The conversation around upfront information is gathering pace.
The Government Home Buying and Selling Reform, industry collaboration and growing consumer expectations are all pointing towards a future where more property information is available earlier in the transaction process.
While the detail and timing of future reforms will continue to evolve, the direction of travel is becoming increasingly clear: better information, shared sooner, to support faster, more transparent and more certain property transactions.
For conveyancers, that presents an opportunity.
How can firms begin preparing for that future today while continuing to deliver efficient, informed and client-focused services?
That’s where Sales Pack Ready comes in.
Supporting better-informed transactions from the start
For many conveyancers, one of the biggest challenges in a transaction is dealing with issues that only emerge once a matter is already underway.
Whether it’s property-related risks, local considerations or information that triggers additional enquiries, late visibility can create delays, uncertainty and additional work for everyone involved.
Sales Pack Ready has been developed to help address that challenge.
By bringing together trusted property information at the earliest stage of a transaction, Sales Pack Ready helps conveyancers gain earlier visibility of important information and start transactions from a stronger foundation.
Why earlier information matters
The industry’s focus on upfront information is not simply about regulatory reform. It is about improving outcomes across the transaction chain.
Research referenced within HM Land Registry’s strategy identified that transaction fall-throughs cost sellers around £400 million every year across England and Wales.
While no single solution can eliminate every delay or failed transaction, the earlier key information is available, the greater the opportunity to identify issues sooner, support better informed decisions and reduce unnecessary surprises later in the process.
For conveyancers, that can mean more productive conversations with clients, earlier risk identification and greater confidence as transactions progress.
Designed for conveyancers
Sales Pack Ready helps conveyancers access trusted property information at the outset of a transaction, supporting a more informed approach from instruction onwards.
Benefits include:
- Earlier visibility of property-related issues and constraints
- Better-informed client conversations from the beginning
- Reduced reliance on information emerging later in the process
- Improved transaction readiness
- Greater confidence when progressing matters
Rather than changing the way conveyancers work, Sales Pack Ready is designed to help firms start with more information already available.
What’s included?
Sales Pack Ready brings together a bundle of trusted property information, including:
- Regulated Local Search
- Drainage & Water Search
- Homecheck Residential Report
Together, these provide an early view of potential risks, constraints and considerations that could affect a property transaction.
Supporting better collaboration across the transaction chain
While conveyancers are at the heart of the transaction process, the benefits of earlier information extend beyond the legal profession.
Estate agents can help sellers bring properties to market in a more informed and prepared position. Buyers gain greater transparency earlier in the process. Lenders and brokers can access important property insights sooner.
By helping make trusted property information available from the outset, Sales Pack Ready supports a more connected and collaborative approach across the transaction chain.
Why act now?
The move towards greater use of upfront information will be gradual, but the advantages of earlier access to trusted property information are relevant today.
At OneSearch, we believe that when innovation can help improve outcomes for conveyancers and their clients, it should be made available as early as possible. This gives firms time to understand emerging approaches, assess how they fit within existing processes and adopt change at a pace that works for them.
Sales Pack Ready provides a practical way to begin that journey today while preparing for the future direction of the property market.
A market ready for change
Rob Steadman, Sales Director, said:
“The industry’s ambition is clear: faster, more transparent and more certain property transactions. Achieving that starts with improving the availability of trusted information at the beginning of the process.
Sales Pack Ready helps conveyancers and property professionals take practical steps towards that future today. By bringing key property information together earlier, we’re helping firms become better prepared while supporting the direction of travel set by both industry and Government.“
Looking ahead
The move towards greater use of upfront information will not happen overnight.
However, momentum behind the Government Home Buying and Selling Reform continues to grow, and firms are already considering how they can adapt to changing expectations and evolving ways of working.
Sales Pack Ready offers a practical way for firms to begin preparing today while building confidence for the future.
As the market continues to evolve, OneSearch will remain a trusted partner to conveyancers, helping firms understand upcoming changes, adapt with confidence and realise the benefits of earlier access to trusted property information.
