The latest UK Residential Conveyancing Market Report from IRN Legal Reports reveals a second consecutive year of growth, and offers “cautious optimism” for 2026, its authors say.
The volume of residential transactions in the UK increased for the second year running in 2025 following declines in 2022 and 2023, with volume growth reaching 10%. “The sector was helped by four interest rate reductions, along with a cost-of-living improvement for some consumers,” IRN said.
The residential conveyancing market registered market value growth of 7.0% in 2025 and is forecast to grow by 6.1% in 2026.
While the market has been growing recently, the number of law firms and conveyancers serving this market has been falling. There were an estimated 5,904 law firms in January 2026 active in residential conveyancing in the UK, IRN said, but numbers have fallen year-on-year: in September 2021 numbers were closer to 7,000 (6,763).
“A picture of falling numbers in England and Wales also comes from HM Land Registry,” IRN explained.
“In January 2026 there were 3,425 conveyancers registered decreasing from 3,539 a year earlier. Numbers have been falling steadily since 2022: there were over 4,000 at the end of 2022.”
Solicitor numbers working in residential conveyancing are also falling. By January 2026, there were only 10,724 practising in the sector in England and Wales – a drop of over 2,000 since the end of 2021.
“As numbers drop, the shortage of qualified conveyancers becomes a problem as demand starts to grow,” IRN said.
“The growing use of AI and other digital tools in residential conveyancing transactions is helping to counteract declining conveyancer numbers but there is still a skills shortage.”
The report reveals that consolidation is increasing, albeit at a slow rate. In 2025, the top 10 single conveyancer brands accounted for 10.3% of all transactions, an increase from 9.7% in 2024, but still a modest combined market share.
The market remains highly fragmented, IRN said, with a large population of smaller law firms, including many general practice firms, and conveyancers often focusing on local markets.
