Property transactions are taking longer than ever, with the average time from instruction to completion now standing at 123 days, according to Landmark Information Group’s latest report, An Industry Aligned: Moving Towards Certainty. That figure is 18% higher than in 2019 and 64% higher than in 2007, pointing to deep-rooted, structural delays rather than short-term market disruption.
The gap between reality and consumer expectations remains stark. Buyers and sellers say their ideal timeframe from Sold Subject to Contract to completion would be just 6.8 weeks, less than half the current average.
The report suggests growing appetite for change, with 89% of sellers saying they would instruct a conveyancer before listing if it helped speed up a sale. Many are also willing to pay upfront for improved data sharing, both with agents (75%) and conveyancers (71%).
Across the industry, firms are increasingly turning to technology to improve efficiency. Landmark’s research shows that AI adoption is accelerating, with 78% of law firms now using AI to support fee earners and 75% of lenders expecting AI to enhance customer engagement within the next five years.
Simon Brown, CEO, Landmark Information Group, commented: “The research reinforces a trend we’ve been tracking for some time – property transactions are taking longer because certainty still arrives too late. Too much critical legal, identity and risk information only enters the process once a deal is already underway. The result is extended timelines, rising anxiety and an increased risk of derailment for one of the most emotional and expensive purchases people will ever market.
“Last year marked a pivotal moment for the UK property market, as the industry aligned behind Project 28: A Charter for faster, more certain property transactions. This blueprint for industry change outlines that the solution is not more status updates or dashboards, but earlier certainty. Starting legal work, risk detection, identity and data curation at the point of listing, and then letting technology amplify a better-designed process will make transactions quicker and easier for everyone.
“We’ve now reached an inflection point for the property industry, as our latest findings show that professionals and consumers are united around a shared appetite for greater certainty. Political and economic turbulence will always form part of the backdrop, but by mobilising around better-connected, earlier-stage processes, the industry has a real opportunity to deliver transactions that are more resilient, predictable and reliable.”
Key findings
Instruction to completion (Purchase)
+ The average time from conveyancer instruction to completion in 2007 was 75 days.
+ The average time from conveyancer instruction to completion in 2019 was 104 days.
+ The average time from conveyancer instruction to completion in 2024 was 120 days.
+ The average time from conveyancer instruction to completion in 2025 was 123 days.
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- Comparing 2024 to 2025, this represents an increase of 2.5%.
- Comparing 2019 to 2025, this represents an increase of 18%.
- Comparing 2007 to 2025, this represents an increase of 64%.
Thinking about the transactional process, what is your biggest frustration in your role?
Respondents selected a top 3, shown in order
- Agents
- 36% said market challenges
- 32% said transaction timescales
- 26% said regulations & admin
- Conveyancers
- 42% said transaction timescales
- 35% said volume of workload
- 28% said market challenges
- Lenders
- 40% said transaction timescales
- 38% said market challenges
- 28% said chasing & being chased
What would make the biggest positive impact to your productivity and business success?
Respondents selected a top 3, shown in order
- Agents
- 40% said faster transactions
- 37% said greater certainty of a transaction
- 33% said greater visibility of progress
- Conveyancers
- 39% said faster transactions
- 34% said effective use of AI tools
- 33% said better workload prioritisation
- Lenders
- 45% effective use of AI tools
- 43% said digitising workflows
- 35% said improved technology
Which areas of your business are you prioritising the most to improve efficiency / reduce costs? Respondents selected a top 3, shown in order
- Agents
- 38% said investing in AI solutions
- 34% said workload assigned more effectively
- 28% said digitising more processes
- Conveyancers
- 46% said investing in AI solutions
- 39% said digitising more processes
- 36% said workload assigned more effectively
- Lenders
- 48% said investing in AI solutions
- 43% said better training programmes
- 38% said digitising more processes
- Agents
- 37% said better technology to reduce workloads
- 37% said more flexibility to adapt
- 37% said more opportunities for progression
- Conveyancers
- 47% said more flexibility to adapt
- 32% said more opportunities for progression
- 31% said less admin
- Lenders
- 43% said better technology to reduce workloads
- 40% said stronger brand / sector perception
- 33% said better enviro action / awareness
Digitisation could halve property transaction times, says new report