Find out more
Ready to take a more informed approach from instruction?
Speak to your Account Manager or contact the OneSearch team to learn more about how Sales Pack Ready can support your firm.
As a trusted partner to conveyancers, we’re here to help you prepare for and benefit from the opportunities created by the Government Home Buying and Selling Reform.
Landmark’s Q2 2026 Residential Property Trends Report shows a market that remains stable but restrained, with healthy stock levels helping to support activity while lower transaction volumes continue to point to a longer-term challenge for the sector.
While year-on-year comparisons are measured against an unusually strong 2025 baseline shaped by the Stamp Duty Land Tax deadline in March 2025, the data also highlights how affordability pressures and wider uncertainty are continuing to weigh on momentum.
In England and Wales, new property listings across Q2 were only marginally below last year at just 1% compared with Q2 2025, suggesting supply remains broadly steady. Encouragingly, June recorded the highest level of sold subject to contract (SSTC) volumes so far this year and finished just 4% below June 2025, despite Q2 SSTC volumes sitting 7% lower year-on-year.
Scotland saw a softer quarter, with listing volumes averaging 9% below Q2 2025. Sold subject to missives (SSTM) volumes were down 6% and completions were down 5% compared with Q2 2025, while registered sales in April and May were 3% lower year-on-year. Search activity remained broadly flat, suggesting activity has not withdrawn completely but is progressing at a more subdued pace.
Search order volumes in England and Wales were down 8% compared with Q2 2025, with activity peaking in March (up 15% YoY) before easing through the quarter rather than following the usual seasonal uplift. Viewed alongside resilient instruction volumes, this suggests buyers remain active but are taking longer to progress transactions as affordability pressures and market uncertainty influence confidence and decision-making.
Across both markets, the data points to underlying activity remaining present, but at more subdued levels and at a cautious pace. In Scotland, the Scottish Government’s first-time buyer support scheme could provide some impetus from Q4. However, lower transaction volumes remain a longer-term trend overall, reinforcing the need to address the friction and uncertainty that can slow progress from agreed sale to completion.
Longer transaction times continue to reinforce the need for greater speed, transparency and certainty across the homebuying and selling process in England and Wales.
Simon Brown, CEO, Landmark Information Group, said
“Our data for Q3 2026 demonstrates that the market remains resilient despite a challenging backdrop. Healthy stock levels and strengthening transaction pipelines show the appetite to move is still there, but affordability pressures and wider uncertainty are influencing how quickly buyers are progressing through the transaction process.”
“While Government and industry cannot control wider economic conditions, we can address the friction and uncertainty within the transaction process itself. As homebuying and selling reform progresses, the focus must be on creating a more transparent and predictable experience, in continued partnership with the sector, that gives consumers greater confidence to move. The data reinforces the need for a more connected homebuying and selling process, where better collaboration and the seamless flow of information help reduce delays, improve certainty and keep transactions progressing, regardless of wider market conditions.”
Read the full Q2 2026 Residential Property Trends Report for England & Wales here.
Learn more about the Project 28 Charter and the industry-wide commitment to faster, more certain property transactions here.
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.
Remote identity verification is now a routine part of conveyancing, but what it involves, and what makes it compliant, is not always clear.
Here is how the process works, what it covers, and what firms need to get right.
How has conveyancing moved to remote identity verification?
For much of conveyancing’s recent history, identity verification meant a face-to-face meeting, with documents examined in person, copies certified, and records updated manually. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated a shift that was already underway, and remote identity verification has since become standard practice in many firms.
When implemented correctly, remote verification is not a compromise on security. Modern technology, including biometric matching, NFC chip reading, and liveness detection, can produce a more reliable result than manual document review, while also creating a clear and auditable digital record. Where processes are poorly designed or inconsistently applied, however, the risk increases. Documents may be accepted without proper scrutiny, checks may be incomplete, and audit trails may be insufficient.
Understanding what remote verification involves is essential to applying it correctly.
What does a compliant remote identity verification process include?
