Study finds instruction-to-completion times have risen sharply since 2019, widening the gap between consumer expectations and reality
Property transactions are now taking an average of 123 days from instruction to completion, according to new research from Landmark Information Group.
The figure – equivalent to 17.6 weeks – represents an 18% rise since 2019 and a 64% increase since 2007, pointing to deeper structural problems rather than short-term market conditions.
The report also shows a clear gap between current timelines and what buyers and sellers expect. Consumers indicated that, ideally, the period from Sold Subject to Contract (SSTC) to completion would be around 6.78 weeks.
Sellers appear willing to change their behaviour if it delivers faster outcomes. Almost 89% said they would instruct a conveyancer before putting a property on the market if it would speed up the process. In addition, 75% would be prepared to pay their estate agent upfront for improved data-sharing, while 71% said they would do the same with their conveyancer.
Against this backdrop, firms across the transaction chain are turning to technology to reduce friction. Landmark’s research found that 78% of law firms are now using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support fee earners, a proportion that has doubled since 2024. Among lenders, 75% expect AI to improve customer engagement over the next five years, up from 46%.
The study also highlights persistent pain points for both industry participants and consumers. Lengthy transaction times remain the most significant pressure on the market, with 42% of conveyancers, 40% of lenders and 32% of estate agents listing it among their top three frustrations.
When asked what would most improve the homebuying journey, consumers placed better communication between all parties at the top of the list (47%), followed by better technology to support that communication (42%) and clearer explanations of legal checks and searches (36%).
Simon Brown (pictured right), chief executive of Landmark Information Group, said the findings underline the need to bring key information into the process earlier. “The research reinforces a trend we’ve been tracking for some time - property transactions are taking longer because certainty still arrives too late,” he said.
“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 make.
“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.”
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