Hey Pokkit,
I’ve had a really pushy email this morning from a buyers conveyancer. They’re saying we need to complete today and want me to confirm some last-minute changes urgently. It feels rushed. What should I do?
Hi! You’re right to pause here.
If someone’s pushing for immediate completion or last-minute changes, especially with urgency, don’t let the pressure rush you into replying or agreeing straight away.
A safer approach is to:
- slow things down
- avoid confirming changes just by email
- check anything unusual through your normal trusted process
- treat urgency as a reason to be extra careful, not less
If you want, you can paste the wording here and I’ll help you think through a calm response.
Thanks. The email says the rest of the chain is ready and if I don’t confirm within the hour everything could collapse. They also want funds sent to an updated account because of a ‘final admin change’. That sounds bad, right?
Yes, that’s a big red flag.
Pressure like “within the hour” plus a sudden change to payment details is exactly the kind of situation where mistakes can happen.
Please don’t send funds or confirm new bank details from that email alone.
Best next steps:
- Stop and don’t act on the email yet.
- Use your usual verified contact method to speak to the conveyancer or firm directly.
- Independently confirm whether any change is genuine.
- Keep a record of the email and the wording.
You’re not being difficult by checking. You’re being sensible!
I haven’t replied yet. I’m worried because they copied in loads of people and made it sound like I’d be holding everyone up. Should I answer them at all?
You can reply, but keep it short and don’t confirm anything important in that message.
You could send something like:
“Thanks for the update. For security and accuracy, I’m not able to confirm completion timing or any account detail changes by urgent email alone. I’ll continue through the normal verification process and respond once checks have been completed.”
That sets a boundary nicely.
The key thing is this: urgency from others doesn’t remove the need for proper checks. In fact, it makes those checks more important.
That’s really helpful. I’m James, by the way. If they call me and try to pressure me, what should I say?
Nice to meet you, James.
If they call, keep it warm but firm. You could say:
“I understand this is time-sensitive, but I won’t agree to completion or payment changes until everything has been properly verified through the usual process.”
If they keep pushing, repeat yourself rather than getting drawn into the emotion of it.
A good little rule is: pressure is a cue to pause.
If you’d like, I can also help you draft a slightly stronger version in case they become more aggressive.
Yes please. I’d like a stronger version I can keep ready.
Of course — here’s a firmer version you can use:
“I’m not authorising any completion decision, amendment, or transfer of funds based on pressure or last-minute email requests. I’ll only proceed once matters have been verified through the normal agreed process. Please stop asking me to bypass those checks.”
It’s direct, but still professional.
If you want, I can also turn that into a short WhatsApp-style message or a more formal email version for you.