A compliant remote identity verification process covers three core elements, all of which must be present to meet the requirements of the Money Laundering Regulations and, for firms seeking HMLR Safe Harbour protection, Practice Guide 81.
The first is document verification, which confirms that the identity document is genuine. For Safe Harbour purposes, this involves reading the NFC chip embedded in biometric passports, EU and EEA identity cards, and UK biometric residence permits. The chip contains cryptographically signed data from the issuing authority, and verifying this data provides a level of assurance that cannot be achieved through visual inspection alone.
The second is biometric matching, which confirms that the person presenting the document is the individual shown on it. This is typically achieved by comparing a live image captured via a smartphone against the image stored on the document’s chip. The comparison is carried out algorithmically and provides a more consistent result than a manual check.
The third is liveness detection, which confirms that the image being captured is genuinely live. It ensures that the individual is physically present and not attempting to use a photograph, mask, or recorded video to impersonate someone else. This is a critical safeguard against increasingly sophisticated spoofing attempts.
What identity documents can be used for remote verification?
Not all identity documents support full remote digital verification. For the process to function correctly, and particularly for NFC chip reading, the document must contain an embedded chip.
The documents that meet this requirement include biometric passports, EU and EEA identity cards with biometric capability, and UK biometric residence permits. These allow the system to carry out full cryptographic verification.
Other documents, such as driving licences or non-biometric passports, can support identity checks but cannot be verified using NFC technology. For firms aiming to meet the HMLR Safe Harbour standard, a chip-enabled document is required.
What does the remote ID process look like for clients?
From the client’s perspective, the process is typically straightforward. They receive a link or access a secure portal, scan their identity document using their smartphone, capture a short video or image, and complete any required prompts. The process usually takes only a few minutes.
Behind the scenes, however, multiple checks are carried out simultaneously. The system performs NFC verification, biometric comparison, and liveness detection, cross-checking the results and flagging any inconsistencies. The outcome should be a clear, auditable record of the checks completed, including the results and timestamps.
This audit trail is important. The SRA expects firms to be able to demonstrate that identity checks were carried out, when they were completed, and what the outcome was.
What risks do firms need to manage with remote verification?
Remote verification introduces specific risks where processes are not properly designed or applied. Common issues include accepting documents that do not support full digital verification without recognising the limitation, relying on systems that do not carry out all required elements, and treating a verification report as the end of the process without reviewing its content.
It is also important to understand the scope of remote verification. It confirms identity, meaning that the individual is who they claim to be. It does not replace other AML requirements, such as source of funds checks, PEP and sanctions screening, or ongoing monitoring. These obligations continue throughout the life of the matter.
Remote identity verification should be seen as one component of a wider AML framework rather than a standalone solution. When all three elements are applied correctly, document verification, biometric matching, and liveness detection, the process can provide a high level of assurance and a clear audit trail. However, its effectiveness depends on how it is implemented and reviewed in practice.
Firms that treat remote verification as a complete solution risk overlooking the broader obligations that sit alongside it, while those that embed it within a structured and consistent process are better placed to meet both regulatory expectations and client needs.
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 property market is showing resilience but global pressures and affordability constraints are hampering home moving activity.
Supply and early activity are rising, but it remains a buyer’s market, with listing volumes not translating into completed transactions yet.
Our parent company Landmark’s latest Residential Property Trends Report is now available, featuring the most recent data on listings, SSTC/SSTM activity, search orders and completion volumes across England, Wales and Scotland.
Our Q1 2026 analysis shows that early‑stage activity strengthened as pent‑up supply returned to the market following the hesitation surrounding the Autumn Budget. However, progression remains slow, with affordability pressures and process friction continuing to weigh on overall transaction volumes.
England & Wales
- Listing volumes in Q1 2026 were up 3% compared to Q1 2025.
- SSTC volumes in Q1 2026 were down 8% compared to Q1 2025.
- Search order volumes were down 1% in Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025.
- Completion volumes in Q1 2026 were down 18% vs Q1 2025.
View the report for the latest trends affecting the residential sector in Q1 2026.
