The long-anticipated shift towards a fairer, faster, and more transparent home-buying process has finally arrived.
This week, the Government published a consultation outlining revolutionary reforms to property transactions — and for those of us who have been championing change for years, this feels like a pivotal moment.
The new proposals could reduce transaction times by up to four weeks, significantly reduce the number of failed sales, and save buyers hundreds of pounds. They focus on mandatory upfront information packs, digital property logbooks, and even binding conditional contracts to curb last-minute withdrawals.
For the Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA), this is more than welcome news — it’s a validation of years of advocacy.
Our former Chairman, Alan Milstein, worked tirelessly with the Home Buying and Selling Council, helping to shape many of the ideas that are now at the forefront of this consultation. His ongoing contribution to that group continues to make a real impact.
At the RPSA, we’ve long argued that the current system — where only around one in ten buyers commission a condition survey — doesn’t serve consumers or professionals well.
The government’s proposal to require a property condition assessment before listing echoes the very principles behind the Home Insight Survey launched earlier this year by Skyline Surveyors.
In many ways, this consultation signals a shift from aspiration to implementation — and it’s precisely the kind of change we’ve been preparing for.
Scotland’s success with its Single Survey and Home Report has shown what happens when upfront information becomes the norm: shorter transaction times, fewer collapsed sales, and greater trust in the process. Other European countries, such as France, Norway, and Sweden, have also achieved this. England and Wales are now, finally, catching up.
Another exciting aspect of the proposals is the commitment to digital property logbooks.
These will act as live, verified records linked to the Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) and HM Land Registry, allowing information to flow seamlessly between surveyors, conveyancers, lenders, and local authorities.
It’s the foundation for a genuinely modern, data-driven property market — one where verified, standardised information replaces the current patchwork of forms, declarations, and uncertainty.
This consultation presents enormous opportunities for our members to play a vital role in shaping the future.
The RPSA will continue to engage directly with government, the Home Buying and Selling Council, and allied organisations to ensure the voice of practising surveyors is heard loud and clear.
Our profession sits right at the intersection of trust, consumer protection, and technical expertise — and these reforms put us exactly where we should be: at the heart of the process.
Change is no longer a distant prospect; it’s in motion.
For too long, the property industry has accepted slow, uncertain, and inefficient transactions as “just the way things are.” The government’s consultation, coupled with private-sector innovations like the Home Insight Survey, signals a genuine shift from the past.
This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine how homes are bought and sold.
Surveyors, sellers, and buyers all stand to gain from a system built on transparency, preparation, and trust — and the RPSA is proud to have been leading that conversation from the very start.
Andrew McColl
Read today's article from The Negotiator. Click Here
The Home Buying and Selling Reform Consultation Click Here
The Material Information Consultation Click Here
Comments from Law Society vice-president Mark Evans and Stephen Ward, director of strategy and external relations at the Council for Licensed Conveyancers, can be found Click Here
Comments from RICS CEO Justin Young, Nigel Walley is the chair of the Residential Logbook Association (RLBA), and Propertymark CEO Nathan Emerson can be found Click Here
