The government has unveiled its roadmap for reforming the conveyancing process, aiming to reduce the time taken to reach the exchange of contracts.

It proposes new legislation that will require sellers and estate agents to provide substantial packs of property information at the outset and make the process more reliant on digital records.

A phased approach to the changes is intended, giving those involved time to adapt. Upfront expenses for sellers are likely to be considerable, and it remains to be seen whether buyers and mortgage lenders will be happy to rely on information provided by the seller.

Proposed changes

A code of practice for estate agents is due to be published later in 2026, which will set out how the quality of information provided in property listings will be improved.

Also in 2026, it is intended to identify sales pack information which will be provided upfront, initially on a voluntary basis, to encourage the sector to adjust to the changes.

The government will work with those in the industry to implement the use of binding contracts at an earlier stage, and ensure those moving house are aware of the option to use a reservation agreement.

In 2027 or 2028, a consultation will look at overhauling estate agent qualifications. The sector will be expected to handle digital logbooks for properties, digital sales packs, electronic signatures and digital identity verification.

The information to be provided in digital sales packs will be identified, and a penalty fee structure will be created for breach of a binding contract.

The Digital Property Market Steering Group will work with the government to establish standards intended to ensure that AI conveyancing technologies are used practically and consistently.

Ultimately, the government intends to require sales packs to be prepared before a property is listed. These will include searches and a property condition report, meaning a buyer would be encouraged to rely on a survey commissioned by the seller.

Binding conditional contracts will be used at an early stage of the conveyancing process, with financial penalties for those who later pull out of the transaction.

Digital data will be shared, including digital logbooks and sales packs, in all property transactions.

Expert responses

Conveyancers are wary of the changes and feel that it is unlikely that conveyancing times will be ‘slashed’, as suggested.

A previous attempt at providing information upfront failed and was scrapped, partly because of the high upfront financial burdens for sellers in providing a survey and a wide range of property information.

Additionally, mortgage lenders did not trust information provided by a seller and required due diligence work to be carried out on their behalf in any event.

Those in conveyancing are concerned that the current proposals will have similar problems. Unsurprisingly, companies providing digital technology are broadly in support of the changes.

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