The property industry has long recognised the need for a faster, more transparent and more predictable homebuying process.
That’s why organisations from across the transaction chain have come together to support Project 28: A Charter for faster, more certain property transactions – an industry-wide initiative focused on reducing the time from sale agreed to exchange to just 28 days.
As part of that commitment, OneSearch has officially joined the Charter as a member, supporting its ambition to improve certainty, transparency and efficiency across the homebuying process.
The Charter was developed through unprecedented collaboration between estate agents, conveyancers, lenders, mortgage brokers and property data providers, all united behind a practical blueprint to improve the homebuying and selling process. Its focus is simple: reduce delays, improve transparency, encourage earlier access to key information and create greater certainty for everyone involved in a transaction.
For OneSearch, the Charter’s commitment to trusted data, upfront information and better collaboration across the transaction chain closely aligns with our own mission to help conveyancers make informed decisions quickly and confidently. As a member, we’re excited to play our part in helping drive positive, lasting change across the industry.
As Robert Steadman, Sales Director at OneSearch, explains:
“The initiative represents a significant opportunity for the industry to come together and accelerate positive change in the homebuying process. By improving access to trusted property information and encouraging greater collaboration across the transaction chain, we can help reduce delays, increase certainty and ultimately deliver better outcomes for consumers and property professionals alike. We’re proud to play our part in helping shape the future of property transactions.”
The challenges facing the homebuying process won’t be solved overnight, but the Charter represents an important step towards a more efficient, transparent and predictable future. By working together, the industry has a genuine opportunity to reduce friction, lower fall-through rates and improve the experience for buyers, sellers and property professionals alike.
To learn more about the Project 28 Charter and its eight commitments, visit the official Charter website.
On Friday 19th June 2026, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced a package of reforms, shaped in collaboration with industry, to transform the property transaction process in England and Wales.
The reforms follow a public consultation that ran from October to December 2025 and set out a phased roadmap to make transactions faster, more reliable and less likely to fall through.
Let’s spend five minutes tackling what the announcement is, and why it’s a vital step in the right direction.
What is changing for conveyancers?
The most notable change is a mandatory requirement for sellers to compile upfront sales packs before a property is listed. These packs must include:
- Standard property searches
- A property condition assessment
- Title information and seller ID verification
- Leasehold terms (where applicable)
- Flood risk, planning consents, and chain status.
This means key information that conveyancers currently wait weeks for should be available from the outset of a transaction.
When do these changes come into effect?
The reforms are being phased in across the remainder of this Parliament:
- Later this year: A Code of Practice for property agents and improved listing standards
- From 2027: Consultation on estate agent qualifications and expanded digital tools.
- By end of Parliament: Legislation requiring sales packs, binding contracts, and trusted digital property data systems.
There are no immediate mandatory requirements for conveyancers to act on right now.
Are upfront sales packs the same as Home Information Packs?
Conveyancers with longer memories will recognise the concept. Home Information Packs (HIPs) were introduced in England and Wales in 2007 and required sellers to compile key property information before listing, including searches and title documents. They were scrapped in 2010.
The Government’s current proposals share similar underlying principles – getting information to buyers and their legal representatives earlier – but the approach is different. Rather than a like-for-like revival of HIPs, the reforms are framed around a broader digital, data-led agenda, with mandatory sales packs forming one part of a wider programme of change.
Why do upfront property searches matter?
Searches sit at the centre of the reform agenda. Requiring them as part of upfront sales packs means conveyancers will have access to search data earlier in the transaction than has traditionally been the case, reducing the need to chase information mid-process and helping to identify potential issues before they cause delays.
To answer the burning question of “well what should we, as conveyancers, do now?”, the answer is nothing, for the time being, but be aware that the direction of travel is clear. Conveyancers who are already working with reliable, comprehensive search providers will be well placed to adapt as the reforms take effect.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has today announced a broad reform programme, shaped in collaboration with industry, to transform the home buying and selling process in England and Wales.
The announcement follows a public consultation that ran from October to December 2025 and sets out a phased roadmap to make property transactions faster, more steadfast, and less prone to collapse.
For conveyancers, the implications are significant, and largely positive. Here is what you need to know.
What has been announced?
At the heart of the reforms is a mandatory requirement for sellers to compile upfront sales packs before a property is listed. These packs must include standard property searches and a property condition assessment, meaning key transactional information will be available to buyers and their legal representatives much earlier in the process.
Estate agents will also be required to include a defined set of information within property listings, covering tenure, title information, seller ID verification, council tax band, EPC rating, leasehold terms, flood risk, planning consents, chain status and more.
