The government’s pledge to modernise the home moving process has captured industry attention but what does it really mean for conveyancers, and how will it impact day-to-day legal practice?
For many conveyancers, change can feel like something detached from the practicalities of daily caseloads and an unwelcome distraction. But as digital transformation of property transactions really starts to gain momentum, it could finally start to ease workloads rather than add to them.
In the short-term, the modernisation plan from the government centres around two significant projects. First is the 12-week review of property data standards by MHCLG a foundational project evaluating whether shared, trusted data formats could reduce duplication, improve accuracy, and support more efficient transactions. The second is a pilot with HM Land Registry exploring how to digitise some of the data points managed by central government and local authorities.
Why data standards matter
Conveyancers continually face the burden of re-keying the same information multiple times into multiple systems. When information comes from estate agents, case management systems, mortgage offers or Land Registry, each system presents data (such as names, addresses, dates of birth etc.) in a different format or ‘data language’. This means conveyancers must manually review and input adding time, introducing risk, chance of error and offering no easy way to verify the source or reliability of the information.
That’s where the Property Data Trust Framework (PDTF) comes in. The Property Data Trust Framework (PDTF) is a standardised set of data and governance principles developed by a diverse 150-strong team across the property market including conveyancers. The PDTF seeks to establish a consistent ‘language’ for property data, along with metadata about where the information came from and how much it can be trusted. Think of it as a chronology of ownership or location for digital property data. For example, if a title detail has been pulled directly from Land Registry, the framework would allow the conveyancer to know that instantly and trust the information supplied.
This shift is about more than efficiency. It returns conveyancers to the position of informed advisers rather than administrative processors. Instead of wasting hours manually reading, checking and verifying data, conveyancers can focus their time on interpreting risks and giving sound legal advice with confidence in the data they are relying upon.
Reusable identity
Another significant development is the move toward reusable digital ID which is being explored by the Government for all kinds of uses beyond property transactions. However, in homebuying we will test a recognised and accepted level of digital ID, fraud and funds check that could then be securely and safely shared with everyone from estate agent to broker to lender to conveyancer. Under the proposed approach, identity checks would be held within a secure digital wallet and shared (with consent) at appropriate points in the process.
For conveyancers, this could eliminate one of the most repeated and frustrating onboarding tasks: checking ID, AML and source of funds documents. It also brings better compliance and reduced risk, with each ID check having a verifiable audit trail. The aim is not to increase regulation, but to enable smoother, safer workflows, removing duplication and increasing consumer trust.
The framework for this is already being tested, with input from cross-industry groups and links to broader government initiatives such as the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 and the Smart Data Council. While delivery timelines are being progressed, this is no longer a theoretical conversation; it’s a live one, with practical pilots and infrastructure being developed right now.
What does this mean for conveyancing?
Modernisation is not about replacing conveyancers, it’s about enabling and empowering them. With better data, consistent standards and digital ID, many of the low-value, high-risk administrative tasks currently weighing down legal teams will fall away or front-loaded earlier in the process. That means more time for advisory work, greater job satisfaction and potentially increased case capacity.
It’s also worth noting that modernisation is not being imposed from above. This isn’t a repeat of HIPs or a Scottish-style overhaul. Rather, it’s an invitation for the profession to be an integral part of the change by co-creating standards and tools that reflect the complexity of real transactions.
As the government pushes to build 1.5 million new homes, the spotlight will increasingly fall on how those homes are to be transacted, not just how they’re built. Conveyancers will be essential to making that happen, but only if the tools they rely on are fit for purpose. We have already seen too many conveyancers leave the industry, this is the time to improve the conveyancing experience, and retain and encourage new talent to the industry.
Maria Harris is Chair of Open Property Data Association
4 responses
How will this make inefficient businesses efficient?
They’ll still spew out Standard Enquiries and still have to have the file signed off by the technical team and they’ll still not understand the legal issues.
The digitisation of data is not the solution because non digitised data is not the problem.
The problems are:
properties listed that aren’t purchase ready
chains
funding decisions
people changing their minds
an over reliance on technology/workflows/case management systems
cyber security
AI development effect on climate (UNESCO)
an inability for real issues to be discussed
” Conveyancers continually face the burden of re-keying the same information multiple times into multiple systems.”
The above statement simply isn’t true. This statement reminds me of the ‘300 pieces of paper’ comment made by OPDA concerning the use by property lawyers of paper in conveyancing. I worked for a digital law practice 10 years ago. Most lawyers do not work in the manner implied by the article.
Unfortunately, it’s hard not to conclude from reading this article that OPDA has little grasp, either of jurisprudence or daily conveyancing practice.
“For many conveyancers, change can feel like something detached from the practicalities of daily caseloads and an unwelcome distraction.”
Yes and no. We all want changes for the better, and we know what most of them are. But they need to be led by experienced property professionals who care about the future of the profession and client care. What we neither want nor need are changes suggested by outliers from the profession who have their own agendas and give the impression of caring little about clients and knowing even less about the day to day workings of conveyancing. As indeed this article seems to indicate.
Well said David