As 2026 rolls on, the residential property market finds itself at an important juncture. Following several years marked by fluctuating activity, shifting consumer sentiment and operational pressure across the transaction pipeline, one priority is now shared across professionals: the need for greater certainty in property transactions.
This theme sits at the centre of Landmark’s latest webinar, Residential property market: Key trends that will shape 2026, and the accompanying cross‑market report, An industry aligned: Moving towards certainty. Together, they draw on insights from our property trends data, transaction milestone data and the latest market and consumer research, offering a comprehensive view of the market’s trajectory and the practical steps needed to improve transaction outcomes.
A mixed picture for the property market in 2025
The market in England and Wales experienced a mixed picture throughout 2025. Listing activity remained comparatively resilient in the first half of the year before softening in the second half as uncertainty surrounding potential fiscal changes in the lead up to the Autumn Budget tempered momentum. SSTC volumes mirrored this pattern, with Q4 highlighting the sensitivity of the market to wider economic sentiment.
Conveyancing activity reflected similar fluctuations. The completion surge driven by the Stamp Duty (SDLT) deadline – and subsequent dip – followed by the autumn slowdown illustrated the operational unpredictability many conveyancing firms had to absorb over the course of the year. These fluctuations did not halt the market, but they made the process less predictable for both professionals and consumers alike.
Understanding the expectation gap
One of the clearest findings from the new report is the gap between consumer expectations and the reality of transaction times. While the average instruction‑to‑completion figure stands at 123 days (17.6 weeks), the latest consumer ideal is actually 6.78 weeks.
This gap has a direct impact on satisfaction, communication pressure and fall‑through risk. Yet, as our panellists discussed, consumers are increasingly open to reform. Not only are they willing to instruct a conveyancer earlier for faster outcomes, but they are also open to paying agents and conveyancers upfront for services that promote transparency, speed and efficiency.
Scotland provides a stable comparative model
Against the wider backdrop of volatility in England and Wales, Scotland’s market delivered greater consistency in 2025. Modest year‑on‑year increases across listings, Sold Subject to Missives (SSTMs) and completions reflect a more predictable and stable operational environment – one strengthened by established expectations around upfront information.
Discussions during the webinar highlighted that several practical elements of the Scottish model could be adopted within England and Wales without waiting for legislative intervention, such as surfacing trusted upfront information earlier in the process. Across most key metrics, the Scottish transactional process is more efficient, offering a proven comparative model.
A shared direction for 2026
Across estate agents, conveyancers, lenders and wider stakeholders, one message from the webinar was consistent: the industry is aligned on the need to bring greater certainty of property transactions completing. Early data, improved sequencing, consistent communication and shared responsibility for the consumer education process are central to this premise.
As Rob Gurney, Managing Director at Ochresoft, put it: “If the average home seller doesn’t know that there are benefits from instructing their lawyer at the point of listing or even earlier, then they’re not going to. They need to be told. My plea to the industry is: let’s try and educate the home-moving public of the virtues of getting a lawyer instructed earlier.”
To explore these trends in depth, including detailed analysis from our panel and a walkthrough of the data that shaped last year and informs 2026, you can now watch the webinar on‑demand. It is designed for professionals across the property, legal and lending sectors who are seeking a clearer understanding of the forces shaping the residential property market in 2026.
Alongside the webinar, the full cross‑market report – An industry aligned: Moving towards certainty – is also available to download. Together, they provide data proof points and a consolidated view of consumer expectations, operational performance and the actions that can help the industry deliver more certain, confident transactions this year.
