2026-04-23
16 going on 17 and what a year it has been…
As SortRefer turns 17, we’re taking a moment to look back on what has genuinely been one of our biggest and most standout years to date.
It’s safe to say our “sweet 16” has been anything but quiet. It’s been full of memorable milestones, that it’s hard to know where to start, but more than anything, it reflects just how far we’ve come since launching in 2009, and how much more there is still to come.
It’s been a year full of firsts and big moments...
This year, we launched our podcast, The Next Move in Conveyancing, bringing together voices from across the industry to open up some real, honest conversations about the challenges the sector faces and where conveyancing is heading next.
We took another step in conveyancing by evolving how we work to better support our brokers and their clients in a changing industry. This included a major upgrade to our Stamp Duty process through our partnership with Stamp.Expert, introducing a more secure, client-led tool, alongside the enhancement of our £499 Scottish Fees Assist package, designed to offer a more flexible and cost-effective remortgage option for our Scottish brokers.
Bringing the industry together...
One of the biggest, if not the biggest, standout moments of the year for us was our first-ever Sort Ball, held in Manchester, which brought together conveyancers, brokers, surveyors and partners from across the UK to celebrate the industry and everything we’ve achieved together. It was a truly memorable milestone for the business, a reflection of all the relationships we’ve built throughout the years and something we hope to add to calendars for years to come.
Our regional events programme has also had its biggest year yet.
For the past three years, we’ve hosted events all across the UK, from Aberdeen and Kent, to Sheffield and Bristol, with plenty more still to come. The engagement for these has been incredible, and it’s been great to see so many leading lenders and legal experts come together to share valuable insights and help brokers discover new ways to enhance their business.
This year in particular has been our strongest year to date, with unprecedented engagement and continued growth in both reach and attendance.
A record-breaking year...
Alongside this, we’ve also seen some of our strongest ever performance results.
March 2026 was a record-breaking month for us, with overall instructions up 16%, the highest monthly total to date!
In the same month, we also achieved our best-ever month for completions and revenue, delivering record performances across some of our key services, highlighting the continued growth across the business.
Awards and recognition...
It’s also been a year of some incredible recognition across the industry, which we’re incredibly proud of.
We were named finalists for five different awards, won Mortgage Conveyancer of the Year 2026 at the Moneyage Mortgage Awards, achieved highly commended for Best Conveyancing Services at the What Mortgage Awards, and were also awarded Gold Investors in People accreditation.
Our CEO, Kev, was also named Business Leader in Conveyancing at the British Specialist Lending Awards, which was an amazing recognition of his leadership and a real reflection of the business as a whole.
Driving change...
While it’s been a year of recognition, it’s also been just as important for us to focus on driving change within the industry itself.
Following our Levelling up Forums, to find ways to improve the industry, we became part of Project28, a step in our ongoing commitment to improving conveyancing. It’s allowed us to work collaboratively with others across the sector to look at how the process can be made more efficient, transparent, and better for everyone involved.
For us, it’s always been about more than just what we do day to day. It’s about contributing to the wider industry and playing an active role in shaping what comes next for conveyancing.
A few words from...
Kev Tunnicliffe, CEO: “Reaching 17 years in business is a fantastic milestone and a real moment for us to reflect on how far SortRefer has come since 2009. I’m proud to share that this past year has been our strongest yet; what the team have achieved is a testament to the strength of our service offering and the trust our brokers place in us. I’m grateful to our partners, clients and supporters who have also been part of our journey. We’re proud to be delivering the solutions intermediaries need in an ever-evolving marketplace, it’s an exciting time looking ahead at this next and beyond.”
Andy Sadler, Business Manager: “I’ve thought about Sort being in its own bubble insofar as not knowing how we are perceived in the wider industry, but after attending the Sort Ball and receiving all the subsequent positive feedback it made me realise we are a big player in this market, and all the sacrifice and hard work, especially in the early days, was completely worth it.”
17 and just getting started...
So, as we turn 17, it really is a year worth pausing on.
It’s been a year full of growth, recognition, and so many memorable milestones across the business. But moreover, it’s been a year defined by our team, partners and the relationship built.
So, if 16 going on 17 is anything to go by, we’re only just getting started.
