The Conveyancing Task Force has told the Government that a voluntary scheme would be much better and that digitisation is not the answer to all problems.
17th Dec 20253 574 1 minute read David Callaghan
Conveyancing leaders have rejected the idea that it should be mandatory for home sellers to provide upfront information.
The Conveyancing Task Force (CTF) says the move would repeat the mistake of HIPs (Home Information Packs) during the noughties and may make the homebuying process worse.
And the task force, which is made up of 21 law firms ranging from small law firms up to a PLC, also calls for the Regulation of Property Agents (RoPA) to raise estate agent standards.
By implementing RoPA it would help tackle conditional selling, mis-selling and unlawful pressure on consumers, the CTF says.
Mandatory upfront information would not achieve the goals of reform and may worsen consumer outcomes.”
It was responding to a consultation by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the future of homebuying.
“The CTF supports the government’s objective of improving speed, certainty, and consumer outcomes. However, the CTF does not support a mandatory upfront information regime,” the task force says.
“Mandatory upfront information would not achieve the goals of reform and may worsen consumer outcomes.”
VoluntaryInstead, the CTF wants to see voluntary early legal instruction, which would reduce unnecessary enquiries and make chains run more smoothly.
The CTF also dismisses the idea that digitisation is the answer to all the problems.
“The evidence demonstrates that the homebuying system fails not because of a lack of data,” it says.
BottlenecksLender behaviour and bottlenecks at local authorities and the Land Registry are major causes of delays, according to the CTF.
“None of these issues are resolved by digitisation alone. Digitalisation can play a useful role – but only when accountability, evidence, and legal reality are at the centre of reform.”
The CTF earlier warned that the Government’s planned overhaul of the home buying and selling process was an ‘existential threat’ to small regional law firms.
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Tagshouse selling reform Regulation of Property Agents (RoPA) sales process reform 17th Dec 20253 574 1 minute read David Callaghan Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email
