The UK’s home buying process is fundamentally broken,and the property industry must take responsibility for fixing it.
That’s the urgent message from Babek Ismayil, Founder and Chief Executive of OneDome.
Ismayil’s call to action comes as the government pledges to digitise key areas of the transaction process in a bid to streamline property purchases.
But while this move has been welcomed, Babek warns that policymakers alone cannot solve the deep-rooted inefficiencies that have long plagued the system.
BROKEN PROCESS
He says: “The home buying process in the UK is broken. For too long, buying a home has been synonymous with stress, delays, and unnecessary expense. The average transaction takes months to complete, with buyers and sellers left in the dark for weeks at a time. It’s a system that frustrates clients, damages our reputation as an industry, and ultimately holds back the housing market.”
OneDome has invested £11 million in technology aimed at integrating every stage of the home buying journey into a seamless, digital experience. The platform connects property search, conveyancing, mortgage applications, and exchange, offering a faster, more transparent process for all parties involved.
And Ismayil emphasises that OneDome is not alone in this mission.
“Other newer players are also emerging, building technology that brings the whole journey together. The tools are there to make the process faster, cheaper, and far less stressful for everyone involved.”
TIME FOR CHANGE
However, the challenge lies in the industry’s long-standing resistance to change. Ismayil argues that decades of working in silos – with agents, conveyancers, and lenders operating independently – have created inefficiencies that digital solutions can now resolve.
He says: “In a world where consumers expect instant access to information and seamless digital experiences, we can no longer afford to cling to outdated practices.”
Ismayil is urging the property sector to embrace innovation and foster collaboration and envisions a future where buyers can track their property purchase in real-time, sellers have clear visibility of their sale’s progress, and agents can shift their focus from chasing updates to building client relationships.
While the government’s plans to digitise parts of the process are a positive step, Babek stresses that meaningful change will only happen if the industry takes the lead.
“The home buying process is broken, but it doesn’t have to stay that way,” he adds. “We have the tools, the knowledge, and the opportunity to fix it. Let’s take responsibility, embrace innovation, and show the world that our industry is capable of change.”
With the technology already in place, the real question now is whether the property industry is ready to step up and drive the transformation needed to modernise home buying in the UK.
