Transaction delays have become the defining concern for UK estate agents, according to new research from Landmark Information Group, with 74% citing protracted timelines as their biggest challenge – up sharply from 62% last year.
With the average transaction now taking around 120 days, agents report that slow completions are damaging chain certainty, increasing fall-throughs and undermining confidence on both sides of the deal.
More than half (52%) say 2025 has been a financially difficult year, despite 74% reporting strong turnover, as economic uncertainty, rising compliance burdens and operational costs squeeze margins.
Speculation ahead of the Autumn Budget has added to the slowdown, with some buyers and sellers delaying decisions.
EASING THE STRAIN
Technology adoption is accelerating as firms look for ways to ease the strain. Nearly all agents surveyed (94%) expect administrative work to be automated within five years.
Nine in 10 have already begun exploring AI tools, and almost eight in 10 (79%) are actively using them to improve efficiency.
AI is expected to become widespread across onboarding, compliance and back-office workflows, though many remain wary of deploying it in direct client interactions.
CHANGING FEE STRUCTURE
The report also points to a shift in charging structures. The traditional “no sale, no fee” model is continuing to fall out of favour, now used by just 32% of agents.
Most now prefer a part-upfront, part-on-completion approach (65%), while nearly a third (31%) have moved to full-upfront payment. Landmark says this reflects greater due diligence earlier in the process and a drive to reduce fall-through rates.
Other findings reveal an industry under sustained regulatory and operational pressure:
- 87% expect regulation to increase over the next five years
- 82% struggle to keep pace with fraud, AML and cybersecurity risks
- 93% say the Renters’ Rights Act has affected their role
- 85% believe AI will be commonplace within five years
Momentum is building behind Project 28 – an industry-wide initiative targeting a reduction in transaction times from today’s four months to just 28 days.
Landmark said cutting delays will be central to restoring confidence and improving market resilience.
CHALLENGING TIMES
Ben Robinson (main picture, inset), Divisional Director of Landmark Estate Agency Services, says: “The estate agency sector faces a multi-faceted set of challenges. Economic headwinds and transactional delays continue to test agency resilience.”
But he adds: “Yet there is cause for optimism. The growing adoption of automation and AI is beginning to unlock real productivity gains and new approaches to charging clients and using upfront data are yielding strong results.
“The next phase must focus on cross-industry collaboration, such as through Project 28, to tackle these challenges and deliver greater certainty to home buyers and sellers and improve estate agency profitability.”
