Sonal Rabheru is a senior property consultant solicitor based in the Guildford area. She handles all aspects of residential conveyancing, from freehold and leasehold purchases to transfers and remortgages.
Sonal joined Setfords in 2019, having previously been a salaried partner at another firm. We caught up with her to talk about making the move.
What made you leave traditional practice?
I was a salaried partner at another firm, managing a team, and I’d reached a glass ceiling.
I didn’t want to make a sideways move to another firm and end up in the same position. Back then, before COVID, consultancy wasn’t as popular as it is now. I knew Setfords, though, as some of the people there had worked at my previous firm, and it was starting to grow. So I thought I’d give it a shot and see how it worked out.
My children were a bit older, so I knew I’d be okay financially if it didn’t work out. I could always move back into private practice. It’s worked out incredibly well for me.
What’s your favourite thing about the way you work now?
Having complete autonomy. In traditional practice, every six minutes of your time is recorded, and there’s a lot of pressure on billing and targets. I was also managing a team on top of that.
Here, the only pressure is the pressure you put on yourself. I still take on a lot, but that’s because I’ve chosen to, not because anyone’s telling me I have to.
If I want to take a day off, I can, and make up for it at the weekend because everything’s online.
“It’s having that complete power to do what I want, how I want to
do it.”
What surprised you most about consultancy?
I had this idea that I’d do around four transactions a month, and that would keep me going. But from the minute I started, my caseload rocketed.
It’s been great to know I’ve got a local following, and I get lots of referral work from local agents. It has been a positive step for me both professionally and financially.
What could you not live without in your working day?
It would be the IT system. I have a whole team working for me, and we all work remotely, so the system has to be on point.
We need to be organised with how we save and file things, so everyone knows where each transaction is up to. My secretary handles everything after exchange, for example, and she needs to know exactly where things stand.
Quickfire round
Tea or coffee?
Tea.
Home office or coffee shop?
Home office.
Early bird or night owl?
Definitely not an early bird. Night owl.
If Sonal’s story has got you thinking, arrange a confidential call with our team to see how consultancy with Setfords could work for you.
