyancing and business models that prioritise volume over service. They do not do this to be disruptive for the sake of it. They do it because these practices have consequences. They create delays, weaken professional independence, damage trust and leave consumers receiving less than they believe they are paying for. They also trap good professionals inside systems that prevent them from delivering the standard of service they entered the industry to provide. One Maverick can identify the problem. A network of Mavericks can begin replacing it.
The system and the movement belong together
The WiggyWam Moving Hub provides the infrastructure that the transaction has always lacked. It gives authorised participants a clearer view of the information, documents, progress and outstanding actions involved in the move. The Maverick Movement brings together the people prepared to use that infrastructure to deliver a higher standard.
One provides the operating system. The other provides the judgement, integrity and determination required to make that operating system effective.
A platform cannot transform the housing market if everyone continues behaving exactly as they did before. If information is withheld, technology cannot create honesty. If professionals continue accepting caseloads they cannot realistically manage, a dashboard cannot create more hours in the day. If success is still measured by referral income, instructions won or files opened, greater visibility will simply reveal that the wrong outcomes are being prioritised. The system matters, but the people operating it matter more.
The Maverick seller
A successful transaction begins with a prepared seller. The current process often allows sellers to believe that their main responsibility is to place the property on the market and wait for an offer. Important forms, documents and legal information are frequently left until a buyer has already been found. A Maverick seller understands that the preparation must begin earlier.
They do not wait until the transaction is under pressure before searching for documents, completing property information or disclosing matters that could affect the sale. They work with their estate agent and solicitor to gather what will be needed while there is still time to resolve any problems. This does not mean that sellers are expected to become legal experts. It means they are given the guidance and tools to take responsibility for preparing their property properly.
The Maverick seller wants the strongest possible price, but also understands that a high offer is meaningless if the transaction is incapable of reaching completion. Their goal is not simply to attract a buyer. It is to become genuinely ready to sell.
The Maverick estate agent
The Maverick estate agent is not satisfied with winning an instruction. They are determined to get the property sold. That distinction is fundamental. An instruction can be won through an optimistic valuation, an attractive fee or an impressive presentation. Reaching completion requires preparation, judgement, communication and continued involvement after the property becomes Sold Subject to Contract. The Maverick agent understands that their real value is not measured by the number of properties they list. It is measured by the number of clients they help move.
They prepare the seller properly, encourage early solicitor instruction and ensure the property information is as complete and accurate as possible. They look for risks before the property reaches the market rather than waiting for the buyer's solicitor to uncover them months later.
Their involvement does not end when an offer is accepted. That is the point at which their knowledge of the seller, the buyer, the property and the chain becomes most valuable.
They continue managing progress and maintaining communication between the people involved. They recognise when a problem is developing and act before it becomes capable of destroying the transaction.
A Maverick agent also understands that working with excellent solicitors and mortgage brokers does not reduce their importance. It strengthens the service they provide to their client. They are not simply salespeople. They are transaction leaders.
The Maverick seller's solicitor
Many of the delays blamed on conveyancing are created before a conveyancer has even been formally instructed. The property may already be under offer before the legal title has been reviewed, the forms completed or the supporting documents gathered. The seller's solicitor is then expected to prepare everything urgently while the buyer, agent and rest of the chain are already waiting. The Maverick seller's solicitor becomes involved earlier.
They help the seller prepare before the transaction is under pressure. They review the legal position, identify missing information and address matters that could otherwise cause delays once a buyer has become emotionally and financially committed.
Their role is not to process the greatest number of files at the lowest possible cost. It is to protect the client, prepare the transaction properly and ensure that the contract package is issued from the strongest possible position. A high-calibre solicitor understands that speed does not come from rushing. It comes from preparation, organisation, experience and a caseload that allows every client to receive proper attention.
They communicate clearly, raise concerns early and work constructively with the estate agent and the buyer's solicitor. Their legal judgement remains independent, but they recognise that independence does not require silence, unnecessary delay or hostility towards the other professionals involved. They protect their client while helping the transaction move forward.
The Maverick buyer
The Maverick buyer enters the transaction prepared and informed. They organise their finances early, obtain appropriate advice and understand that an accepted offer is the beginning of the purchase rather than a guarantee that the property will become theirs.
They choose their professionals based on competence, independence and service rather than accepting whichever firm is placed in front of them as part of a referral arrangement. They understand that buying a home is too important to base every decision on the cheapest available fee.
A Maverick buyer asks questions and expects clear answers, but they also recognise their own responsibilities. They provide information promptly, respond to requests and remain engaged with the process. They do not allow themselves to be pressured into using a particular solicitor, mortgage broker or associated service simply to secure the property. They retain the right to make informed decisions and receive genuinely independent advice.
