Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Mortgage Solutions. Read the original article for full details.
Conveyancer numbers fall almost 16% in five years, Access Legal research finds
The number of conveyancers working on UK cases has dropped by 15.67% since 2021, according to research from Access Legal. As of January 2026, there were 10,724 conveyancers — down by over 2,000 compared with 2021 — spread across an estimated 5,904 law firms.
The decline matters for letting agents and inventory clerks because conveyancing capacity directly affects transaction timelines. The average completion time for property exchanges has now reached 123 days, and Access Legal said solicitors are "feeling the strain, juggling high workloads and battling longer completion times, which inevitably leads to bottlenecks and risks of burnout in the industry."
What is driving the pressure
Access Legal's report attributed the strain to regulatory and compliance developments, including anti-money laundering (AML) rules, revised MLR guidelines and mandatory property form changes. The report argued that demand is recovering while industry capacity is shrinking.
The research also cited Legal Ombudsman data showing evidence of poor service in 78% of residential conveyancing complaints assessed, representing 511 complaints.
Refinancing and equity release trends
Despite 1.8 million fixed rate mortgages maturing by the end of 2026, the report said the overwhelming preference for product transfers has limited the conveyancing benefits of the refinancing wave. It also noted that equity release instructions are growing as a proportion of total conveyancing activity, described as a growing ancillary revenue stream amid an ageing population and rising housing wealth among over-55s.
Technology as a response
Andrew Stevens, general manager at Access Legal, said: "Technology is the natural answer to growing capacity without growing headcount. Digitising traditional workflows empowers conveyancers to confidently navigate market changes and strengthen resilience without placing extra pressure on teams."
For agents and clerks managing move-ins and inventories, fewer conveyancers and longer completion times are worth factoring in when scheduling handovers and tenancy start dates.
Source: Mortgage Solutions