Three quarters of home movers regret information gaps when buying or selling, according to a new study released by Landmark Information Group.
The report surveyed 500 recent buyers and sellers and 250 professionals, including agents, conveyancers and lenders, about experiences in the past 18 months.
More than two-thirds of participants, 67%, said they faced uncertainty or delays after an offer was accepted.
Among those, 52% reported higher stress, 46% found it harder to schedule moving dates, and 33% incurred extra costs or budgeting issues.
Transparency appears critical: 95% believe that having key property details at the listing stage would lower stress, while 92% think shared information among agents, conveyancers and lenders would boost confidence.
Professionals say they spend about 34% of their workday chasing updates from other parties, and 74% note that rising transaction fall-through rates hurt business performance.
When asked about improvements, 72% of professionals highlighted the need for upfront data readiness, and 67% chose better visibility and communication as priorities.
Landmark Information Group’s study comes as the industry is gearing up for reforms outlined in the Home Buying and Selling Reform roadmap published in June 2026.
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Transaction length now tops agents’ frustrations, cited by 41% of respondents, up from 32% in 2025. Issues with stakeholder communication rose from 19% to 36% over the same period.
While 81% of professionals say meaningful reform is overdue, only 68% feel there is enough clarity to start implementing changes, and 64% believe cross-sector collaboration is adequate.
Ben Robinson, Managing Director of Landmark Estate Agency Services, stated that estate agents have an important opportunity to shape how a transaction progresses from the very beginning. They often find that essential information is still being gathered after a buyer has made an offer, leaving them managing expectations and resolving problems that could have been identified much earlier.
The findings suggest that preparing key documents before an offer is accepted could cut friction and let agents devote more time to advancing sales rather than chasing missing details.
Data indicates that significant gaps remain between current practice and consumer expectations for transparency and efficiency in the UK property market, and Landmark Information Group’s study highlights the need for improvement in this area.
Benefits of Embedding Transaction Readiness Early
Adding transaction readiness to the instruction stage gives buyers clearer information to make confident choices. It also equips conveyancers and lenders with a more robust foundation for their work.
The research notes that first-time buyers still confront affordability pressures together with procedural inefficiencies. Industry participants are gearing up for upcoming regulatory reforms, highlighting that expectations for transparency and efficiency have yet to be fully met. Stakeholders anticipate that earlier preparation could streamline processes, though the study indicates further work is needed to align practice with consumer demands.