At the same time, independence does not mean creating unnecessary obstacles. They work constructively with their solicitor, broker and estate agent while ensuring that their own interests remain properly protected. They are committed to the purchase, but never careless about the risks.
The Maverick mortgage broker
The Maverick mortgage broker does more than secure a mortgage offer. They take the time to understand the buyer's circumstances, assess affordability properly and recommend finance that is genuinely suitable. They do not simply choose the easiest application, the most convenient lender or the product that provides the greatest commercial return.
They explain the likely timescales, conditions and risks clearly, allowing the buyer to make an informed decision before becoming committed to the transaction. Their involvement does not end when the application is submitted. They remain alert to changes that could affect the mortgage, including issues with the property, the purchase price, the buyer's circumstances or the expected completion date. When the lender requests additional information or raises a concern, they act quickly and keep the appropriate people informed.
The Maverick broker also understands that the mortgage is not a separate process taking place alongside the property purchase. It is one part of the same transaction. A financing delay can affect the seller and every other property in the chain. A legal or valuation issue can affect the mortgage. These parts cannot continue operating as though the others do not exist. The broker's advice must remain independent, but their communication must remain collaborative.
The Maverick buyer's solicitor
The buyer's solicitor carries one of the most important responsibilities in the transaction. They must protect the buyer from legal and financial risk while helping them understand precisely what they are purchasing. The Maverick buyer's solicitor is thorough, but not obstructive.
They raise inquiries because the questions matter, not simply because the same list is raised on every file. They identify the issues that could genuinely affect the buyer, explain the consequences clearly and help the client make an informed decision. They understand that asking more questions does not automatically provide better protection. The quality of the questions, the judgement applied to the answers and the advice given to the client are what matter. They do not confuse delay with diligence.They do not confuse delay with diligence.
The Maverick buyer's solicitor communicates directly and professionally with the seller's solicitor. They work constructively with the estate agent and mortgage broker where appropriate, while protecting the confidentiality and legal interests of their client. Collaboration does not compromise their independence. It demonstrates their competence.
The buyer must be protected, but the transaction must also be managed intelligently. A high-calibre solicitor is capable of doing both.
High calibre recognises high calibre
The best professionals are not threatened by other strong professionals. They value them. A capable estate agent wants an excellent solicitor involved because that solicitor improves the likelihood of the transaction completing. A capable solicitor values a well-prepared agent because the seller is more likely to have provided accurate information and the required documents.
A strong mortgage broker appreciates clear communication from agents and solicitors because anything affecting the finance can be addressed sooner. Serious buyers and sellers benefit when every professional involved is experienced, responsive and properly rewarded for their work. Low standards create suspicion, delay and conflict. High standards create trust.
This is why Mavericks can work successfully with other Mavericks. They do not compete for control of the transaction because each person understands their role, respects the expertise of others and remains focused on the same outcome. Nobody is expected to surrender their independent judgement. They are expected to use that judgement well.
The Maverick name must represent a standard
The Maverick Movement cannot become another badge, networking group or marketing logo available to anyone prepared to pay for it. The name must mean something.
A Maverick must be honest with clients, even when the truth is uncomfortable. They must prepare early, communicate clearly and take responsibility for the work entrusted to them. They must also be willing to challenge poor practice, including when it exists within their own profession.
That means questioning unsustainable pricing, hidden referral arrangements, conditional selling, factory-style services and any business model that places short-term revenue ahead of the consumer and the successful completion of the transaction. Mavericks will not always agree with one another.
They can, however, disagree professionally, examine the evidence and remain united around the same principles. Consumers must be protected. Professionals must be properly valued. Risks must be identified early. Information must be accurate and visible. The transaction must be managed towards completion. Mavericks do not claim to be perfect. They commit to being better.
One Maverick can challenge the system. A movement can change it.
The first article in this newsletter introduced a different way to prepare and manage the home-moving process. This article explains why the system cannot succeed without a different professional culture around it.
The WiggyWam Moving Hub connects the transaction. The Maverick Movement connects the people prepared to deliver it properly.
The platform provides the structure, information and visibility. The movement provides the calibre, judgement and accountability. Neither is enough on its own. The housing market does not need more people working in isolation, but it also does not need more people blindly following a process they know is failing.
It needs independent thinkers who are capable of working together. It needs professionals who are courageous enough to challenge poor practice, confident enough to recognise expertise in others and committed enough to remain focused on completion. That is what a Maverick is.
They are not against the team. They are against a system that prevents the team from succeeding. They do not reject collaboration. They reject complacency. A new operating system can change how the property transaction works. A movement of high-calibre professionals can change the standard by which the entire market operates.