Frustration with poor communication between stakeholders is growing
Mortgage lenders spend more than a third (35%) of their working day chasing transaction updates and are increasingly frustrated with poor communication between stakeholders (up from 25% in 2025 to 42% in 2026), according to new research from Landmark Information Group.
The findings are from Landmark’s latest report Property Transaction Reform: What the Market Wants Next, which surveyed 250 property professionals including mortgage lenders, conveyancers and estate agents, and 500 home movers who have bought or sold a home in the last 18 months.
Nearly three-quarters (74%) of property professionals said that rising transaction fall-through rates are having a significant impact on business performance. When asked what could improve productivity and business success, 72% identified at least one measure relating to upfront information and data readiness, while 67% selected improvements to visibility and communication.
Almost all lenders surveyed (96%) use property risk data to at least some extent in valuation decisions, while 82% anticipate significant or moderate operational change from the reuse of verified property data through common standards and trusted sharing protocols.
Reform ‘long overdue’
The survey follows the Government’s Home Buying and Selling Reform roadmap, published in June 2026. More than four in five property professionals (81%) agree meaningful reform is long overdue, with 71% anticipating significant or moderate operational change from earlier buyer and seller commitments, and 67% from standardised upfront property information.
However, only 68% believe there is sufficient clarity for organisations to start considering the changes required, while 64% feel the roadmap is being developed with sufficient collaboration across the sector.
The report also showed frustration among home movers, with more than two-thirds (67%) experiencing some or significant uncertainty or delays after an offer had been accepted, and nearly all (95%) agreeing that having key property information available at the point of listing would make moving less stressful.
Simon Brown, CEO, Landmark Information Group said: “The direction for reform has been set, but the real challenge is how we turn that ambition into practical delivery. Our research shows that home movers and property professionals are experiencing many of the same problems, whether that is making important decisions without the right information or spending valuable time trying to understand how a transaction is progressing.
Graeme Edwards, managing director of Landmark Valuation Services, said: “For lenders and valuers, confidence in property information is fundamental to making sound decisions. The challenge is ensuring the right information is available early enough to be useful, and that it can be trusted and reused across the different stages of a transaction.
“Verified property information, such as an upfront building condition reports, help lenders to identify potential issues earlier. If these findings are shared early and trusted by lenders, they could support greater use of digital valuations and faster mortgage offer turnaround times. Shared data standards and better-connected processes will be essential to reducing duplication and strengthening confidence across the lending and valuation process.”
