Mixed messages from property experts as geopolitical tensions cast a shadow over increase in BoE mortgage approvals
The Bank of England’s Money and Credit data for February shows an increase in net mortgage approvals for house purchases, up to 62,600 from 60,200 in January. Approvals for remortgaging also increased to 41,200 in February, from 38,500 in January. Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increased to £4.8 billion in February, from £4.2 […]
‘Market conditions are shifting’ as demand falls 13%
Zoopla’s March house price index shows a 13% drop in demand compared to this time last year, with “a clear trend” of a growing gap between buyer demand and sales agreed. Although the market remains active, it is increasingly dependent on a smaller group of committed buyers, Zoopla said. “We’re seeing a growing divergence between […]
Future Homes and Buildings Standards advocate for cleaner, more efficient home heating
Updates to the Building Regulations as part of the Future Homes and Buildings Standards have come into effect, in an effort to reduce reliance on fossil fuels for home heating by improving energy efficiency standards for new homes, which should also help reduce energy bills. In a circular letter published by the Ministry of Housing, […]
New panel management platform aims to bring lenders and conveyancers closer
A South African technology business says it has launched a new panel management platform that will “simplify the onboarding process for conveyancers and improve panel management and oversight for lenders”. In the company’s native South Africa, e4 Strategic built a platform that connects all major stakeholders involved in a property transaction including mortgage lenders, conveyancing […]
Move Reports joins Conveyancing Association as affiliate member
Independent search company and new homes search specialist Move Reports has joined the Conveyancing Association (CA) as an affiliate member. As an affiliate member, the company – which supplies conveyancing searches and property information for solicitors, conveyancers, estate agents and property developers – will be able to participate in member meetings, CA events and online […]
Law Society president Mark Evans to lead LawCare’s London marathon team
Law Society president Mark Evans is raising funds and awareness for mental health in the legal sector at the TCS London Marathon in April. Evans will run the marathon alongside solicitors Kayleigh Wilding and Matt Ottley, all of whom are taking on the task to highlight the pressures many people working in law face and […]
Two year TA6 saga ends as sixth edition mandatory from today
The TA6 Property Information Form sixth edition formally becomes compulsory from today (Monday 30th March) for Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) accredited firms, bringing an end to a two-year saga after efforts to introduce an updated fifth edition resulted in uproar from the conveyancing community. The furore erupted when the fifth edition of the TA6 was […]
‘No indication’ tax adviser status to be deferred
There is ‘no indication’ HM Revenue and Customs will defer the requirement for conveyancers to register as tax advisers, following a meeting with the tax authority last week. In a blog reporting on HMRC’s views expressed in the meeting, published on the Bold Legal Group forum and shared widely on social media, John Shallcross, a […]
NatWest now actively transacting on PEXA platform
NatWest is now actively transacting on PEXA’s digital property transaction platform, with the move affecting fee-assisted remortgage customers of the FTSE-100 bank. Sale and purchase transactions will follow, PEXA said. The high street lender signed a formal commitment to proceed with an implementation programme for remortgage transactions in July last year. The third largest mortgage […]
Exchange time now 135 days – up 45% since 2019
The time it takes to exchange contracts has risen to 135 days, according to analysis by Novus Strategy – 45% longer than in 2019 and 3% higher than last year. The increase comes despite a 3% drop in property transactions year-on-year, with HMRC recording 79,880 transactions at the end of January 2026 compared with 82,350 in 2025. Using data from […]
Banks to contact those on fixed rates to ease risk of rising rates shock
The chancellor Rachel Reeves has brought together the six largest banks and building societies to secure a commitment they will support customers coming to the end of fixed term mortgage deals, as rates rise following the global uncertainty caused by the conflict in Iran. In a unanimous 9-0 vote by the Bank of England’s monetary […]
National Conveyancing Month concludes with Great Conveyancing Quiz Off
National Conveyancing Month concludes this week with The Great Conveyancing Quiz Off and the chance to win four general admission tickets to Ascot 2026, courtesy of Howden. As in previous years, National Conveyancing Month (formerly National Conveyancing Week) has brought the conveyancing community together to raise the profile of the profession and re-affirm its importance […]
LSB outlines plans to strengthen ethical standards but is warned over duplicating regulators’ efforts
The Legal Services Board has outlined how it intends to strengthen lawyers’ ethical standards in a statement of policy which sets out new expectations designed to reinforce lawyers’ role in upholding the rule of law. But while the Law Society has welcomed efforts to continue to maintain high ethical standards, it has raised concerns over […]
Membership opens for initiative which aims to create ‘faster, more certain property transactions’
An initiative which launched last year and set out eight industry commitments to facilitate “faster, more certain property transactions” is opening its doors to membership and inviting property organisations of all sizes to play a part in improving the home buying and selling process. Launched in September 2025, Project 28 is the work of 23 […]
LeO seeks input on draft complaints procedure
The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) has launched a call for input on its draft Model Complaints Resolution Procedure (MCRP), a new framework aimed at improving the consistency and quality of how complaints are handled by legal service providers. “Effective complaints handling is fundamental to trust and confidence in legal services,” the LeO said. “However, our insight from more […]
ONS figures suggest modest housing market growth but experts warn confidence will ebb
UK house prices rose by 1.3% in the year to January 2026, down from the revised estimate of 1.9% in the 12 months to December 2025. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices in the UK decreased by 0.3% between December 2025 and January 2026, compared with an increase 0.4% from the same period […]
Inflation remains at 3% as experts warn of geopolitical impact
The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 3.0% in the 12 months to February 2026, unchanged from the 12 months to January. On a monthly basis, CPI rose by 0.4% in February 2026, the same rate as in February 2025. “Inflation holding firm in February is quite literally the calm before the storm as we […]
OPDA calls for coordinated long-term strategy to build national housing resilience
The Open Property Data Association (OPDA) is urging the government to adopt a more coordinated, long-term housing strategy, and warns the UK property market remains dangerously exposed to global shocks without deeper structural reform. The Iran conflict has again revealed how vulnerable the UK housing market is to geopolitical instability, OPDA chair Maria Harris says, […]
Young home buyers rely on parents and TikTok for information, Lloyds research finds
Parents are the most trusted source of information for prospective homeowners, according to new research from Lloyds Banking Group, with TikTok the source of choice for a third of young buyers. The study of 2,000 prospective first-time buyers reveals the ‘knowledge bank of mum and dad’ now ranks above mortgage brokers, estate agents and even lenders when it comes to […]
HBF sentiment survey reveals lack of buyers and higher taxes are restraining SME developers
New findings from the Home Builders Federation’s (HBF) SME Sentiment Survey reveal the vast majority (70%) of small and medium sized home builders say that market conditions are limiting their appetite to invest in new sites, with developers in London the most pessimistic. The new quarterly survey, which assesses the barriers to housing delivery and […]