Government proposals to overhaul the homebuying process have sparked cautious optimism across the property industry. While many welcome the renewed focus on transparency, upfront information, and reducing transaction times, experts warn that the plans must go further to deliver real change.
Here’s how industry experts reacted to the government’s latest consultation on reforming the homebuying system:
James Vernor-Miles, Partner at Hunters Law LLP, commented:
“The government’s latest announcement to ‘shake up’ the homebuying system is short on detail and lacks punch. The process has already been shaken up more than enough in the last decade – with numerous SDLT changes and reliefs, leasehold reform, the Building Safety Act, and countless technological developments. Reintroducing Home Information Packs under another name will not work, and statutory pre-contracts or ‘lock-out’ agreements have generally failed the test of time.
“That said, the principle is very welcome. Sellers should show more commitment to a sale, and buyers should have more information before they start spending time, money and energy. The solution is simple: make it mandatory for sellers to instruct a conveyancer before marketing their property. Agents should include the conveyancer’s details in their listings – it is the best signal of a serious sale.
“If both sides come prepared from the outset, with conveyancers already engaged, transactions will move faster and far more smoothly for everyone involved.”
Babek Ismayil, CEO of homebuying platform OneDome, comments:
“These proposals are a welcome step towards bringing much-needed transparency and structure to a fragmented homebuying system. Giving buyers key information upfront and exploring legally binding contracts could help reduce some of the uncertainty and wasted time that have become synonymous with moving home in the UK.”
“However, this isn’t the first time we’ve been here. Home Information Packs (HIPs) were introduced with similar ambitions back in 2007, but ultimately failed because the wider process wasn’t reformed alongside them.
“If we want these new measures to succeed where HIPs didn’t, they must focus on genuine integration across all parties in a transaction – not just more paperwork at the start. There’s also a risk of unintended consequences: requiring sellers and agents to gather more upfront information could delay properties coming onto the market. In a market where boosting supply is critical, any added friction must be carefully managed to avoid slowing things down.”
“While these measures sound promising on paper, they don’t address the fundamental issue: the process itself is disjointed. Multiple parties – agents, conveyancers, lenders and surveyors – are still working in silos, often relying on outdated, manual processes. Without proper digital integration between these stakeholders, the predicted four-week saving risks being more of an aspiration than a guarantee.”
“True reform will come from connecting the dots end-to-end, not just adding new layers of information at the start. Technology already exists to create a seamless, joined-up experience for buyers and sellers, cutting delays and reducing the risk of fall-throughs. This is a promising start, but the real challenge lies in execution — tackling the structural inefficiencies that have held the market back for decades.”
Brett Ray, qualified surveyor and Co-Founder and CEO of Survey Shack:
“Today’s consultation is a welcome step toward a faster, clearer home move. Requiring meaningful upfront information, including proportionate property condition details, helps buyers make informed offers and reduces late fall-throughs. Government estimates indicate timelines could shorten by around four weeks, and industry research shows the cost of failed sales is significant.
“What matters now is clear, usable standards so condition data is captured once, shared securely, and trusted by all parties. That means simple guidance for sellers and agents, digital tools that structure photos and facts, and a sensible route to professional follow up where needed.
“Survey Shack was created to help today’s buyers and sellers, and to set the platform for how future generations will interact with condition inspections. We already support estate agents and homeowners to collect standardised condition data before listing, and we stand ready to work with government, portals, and lenders to turn these proposals into results for the public.”
Maria Harris, Chair at Open Property Data Association (OPDA), says:
“These reforms are a real step forward for the homebuying process and reflect years of hard work across government and industry to make transactions faster, clearer and more digital.
“The proposals around upfront information, digital logbooks and data sharing are exactly the kind of changes OPDA has been supporting through our work with the Digital Property Market Steering Group and The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). It’s encouraging to see those conversations now taking shape in policy.
“The challenge from here is to make sure the data infrastructure underneath these reforms is truly open, standardised and governed in a way that benefits the entire market – not just the biggest platforms. That’s been at the core of OPDA’s work from the start, and we’ll continue working with government and industry partners to make sure this modernisation is delivered in practice, not just on paper.”
Robin Thomas of Recoco Property Search welcomes this long- overdue initiative:
“Having worked as an estate agent for over 30 years and for the last nine years acting as a buying agent in the West Country, I am delighted to see such a long- overdue initiative being proposed and hopefully implemented. If you are buying a car or an electrical appliance this information has to be available to a buyer right from the start. With people’s most important purchase the same rules should apply.”
1. Cutting costs:
“Moving house is very expensive with professional fees, Stamp Duty Land Tax, surveys, removals and other costs all adding up to a large sum which deters many would-be sellers and buyers from proceeding. Any reduction in costs is to be welcomed.”
2. Reduce delays:
“The average time from agreeing a sale or purchase to exchanging contracts has increased from about three weeks when I first started dealing with property transactions to over 12 weeks and sometimes much longer.”
3. Halving failed sales:
“Partly due to the length of time to get to the point of exchanging contracts a high % of agreed sales fall though often on the point of exchange. This creates unnecessary costs and huge stress on sellers and buyers alike.”
Ben Thompson, Deputy CEO, Mortgage Advice Bureau:
“MAB cautiously welcomes these proposed reforms to the homebuying process, which have the potential to significantly improve outcomes for home movers. All too often transactions are delayed, or collapse altogether, due to lack of upfront information or unnecessary inefficiencies, causing stress for buyers and putting mortgage offers at risk.
“Improving transparency when a property is first marketed and reducing the average transaction timeline will not only help buyers make more informed decisions, it will also ensure mortgage offers remain valid and aligned with the faster pace of the transaction.
“These changes should reduce the number of deals that fall through, saving borrowers and our industry both time and money. We’re particularly supportive of moves toward standardised data and digitalisation, which can help bring the conveyancing and mortgage processes closer together. We hope the government continues to work closely with lenders, brokers, and legal professionals to make these reforms a success.
“We’re optimistic that the industry can find the means to ensure there is zero cost duplication in any proposed changes, especially as the headline to these changes implies cost savings. Unlike previous efforts, we’re hopeful that whatever is implemented is done so with full industry buy-in and support, and is implemented accordingly – especially as data and technology makes this eminently more possible today compared to over a decade ago.”