The broader reform agenda also covers digital property data, common data standards, trusted digital ID verification, and a longer-term move towards more binding contracts to reduce late fall-throughs.
Why does this matter for conveyancers?
For too long, the conveyancing process has been reactive by necessity. Critical information, such as searches, title details, planning history, and leasehold arrangements have typically arrived late in the process, often after an offer has been accepted. The knock-on impact creates delays, generates unnecessary enquiries and, at worst, leads to transactions failing entirely.
This is precisely the problem the reforms are designed to fix. As Liz Jarvis, Divisional Director of Legal and Search at Landmark Information Group, puts it:
“For conveyancers, the biggest challenge is often that key information arrives too late. When issues relating to title, planning, leasehold arrangements, or property condition only emerge after an offer has been accepted, delays become almost inevitable.
“The Government’s focus on upfront information and digital property packs has the potential to change that. By bringing together more of the information needed to support a transaction at the outset, conveyancers can identify issues earlier, reduce unnecessary enquiries and help transactions progress more smoothly.
“If implemented effectively, these reforms could help shift the process from one that is often reactive to one that is far more prepared and predictable.”
What does this mean in practice?
The roadmap is phased, so not everything changes overnight. The key milestones are:
- Later this year – A Code of Practice setting minimum standards for property agents, plus guidance on improving the quality of information in listings.
- From 2027 – Consultation on estate agent qualifications and expanded digital tools
- By the end of Parliament – Comprehensive legislation requiring sales packs, binding contracts, and digital systems for sharing trusted property information.
There are no immediate mandatory changes for conveyancers to act on right now. But the tide is already turning, and conveyancers who are prepared when it comes in will be in a far stronger position than those still looking for their footing on the shore.
Where do property searches fit in?
Searches sit at the very centre of this reform agenda. The mandatory requirement to include standard searches within upfront sales packs places search data earlier in the transaction than ever before. For conveyancers, this means the information you currently spend time chasing mid-transaction should increasingly be available from day one.
That is a significant operational shift, and an opportunity. Conveyancers who are already working with reliable, comprehensive search providers will be well placed to adapt quickly and confidently.
The first quarter of the year is always a pressure test for conveyancing teams.
Instructions from January are hitting their critical middle stage, client patience is thinning, and the industry’s average instruction-to-completion time of 123 days means the calendar is already working against you.
But in 2026, there’s a sharper edge to that pressure. It isn’t just workload – it’s the compounding effect of unreliable information. Missing details, inconsistent datasets, and errors that should never have made it through create a different kind of drag: one that’s harder to plan for and harder to explain to clients.
At the core of most preventable delays lies a single, underappreciated factor: data integrity.
Conveyancers are absorbing the cost of poor data.
Research shows conveyancers now spend 41% of their working day following up on updates, correcting inconsistencies, or chasing missing details – all consequences of inaccurate or incomplete data reaching them in the first place.
That’s not a workflow problem. It’s a data problem presenting as a workflow problem.
When so much time is consumed fixing issues that shouldn’t exist, the knock-on effects are predictable: slower progress, more enquiries, frustrated clients, and a rising risk of transactions falling through. And even a single misallocated or incorrect data point can derail what should be a straightforward case.
Why this matters more than most realise.
Across the sector, Landmark research has identified the data challenges that consistently create friction for conveyancing firms: poor system integration and interoperability (cited by 37% of firms), security and compliance concerns (37%), legacy systems and limited IT bandwidth (36%), and inconsistent formats that make data difficult to reconcile.
Each of these feeds the same outcome: fragmented files, unexpected queries, and delays that compound across complex chains.
The rise of digital tools has brought genuine efficiencies – 78% of firms now use AI to assist fee earners – but technology is only as reliable as the information feeding it. Better tools with unreliable data still produce unreliable outcomes.
What conveyancers actually need.
The conveyancers who handle high-pressure periods most effectively aren’t necessarily those with the fastest turnaround times. They’re the ones who aren’t constantly firefighting.
What makes the difference, consistently, is information that arrives complete, accurate, and early enough to act on. The evidence backs this up: 73% of conveyancers say early insights give buyers more confidence, 69% say it speeds up the transaction overall, and 61% say it reduces the number of enquiries raised.
Clear, early data doesn’t add friction at the start of a transaction – it removes it from everywhere else.
When data goes wrong, the ripple is wide.
