Building society becomes first lender to accept Qualified Electronic Signatures in bid to shorten completion and registration times
Nationwide Building Society has become the first UK mortgage lender to accept mortgage deeds signed electronically and without a witness, using Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES).
Borrowers purchasing a property or remortgaging with Nationwide will now be able to sign their mortgage deed electronically, provided their solicitor or conveyancer is enabled for QES. The change follows HM Land Registry’s decision in August 2025 to accept QES as part of the registration process for charges.
A mortgage deed is the legal instrument that secures the loan against the property and has historically required a wet-ink signature on paper, witnessed in person. Under the new approach, a QES – an identity‑verified form of electronic signature – can be used instead, giving electronic deeds the same legal status as a handwritten, witnessed signature.
Nationwide said the initiative is part of a wider programme to digitise and accelerate the homebuying process, developed in collaboration with HM Land Registry, Your Conveyancer and technology provider Veyco.
According to the parties involved, QES offers stronger assurance over who has signed the deed, improves protection against tampering and supports faster contract exchange and registration. For brokers and conveyancers, the change is expected to remove one of the last remaining paper-based steps in many mainstream domestic transactions.
“Nationwide is committed to speeding up the homebuying process and reducing the stress and inconvenience that can come with buying a home,” said Henry Jordan (pictured right), group director of mortgages at Nationwide.
“Technology and collaboration are key to driving convenience, and that is why we’re delighted to have worked with HM Land Registry, Your Conveyancer and Veyco to become the first mortgage lender to allow electronic signatures on mortgage deeds.”
Industry stakeholders also welcomed Nationwide’s move.
“The conveyancing process remains one of the most common sources of frustration for buyers and sellers, with more than 30% of housing transactions taking over 17 weeks to complete on average,” said Mary-Lou Press, president of trade association NAEA Propertymark.
“These prolonged timescales only serve to increase pressure and uncertainty during what is already one of the most stressful financial commitments people will make in their lifetime.
“It is therefore welcome news that technological improvements will allow mortgage deeds to be signed digitally, helping to remove unnecessary delays from the process. Embracing digital solutions has the potential not only to speed up transactions but also to improve accuracy, reduce administrative burdens, and give buyers and sellers greater confidence as they move through the system.
“As the homebuying process continues to modernise, it is vital that these innovations are adopted consistently across the mortgage and conveyancing sectors. Widespread take-up could play a significant role in reducing transaction times, improving consumer experience, and helping to create a more efficient and resilient housing market overall.”
Nicholas Mendes, mortgage technical manager at London broker John Charcol, said the shift to QES‑enabled deeds “is a genuinely significant step for the mortgage market.”
“The mortgage deed has been one of the last stubbornly paper-based parts of the process, so allowing it to be signed digitally removes real friction rather than just polishing the edges,” he pointed out.
“For borrowers, it should mean fewer delays at a critical point and less reliance on printing, posting, and witnessing documents at short notice. It also adds more certainty at exchange, with fewer moving parts at a point where transactions are most vulnerable to delay.
“For lenders and conveyancers, removing the need to physically handle and return deeds should cut out last minute hold ups that often sit outside the buyer’s control. Crucially, this is not just about speed. The identity checks and audit trail behind Qualified Electronic Signatures strengthens protection around one of the most important documents in the process.
“The key now is adoption. Nationwide moving first matters, but the real benefit will come as more firms follow and this becomes the default, not the exception.”
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