Industry body’s latest quarterly confidence tracker report reveals sluggish activity and muted post-Budget recovery.
10th Feb 20260 508 1 minute read Simon Cairnes
Conveyancers have seen little evidence of a post-Autumn Budget bounce in the housing market, although some market data suggests modest improvement in transactions, which had fallen to a two-year low as buyers and sellers put their plans on hold.
The latest quarterly confidence tracker from the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) shows just 36% of property professionals believe business has picked up since November, with two-thirds saying the market is no busier than it was pre-Budget.
Sight upliftThe tracker also shows that there has been a slight uplift in confidence in wider market stability, which has risen from 42% to 54% compared to the previous survey, but this has not yet translated into measurable increases in conveyancing activity.
Buyers and sellers do, though, appear more optimistic than they were a year ago, the proportion of conveyancers reporting stronger consumer confidence is 36% for buyers and 24% for sellers.
Stephen Ward (pictured), CLC Director of Strategy and External Relations, says: “It is clear from the responses to our survey that, while some see green shoots of recovery, many believe the predicted bounce-back may take a little longer.”
Buyers and sellers are feeling more confident, albeit that they may not all be in an immediate rush to move.”
He adds that there is “a sense that buyers and sellers are feeling more confident, albeit that they may not all be in an immediate rush to move.”
Ward also warns that structural issues continue to weigh on the sector. “The current fall-through rate of 30% is unacceptable and must be reduced,” he says, arguing that a faster, more reliable system is essential to support a healthier housing market.
TagsCouncil for Licensed Conveyers (CLC) 10th Feb 20260 508 1 minute read Simon Cairnes Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email
