Faster moves, fewer fall throughs: the UK Government plan to fix home sales

Propertymark welcomes the direction of travel: our members have long been vocal in alerting successive governments to the issues experienced by the sector that are blocking progress. Our position paper, The future of home buying and selling, sets out our priorities for reform, which include the regulation of property agents, clear roles and joint guidance to ensure smoother working between agents, conveyancers and other stakeholders, and an industry-wide commitment to digital solutions to enhance the speed and quality of the process.

Home buying and selling reform: proposals at a glance

 

Professionalising property agents

The consultation proposes a Code of Practice for all residential property agents (estate, lettings and managing) and signals a further consultation on mandatory qualifications for estate and lettings agents (building on an existing consultation for managing agents). Ultimately, ministers may legislate for minimum qualifications and for compliance with the Code.

Upfront property information at the point of listing

Stating that polling revealed only 2% of home movers thought they received enough information before making an offer, MHCLG plan to introduce a mandatory standardised core data set to be made available when a property is first marketed.

This goes beyond current “material information” expectations and could include title details, tenure, EPC, council tax band, standard searches (LLC, water & drainage, environmental, local risks), lease terms, building safety data, and a proportionate property condition assessment.

A separate consultation is also underway to define material information and shape the guidance the sector will need to comply with this requirement.

Leasehold sales information

To tackle leasehold (and estate management) delays and charges, the UK Government will implement measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024: clear standards for request content, timelines, fee caps, and enforcement/readiness with tribunals and redress schemes

Digital property logbooks

Ministers want digital packs (linked to the UPRN and Land Registry records) to become standard and potentially required by law, in due course. Packs should be interoperable (API‑based) so agents, conveyancers, lenders and local authorities can share trusted data, with appropriate security and privacy standards. New-build transactions would lead adoption.

Streamlining transactions

Conveyancing now takes around 60% longer than in 2007, partly due to newer regulations around Anti-Money Laundering (AML) which means consumers face duplicative checks from conveyancers, lenders, estate agents and other property professionals during a single transaction.

Reducing repetition and delay is vital, so the UK Government is initially targeting streamlined AML checks and the responsible use of AI tools to save time on due diligence.

The work of the Digital Property Market Steering Group, of which Propertymark is a member, will continue to be important in accelerating the adoption of digital technology across the property market while ensuring it is transparent, secure and consumer friendly.

Binding conditional contracts

The consultation paper explores introducing earlier binding agreements with proportionate penalties for withdrawal to reduce fall‑throughs, like the system in Scotland (where the fall-through rate is around 9%, compared to over 30% in England). Any move here would follow the rollout of comprehensive upfront information, so buyers are not locked in without the facts.

Consumer education and transparency

Plans include publishing comparable information on agent and conveyancer specialisms, performance and processes (for example, whether they support digital packs/logbooks), plus a simple charter and potential accreditation to help consumers select quality services and speed the process.

Representing members and the sector

We know that real reform can only succeed if it is informed by those who understand the realities of the market. That’s why we are hosting a series of member-only virtual roundtable discussions to hear your views and ensure your experience is at the heart of the debate.

• Monday 27 October, 1:00PM - 3:00PM
• Tuesday 28 October, 1:00PM - 3:00PM
• Wednesday 29 October, 1:00PM - 3:00PM
• Thursday 30th October 1:00PM - 3:00PM

Register your interest.

We will submit a detailed response to MHCLG, drawing on member evidence from our home buying and selling work. We’ll support reforms that:

• are practical and proportionate for agents and SMEs;
• reduce duplication (especially ID/AML) through trusted, interoperable systems;
• improve local authority search performance;
• and professionalise the sector with clear, enforceable standards

Practical takeaways for agents

There are steps professionals can consider taking now in their businesses to increase their readiness for the significant changes that are coming.

• Listing workflows: start planning to capture and present standardised upfront data (title, lease terms, building safety, core searches, condition info) at instruction.
• Digital readiness: assess CRMs/prop‑tech for digital logbook creation and API interoperability; watch emerging data standards and the Digital Property Information Protocol.
• ID and signatures: prepare for trusted digital identity and qualified e‑signatures to avoid repeated checks and speed contract steps.
• Professional standards: expect movement on a Code of Practice and qualifications; plan CPD and staff training pathways accordingly.
• Consumer transparency: be ready for published performance/process information. Ensure your timescales, communication and use of digital tools stack up.

The Propertymark Sales Protocol Toolkit supports members with current best practice. Estate agents who are using the toolkit have reported a reduction in transaction times, down to seven weeks in some cases.