A growing gap between asking prices and final sale values is creating an increasingly stressful environment for conveyancers, new research suggests.
According to Access Legal, price negotiations that persist long after instruction lead to conveyancers being forced to manage the administrative fallout, resulting in an increased workload per case and reduced billable margins.
The software company analysed original asking prices and sold prices between September and November 2025, as well as looking at affordability, energy efficiency and chain dependency data. Of the 161 local authorities analysed, 42 saw properties selling for at least 30% under the average asking price.
As part of the research, the company developed a transaction stress rating designed to help conveyancers anticipate and navigate the structural risks that often lead to deal collapses.
The index weights five pressure points in the transaction process: chain dependency, market stagnation, EPC liability, price standoffs, and affordability strain.
“By using these insights to identify high-risk transactions early, conveyancing firms can more effectively manage their workloads, mitigate potential professional risks, and better prepare for the intense negotiation periods that often precede a final completion,” Access Legal said.
Deals are increasingly defined by high attrition and constant renegotiation, putting pressure on legal pipelines, the company added.
Rob Hailstone, CEO of Bold Legal Group, says the data has significant implications for conveyancing.
“Longer transaction times are creating more uncertainty, reducing cashflow and leaving conveyancers managing heavy, unpredictable workloads,” he explained.
“This is a time for conveyancers to hold their nerve. Transactions and chains need more TLC than usual, so buyers and sellers need conveyancers who are proactive, not reactive.”
Mike Connelly is head of commercial and conveyancing at Access Legal. He said: “We developed this research because buyers, sellers and legal property professionals need to look past the final asking price to really understand what’s happening between homes going on the market and what they eventually sell for.
“That 22% average void isn’t just a standard negotiation margin; it represents the harsh mathematical reality check that is hitting the market. We are witnessing a slow correction of the UK housing sector – and with mortgage rates going up once again, this correction is going to last for a good while yet.”
