Landmark Information Group has unveiled a comprehensive new research report that reveals significant frustrations among home movers, as well as the wider key challenges facing property professionals. The findings reveal ongoing frustrations with transaction delays, poor communication, and the need for improved technology—all of which continue to hamper the efficiency of the home-buying process.
The report, which surveyed 500 home movers, as well as interviewing 100 estate agents, 100 conveyancers, 65 surveyors, and 46 mortgage lenders, reveals a clear need for improvement in the home buying and selling process. On average, property professionals spend nearly half of their working day chasing or being chased for transaction updates, with estate agents reporting the highest proportion at 55%, followed by conveyancers at 43%, lenders at 32%, and surveyors at 22%.
Across the board, all groups emphasised the importance of digitising processes and reducing transaction times as key to driving productivity. Over 40% of estate agents, lenders, conveyancers, and surveyors recognised the need for faster transaction times, with conveyancers (55%) and lenders (50%) in particular, seeing it as a blocker to productivity. Additionally, a significant proportion (over 40%) of all groups identified digitising processes as a key to improving efficiency, with lenders (67%) and surveyors (51%) showing the clearest need.
The research highlights a major issue within the home-moving industry, where inefficiency and poor communication continue to slow down the process, causing frustration and stress for home movers and professionals alike. With average transaction times currently taking around 17 weeks—well beyond the 8.5 weeks that home movers expect—this highlights the growing urgency for change in the industry to meet both consumer expectations and drive cross-industry productivity.
Key findings affecting home movers include:
- Concerns over completion times: Home movers are growing increasingly concerned about transaction delays, with 30% naming it as their top worry. The ideal timeline from offer acceptance to completion is 8.5 weeks, yet the reality is closer to 17 weeks according to Landmark’s transaction milestone data. Looking ahead to five years’ time, consumers want this process to be completed in 7 weeks, reflecting mounting frustration with the current system.
- Climate change awareness: Home movers are increasingly concerned about climate-related risks, with 86% worried about how climate change may affect property values and habitability. Key concerns include energy performance, local planning issues, and contaminated land, with over half (58%) saying they would have retracted their offers if climate change reports had raised red flags.
- Technological expectations: Consumers are demanding better tech solutions, with 46% of home movers saying that an online portal or mobile app would have significantly improved their buying or selling experience. This aligns with an industry-wide trend where technology is seen as key to improving efficiency and reducing the administrative burden.
- Willingness to invest in sustainability: An overwhelming 92% of home movers said they would be willing to invest in sustainable, energy-efficient upgrades for their homes, but many are waiting for government grants, revealing a significant barrier to action.
Simon Brown, CEO of Landmark Information Group, said: “Our latest research highlights the significant struggles home movers are facing in today’s market, with transaction times and communication breakdowns continuing to create major hurdles. The gap between what consumers expect and what they experience is striking—home movers want the process to be completed in 8.5 weeks, yet the reality is a much slower 17 weeks, on average.
“The data also underscores a critical issue: property professionals are spending a considerable portion of their working day chasing or being chased for updates—on average 38%, in fact. This highlights the need for the industry to streamline processes and encourage collaboration with new ways of working to meet growing consumer expectations. Improving efficiency isn’t just about enhancing the customer experience—it’s about creating a housing market that is more resilient and better equipped to withstand economic fluctuations.”
