The Intermediary – July 2026 - Flipbook - Page 38
RESIDENTIAL
Rapid reaction
P rop e r t y
Predictions
Industry experts weigh in on the Government’s plans to
modernise the house buying process
James Ginley director of
technical surveying at e.surv
The Government’s roadmap is a positive step
towards a faster, more transparent process,
particularly for movers who currently face
uncertainty, delays and the risk of transactions
falling through up to the final moments. Our
recent research revealed that 73% of home
buyers agree the house buying system needs
to change, to create less stress for movers, and
these proposals should help to achieve that.
While detail on exactly what will sit within
‘sales packs’ is still emerging, the clear direction
of travel towards providing more information
upfront is encouraging. Done well, giving buyers
earlier access to reliable property insights will
help them make more informed decisions and
reduce the likelihood of costly surprises further
down the line.
It’s also welcome to see RICS highlighting
the role of professionally delivered property
information as part of this shift. We know
that improving the consistency and reliability
of condition advice can play an important
role in building confidence on both sides of a
transaction.
When these reforms come into practice,
prioritising better-informed movers should
lead to smoother transactions, with buyers and
sellers able to move with greater certainty.
and manual processes when secure digital
alternatives already exist. Wider adoption of
e-signatures, digital identity verification and
integrated systems have the potential to remove
unnecessary friction, improve transparency and
help transactions progress more smoothly.
That said, the success of these reforms will
come down to implementation. The concept of
providing more information upfront is sensible
in principle, but the industry has been here
before. It will be interesting to see how the new
upfront information requirements differ and
whether they can improve transparency without
creating unnecessary cost or administration.
One of the risks is adding too much friction at
the start of the process. If requirements become
too onerous or expensive before a buyer has even
been found, there is a danger that transaction
volumes could be reduced. The challenge will
be striking the right balance between providing
buyers with better information and maintaining
a fluid housing market.
The proposals around reducing fall-throughs
and encouraging earlier commitment are
particularly interesting. Around one in four
property transactions fail to complete, creating
significant financial and emotional costs for
buyers and sellers alike. Greater commitment
earlier in the process could help reduce that,
but any system needs to balance certainty with
flexibility. Buyers need confidence they won’t be
penalised for uncovering genuine issues, while
sellers need reassurance that purchasers are
Nick Statman
committed and financially capable.
CEO at Bettermove
the process, but they won’t be a silver bullet. The
These reforms have the potential to improve
industry often talks about speed, but certainty
Anything that improves transparency earlier
sellers can tolerate a transaction taking a little
gives buyers and sellers more certainty should be
longer if they know it is progressing properly.
welcomed. One of the biggest frustrations in the
What creates frustration is spending months
property market is that important information
in a transaction only for it to collapse. If these
often only comes to light weeks or months into a
reforms genuinely reduce fall-through rates,
transaction, after people have already invested
improve transparency and help people make
significant time, money and emotion into the
better-informed decisions earlier, that is where
process. Of all the proposals announced, greater
the real benefit will be felt.
digitalisation could have the biggest impact. It’s
36
is arguably the bigger issue. Most buyers and
in the process, reduces unnecessary delays and
The real test will be whether the industry has
remarkable that such a significant proportion
the infrastructure, technology and processes to
of the process still relies on outdated systems
deliver meaningful improvements in practice.
The Intermediary | July 2026
