Modernising the conveyancing process – A utopian ideal?

The Land Registry is making strides to improve the UK property industry through digitisation. However, for some professionals, including Kevin Johnson, Director of On Point Data, this push, while well-intentioned, doesn’t go far enough in tackling the sector’s most entrenched challenges.

In April, HM Land Registry Chief Executive Simon Hayes published a blog, ‘Building the Service You Need’, celebrating recent progress and pledging ‘no complacency’ in reducing application delays. Hayes noted that HMLR had already surpassed its goal of processing 95% of applications within 12 months. This achievement supports his vision of ‘a modern digital land registry at the heart of a reformed property market’.

Yet for many on the front line, real progress remains elusive. Conveyancers continue to face unacceptable wait times and mounting complexity. A Today’s Conveyancer article covering the HMLR blog from Hayes received several animated comments:

One remarked, ‘I’ve been practising in conveyancing since 1989… despite an online business portal, and digitalisation. The registration service is ridiculously slow… 10 to 20 years ago, registrations used to take about a month… Why is it so difficult now?’

Another added:

‘HMLR’s overall performance is woeful… The majority [of my applications] still take well over a year; the current record-holder was submitted on 20 October 2022. Sigh.’

Reform Fatigue and the Search for Practical Solutions

Kevin Johnson echoed these frustrations in a recent LinkedIn video, describing the government’s approach to reform as ‘utopian’:

‘I think that there’s a much wider dialogue that needs to be had… Every provider is solving a single problem at a time. The joined-up thinking we need just isn’t there right now. There is no silver bullet.’

Referring to HMLR’s Local Land Charges project, which is significantly overdue and over budget, Johnson added:

‘Some of this stuff just isn’t very easy.’

Recent developments suggest a further gap between ambition and execution. In March, the government quietly withdrew its Property Information Guidance—a proposed set of common data standards aimed at streamlining upfront information sharing. For many, this represents a backwards step. The guidance was widely seen as a crucial tool for enabling early engagement, reducing delays, and providing clarity for all parties in a transaction.

Meanwhile, the proposed Data Use & Access Bill, which promises to give consumers the right to share their property data in a ‘safe and secure digital format’, continues its path through the House of Commons. While this legislative intent is welcome, it is difficult to see how its full potential can be realised in the absence of a consistent framework for collecting and structuring that data.

‘I’m not saying that the ambition isn’t a good one,’ Johnson explained. ‘I’m just saying that it’s complex. It’s going to take time, and it’s going to need dialogue between a number of interested parties, particularly conveyancing solicitors, if we’re going to find a solution.’

A Sector Under Pressure

The pressures on property lawyers don’t stop at delays and data. In May, the Law Society released a landmark Practice Note on Climate Change, guiding solicitors on their legal and ethical responsibilities in light of growing environmental risk.

This guidance adds another layer of due diligence for firms, particularly those handling real estate transactions. From physical risk assessments to disclosures on climate-related liabilities, the expectations on conveyancers are rising without a corresponding reduction in administrative burden.

As Johnson points out in relation to just a single component of the compliance challenges that solicitors face, Anti Money Laundering responsibilities:

‘The number of anti-money laundering searches that an individual in a transaction has to go through is ludicrous. And there’s certainly some legislation around that which would make everybody’s lives just a little bit easier. This is why firms like On Point Data exist to support the conveyancing solicitor in the gathering of that data.’

The Path Ahead

We are now beyond the original 12-week threshold set by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to identify the ‘design and implementation of agreed rules on data for the sector’. What happens next will be telling—not just for regulators, but for every professional trying to deliver timely, compliant, and customer-friendly conveyancing services.

While the future ‘utopian’ vision of integrated, high-quality data remains appealing, many professionals simply need help now. As On Point Data’s Johnson summarises:

‘We understand what the conveyancing solicitor needs. We understand the background of the industry. And, we strive for outcomes using technology, delivering a wide suite of products through great people, and superb communications.’

If you’d like to explore how On Point Data can support your practice in this rapidly evolving environment, contact Kevin Johnson for a friendly, no-strings conversation at kevin.johnson@onpointdata.co.uk

This article was submitted to be published by On Point Data as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Conveyancer. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Conveyancer.