Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by The Negotiator. Read the original article for full details.
Top Countries for Source of Funds Checks in UK Property Revealed
Research by client due diligence platform Thirdfort has identified the five most common countries where funds originate for UK property purchases: India, USA, Hong Kong, Italy, and China. The analysis is based on over one million source of funds verifications completed through Thirdfort’s platform.
According to Thirdfort, one in ten homebuyers are using funds from overseas to finance all or part of their property purchase. In the past two years, China has entered the top five countries for source of funds, replacing France.
The data also highlights trends in the types of funds used for property transactions. While the use of cash in society is declining, it remains present in property deals. Thirdfort’s analysis shows that 9% of buyers made more than ten cash deposits into the account funding their purchase in the past six months, and 8% had a median deposit value of more than £500.
However, the proportion of source of funds verifications involving high cash deposits (a median deposit of more than £500) has been falling. The figures show 9.47% in 2023, 9.52% in 2024, 7.54% in 2025, and 6.99% so far in 2026.
Cryptocurrency continues to have a limited impact on UK property transactions. Only around 0.1% of buyers and giftors have funds originating from cryptocurrency, a figure that has remained steady since 2024.
These findings are relevant for UK letting agents and inventory clerks, as understanding the origin and nature of funds is a key part of compliance and risk management in property transactions.
Source: The Negotiator