Government publishes response to home buying and selling reform consultation

The government published its response to its home buying and selling reform consultation in June 2026, committing to reforms and laying out its timetable¹. The consultation, launched in October 2025, set out the government's vision for a system "driven by informed consumers, innovative technology and high-standard professional services"¹. A separate consultation on material information in property listings closed at the end of December 2025¹.

The government's stated objectives for a future system are faster, more reliable transactions; reduced fall throughs and risks, including those caused by property chains; high professional standards; better informed consumers; and trust and confidence in the system¹. The consultation covered professionalising home buying and selling through mandatory qualifications and a Code of Practice, digital property packs and logbooks, binding conditional contracts, consumer education and transparency, streamlining transactions, digitalisation and leasehold sales information¹.

The timetable published alongside the response sets out work in three phases¹:

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said it has been clear with government that a minimum 24-month implementation period will be essential, particularly for reforms to upfront information, to allow capacity to be built, standards developed and guidance put in place¹. RICS also said residential property valuations were not included within the proposed reforms, and that RICS professionals undertaking residential surveys must continue to follow the RICS Home Survey Standard (1st edition)¹.

RICS said it is not clear how many of the proposed reforms will be subject to further consultation or primary legislation¹. It also said it had concerns about the material information guidance, developed with National Trading Standards Estate and Lettings Agency Team, that were not addressed, and that the guidance was subsequently withdrawn following the Digital Markets Competition and Consumer Act 2024¹.

Why it matters for households

The measures described are proposals and consultations, not rules in force. Nothing in the published timetable changes what a buyer or seller must do now. The changes with the most direct bearing on households are the proposed sales packs, which would require searches and a property condition report to be prepared before a property is listed, and binding conditional contracts, which would commit both sides earlier in a transaction¹. Both would require legislation, which the government says it will introduce when parliamentary time allows¹.

The 2026 measures are non-statutory: guidance on listing information and a Code of Practice for property agents¹. RICS has said reforms to upfront information will require additional industry resource, and that insufficient capacity or unclear direction could risk delays¹. It has also raised concerns about the impact on sole traders and small firms, citing the effect of the Scottish Home Report model, where it says larger firms expanded market coverage¹. RICS reported that in Scotland around 10% of buyers still commissioned an additional survey before purchase¹.

What happens next

The government's timetable places non-statutory guidance on listing information, a Code of Practice for property agents and a call for evidence on a smart data scheme in 2026¹. Consultations on mandatory qualifications for estate and letting agents, on leasehold and freehold estates sales information legislation and on a smart data scheme are listed for 2027 to 2028¹. Legislation on sales packs and binding conditional contracts is listed for when parliamentary time allows¹. RICS has said a consultation on the protocol will take place in early 2026¹.

For background on the process, see the guide to buying a leasehold property and the home buying and regulation and policy hubs.