Landmark Information Group has today released findings from its latest climate change market research, showing that environmental risk has become a critical factor in UK property transactions, with buyer sentiment and professional advice shifting dramatically in the past year.
In a survey of 150 senior property professionals – estate agents, mortgage lenders, and conveyancers – 99% reported their clients are concerned about the impact of climate change when buying a property, a 27-point leap from 2024’s figure of 72%.
For the first time, heat stress (62%) and energy performance (65%) have overtaken flooding (51%) as the most urgent client concerns, reflecting a shift towards risks that affect all properties, not just those in flood-prone areas.
The change follows a year marked the fourth warmest in the series from 1884 with the last 3 years being in the UK’s top five warmest on record1, underlining how extreme weather is directly influencing homebuying priorities and professionals’ advice.
The financial consequences are already visible. Conveyancers in particular fear the impact of a negative future climate change risk report on a property; either as transactions stall due to the purchaser changing their mind (38%), a subsequent inability to get either a mortgage (24%) or insurance cover (20%).
The survey also found a growing appetite for earlier climate risk disclosure, with over half of respondents (51% – up from 45% in 2024) believing it should be reported upfront via the estate agent, before conveyancing or mortgage review begins.
However, despite universal concern, there is still no consensus on who should take ultimate responsibility for advising buyers on climate risk — most favour environmental specialists, but significant numbers see a role for estate agents, conveyancers, surveyors, or a combination of all three.
The report highlights professionals’ desire for better industry-wide collaboration to avoid falling behind in meeting rising buyer expectations for climate resilience.
Chris Loaring, Group Sustainability Director at Landmark Information Group, said:
“Our latest research shows climate change has moved firmly into the mainstream of homebuying concerns. An overwhelming 99% of property professionals report their clients are worried about its impact – a jump of 27 percentage points in just a year. This shift is no longer hypothetical; we’re seeing real consequences in the market, from stalled transactions to challenges securing mortgages or insurance. Conveyancers, who are closest to the purchase process, are detecting the highest levels of concern, with two-thirds of their clients highly engaged on the issue. It’s clear that climate resilience is now a defining factor in property decisions, and the industry must be ready to respond.”