The consequences of poor-quality data rarely stay contained. A minor discrepancy caught late can collapse a deal. Incorrect property attributes introduce risk for buyers. Outdated environmental data can expose clients to liabilities they weren’t warned about. Extra enquiries lengthen timelines and increase administrative load. And throughout, the conveyancer’s professional reputation absorbs the strain.
In a market where clients expect clarity and estate agents are monitoring progress closely, even small data failures carry outsized consequences.
What a good data partnership looks like in practice.
The strongest advantage a search provider can offer in 2026 isn’t speed alone – it’s accuracy you can rely on, delivered early enough to change outcomes rather than just document them.
That means verified, consistently reliable datasets. It means reducing the time spent on avoidable administrative work. It means insights that support better client conversations, not ones that generate more questions. And it means acting as a genuine extension of the conveyancing team – not a detached supplier that creates extra steps.
With caseloads under pressure and timelines stretching, the difference between a partner and a vendor is whether they make your workload lighter or heavier.
For conveyancers navigating a demanding market, data integrity isn’t a technical concern sitting somewhere in the background – it’s the foundation every smooth transaction is built on.
The last few years have completely reshaped the way residential conveyancers work. What was once considered futuristic – even a little overwhelming – has now become part of the everyday fabric of legal practice.
AI is no longer a premium feature reserved for big-city firms with specialist innovation teams. It’s now being used by sole practitioners, regional High Street offices, and nationwide brands alike. As we move into the Spring months, one thing is crystal clear: AI is transforming residential conveyancing more profoundly, and more quickly, than anyone expected.
According to recent research, AI adoption among residential conveyancers has surged from 39% to 78% in a single year. That kind of growth doesn’t just signal interest – it signals a fundamental shift in how conveyancers manage their caseloads, structure their work, and deliver for their clients.
The pace of adoption tells a story. Early adopters proved the value, mainstream firms followed, and now the vast majority of conveyancers are using AI not as an experiment, but as a core part of their daily workflow.
Let’s explore why this shift has happened, what it means for firms of all sizes, and how conveyancers can embrace AI without losing the judgement, confidence, and quality that define the profession.
Why AI Has Become Essential
The demands on conveyancers keep rising: high caseloads, pressure for faster updates, and an intense focus on risk management. AI has stepped into that space and tackled the pain points head‑on.
Here’s where firms are seeing the biggest gains:
1. Faster drafting from title documents
AI generates clear, structured draft reports in minutes, freeing fee earners to focus on nuance, advice, and risk.
2. Less admin and fewer bottlenecks
Tasks like form filling, document collation, diary prompts, and file opening are now automated – especially valuable for smaller teams.
3. Better triage and smarter allocation
AI quickly identifies complexity, missing information, and routing needs, ensuring work goes to the right people from the start.
The result? More time saved, fewer repetitive tasks, and a more predictable workflow.
Why Adoption Has Accelerated
AI directly addresses three of the toughest challenges facing conveyancers today:
- Delays – It clears admin hurdles before they slow cases down.
- Risk – It flags discrepancies and patterns early, supporting safer decisions.
- Client experience – With less admin to juggle, fee earners can communicate more, not less.
For many high street firms, AI has become the equivalent of extra operational capacity – without needing extra headcount.
AI and Professional Judgement
As AI grows, the legal sector has raised one important question: how do we protect early‑career development when junior lawyers have AI at their fingertips?
The answer isn’t to discourage AI – it’s to guide how it’s used.
- AI outputs should be a starting point, not the conclusion.
- Junior staff should still review, question, and verify.
- Mentorship and oversight matter more, not less.
AI should be a thinking partner, not the source of truth.
Why Smaller Firms Are Winning
High street practices have become some of the biggest beneficiaries of AI. Affordable, intuitive tools now give smaller teams the ability to work with the efficiency of much larger firms. They’re seeing:
- Faster turnaround
- Better consistency
- Stronger resilience during peak periods
- More modern, client‑friendly services
AI has levelled the playing field – and in some cases, tilted it in favour of the smaller, more agile firms.
What’s Coming Next
Over the next 12 months, expect to see:
- AI‑driven onboarding
- Tighter case management integration
- More predictive risk tools
- Clearer, AI‑assisted client updates
- Whole workflows shaped around AI + human oversight
The firms who get ahead will be the ones blending strong processes, good training, and confident use of AI – not those replacing judgement with automation.
AI is no longer optional in residential conveyancing. It’s embedded, effective, and transforming how firms work. But the heart of conveyancing remains the same: clients rely on your expertise, reassurance, and judgement.
AI makes the work easier. People still make it exceptional.
Download our market research report, Paving the way for smarter residential conveyancing in 2026, by clicking on the image below.
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.
