The home buying process is set for a major transformation as the government moves to digitise property transactions, aiming to streamline sales, reduce delays, and minimise financial losses for buyers and sellers. Currently, property transactions take an average of five months to complete, with one in three sales falling through—costing buyers and sellers an estimated £400 million annually. The new initiative seeks to bring home buying into the digital age, introducing standardised data sharing, digital identity verification, and instant access to key information.
Under the proposed reforms, all key players—including conveyancers, mortgage lenders, and surveyors—will have real-time access to the information needed for a smooth transaction. Digital identity services will replace outdated, manual ID verification, reducing the need for buyers and sellers to submit paperwork multiple times. The housing department highlights that millions of working hours are lost each year due to inefficiencies in paper-based record-keeping. By transitioning to machine-readable, shareable data, the government expects to significantly cut delays while reducing administrative burdens on estate agents and legal professionals.
To ensure a smooth transition, a 12-week industry consultation will establish clear data-sharing rules. This will be followed by ten-month pilot projects, led by HM Land Registry in partnership with local authorities, to test digital integration at scale. Similar digital-first models in other countries have shown success, with Norway completing property transactions in just one month. If implemented effectively, these changes could bring major efficiencies to the property market, making transactions faster, safer, and more transparent.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook described the initiative as a step towards a 21st-century home buying system, designed to save time, cut costs, and reduce the frustration of failed sales. This announcement follows recent government commitments to boost housing supply and modernise planning regulations. For buyers, sellers, and industry professionals, the message is clear: the days of drawn-out, paper-heavy transactions could soon be a thing of the past.
