The UK government has set out plans to digitise the homebuying process through property sales packs, electronic identity checks, digital signatures and AI-assisted conveyancing. The majority of the measures are expected to apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while Scotland has a separate property system.
Its Home Buying and Selling Reform Roadmap aims to shorten transactions, reduce repeated checks and cut the number of sales that collapse before completion. The government says purchases currently take around 120 days after an offer is accepted, while about one in three transactions falls through.
Ministers estimate that the reforms could cut the process by around four weeks, save first-time buyers an average of £650 and halve the number of failed transactions.
Industry groups have broadly welcomed the reforms while warning that implementation will determine whether buyers and sellers see meaningful improvements.
Johan Svanstrom, chief executive of Rightmove, pointed to the scale of the current delays.
“Our UK-wide data shows that it takes a lengthy 170 days on average to complete a transaction and that over one in five transactions initially falls through,” he said. “The implementation and phasing of these initiatives will be key to ensure consistency and adoption.”
Buyers often receive much of that information after making an offer, when they may already have paid for legal work, surveys or mortgage arrangements. Earlier access should help buyers identify potential problems before committing further time and money, while giving lenders, conveyancers and estate agents the information needed to begin work sooner.
Property data moves online
Digital property logbooks will provide an online record of trusted information connected to a home. Buyers, sellers and the professionals involved in a transaction will be able to access and reuse the data instead of requesting the same documents several times.
The government also plans to encourage certified digital identity services and qualified electronic signatures. These signatures offer stronger assurance about who signed a document and could reduce reliance on paper documents and witnessed signatures.
AI-assisted conveyancing also features in the roadmap, with technology expected to automate routine parts of the legal process. The government plans to publish guidance on appropriate use while preserving professional oversight and due diligence.
Nick Hale, chief executive of home-moving services group Movera, welcomed the combination of upfront information and digital tools.
“These reforms represent a significant step forward in modernising the home buying process and improving outcomes for both consumers and the industry,” he said. “Encouraging earlier commitment to transactions along with wider adoption of digital identity checks, electronic signatures and the responsible use of AI has the potential to reduce friction, improve certainty and help transactions progress more smoothly.”
Hale added that government backing could encourage consistent adoption across the industry and give firms of different sizes greater confidence to use trusted digital services.
Movera has invested in the National Property Transaction Network, a shared data-exchange platform developed by LMS, which forms part of the group. The network connects information held by estate agents, lenders, conveyancers and other participants in a property transaction.
Consumers support digital packs
Research from the the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) indicates strong consumer support for moving more property information online.
Its Future of Homebuying Report 2026 surveyed more than 5,000 people who had bought or sold a property during the previous five years. Nearly 78 per cent believed the system required fundamental reform, while 86 per cent supported the introduction of a digital property pack.
Almost two-thirds of respondents had supplied the same information two or three times during a transaction, while 18 per cent had repeated it four or five times. More than half had experienced a transaction collapsing after an offer was accepted, losing an average of three months.
Maria Harris, chair of OPDA, described the reforms as an opportunity to improve transparency and reduce duplication across the property market.
“Providing key information upfront through digital sales packs, introducing earlier binding agreements and embracing technologies such as digital identity checks and AI-assisted conveyancing are exactly the kinds of changes needed to deliver faster transactions, greater transparency and fewer fall-throughs,” she commented.
Harris highlighted the role of common data standards in allowing lenders, conveyancers, estate agents and technology providers to exchange information securely. OPDA develops free and open standards for smart property data and works with companies and public bodies across the housing market.
Earlier agreements aim to reduce collapsed sales
The government also wants buyers and sellers to make firmer commitments earlier in the transaction.
Binding conditional contracts would allow either side to withdraw for agreed legitimate reasons, while introducing financial penalties when someone walks away without justification or fails to meet their obligations.
Ministers plan to introduce these agreements after digital sales packs have been tested and embedded, reducing the risk that buyers become tied to a purchase before receiving enough information about the property.
The government will work with the industry to define valid exceptions, penalty levels and dispute-resolution procedures before introducing legislation.
Alongside the digital measures, a new non-statutory Code of Practice will set minimum standards for property agents. The government also intends to consult on mandatory qualifications for estate and letting agents from 2027.
Industry projects are already under way
Parts of the proposed model already exist through industry-led trials.
In April, Lloyds Banking Group, Connells Group and LMS launched a digital homebuying service across England and Wales.
The service moves property, 0identity and source-of-funds information to an earlier stage and allows relevant participants to reuse it through the National Property Transaction Network. Sellers prepare property and identity information upfront, while conveyancers receive earlier access to searches and financial checks.
The partners aim to reduce repeated identity requests, late discoveries and long periods without clear progress updates. The service involves Connells branches, LMS-panel conveyancers and Lloyds Banking Group as the lender, with information shared through the National Property Transaction Network.
Hale said the reforms complement work already taking place across Movera’s brands and partners.
“We have invested in NPTN, working alongside partners such as Connells Group, because we believe a connected, end-to-end digital process can help deliver these benefits at scale,” he commented.
Reform will arrive in stages
The government will begin by working with the industry during 2026 to identify sales-pack information that sellers can provide voluntarily. It also plans to publish guidance on property listings, introduce a Code of Practice and begin work on a smart data scheme for the property sector.
Between 2027 and 2028, officials will support wider use of digital identity checks, qualified electronic signatures, property logbooks and sales packs. The government will also consult on mandatory agent qualifications and develop an accreditation scheme for property data standards.
Legislation planned by the end of the Parliament would make sales packs a requirement before listing, introduce binding conditional contracts and support secure data sharing across property transactions.
The roadmap anticipates that most measures may apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, although the final territorial scope will depend on individual legislation. Scotland has a separate property system and is unlikely to adopt most of the changes.
The government also plans to encourage certified digital identity services and qualified electronic signatures. These signatures provide stronger assurance about the identity of the person signing and could reduce reliance on paper documents and in-person signing.
AI-assisted conveyancing also features in the roadmap, with technology expected to automate routine parts of the legal process. The government plans to publish guidance on its appropriate use while preserving professional oversight and due diligence.
