Johannesburg - Sandton

Responses from 29 law firms, representing 223 partners, of whom 60 are conveyancing partners were received. The findings read as follows:

Internet connectivity
Permanent connection					83%
Dial up					17%
Recovery of Posts & Petties costs
Transfers				Bonds	Cancellations
High			R 600	R 600	R 350
Low			R 260	R 250	R 30
Average			R 370	R 250	R 161
Recovery of Deeds Office search costs
High					R 150
Low					R 25
Average					R 79
Did not respond					21%
Recovery of electronic bond instruction costs
ABS		FNB	NED	STD	AVG
High	R 160	R 160	R 160	R 160	R 160
Low	R 40	R 40	R 40	R 40	R 40
Average	R 90	R 84	R 84	R 84	R 86
Did not respond	82%	82%	82%	82%	82%
Recovery of FICA search costs
Individuals				Companies	Trusts
High			R 500	R 375	R 375
Low			R 125	R 123	R 123
Average			R 223	R 224	R 224
Did not respond			24%	24%	24%
Firms that have increased the recommended tariff					12%
Firms that charge a minimum fee					7%
Discounting of fees
High					50%
Low					10%
Average					19%
Did not respond					28%
Percentage of firms which incentivise their secretaries					41%
Ratio of senior secretaries to junior secretaries					1 : 0.7
Matter "legs" per secretary per month
A completed bond and a completed transfer each = 1 leg, while a cancellation = half a leg
High					40
Low					3
Average					13
How long will the property boom last?
Don't know					18%
Over already					24%
Less than 6 months					14%
Less than 1 year					34%
More than 1 year					10%

Links to the regional results
Main survey results
Bloemfontein
Cape Town
Durban
East London
George
Johannesburg - East
Johannesburg - South
Johannesburg - West
Pietermaritzburg
Port Elizabeth
Pretoria