Affordability boosts, AML and 2025’s most popular move day: nine property stories you might have missed
1. Use of WhatsApp in transfer of property
Today’s Conveyancer
A High Court judge in a test case has ruled that WhatsApp messages are not valid legal signatures in transfer of property.
2. Treasury asked to reconsider tax adviser registration requirement
The Law Society Gazette
A specialist conveyancing regulator argues that the requirement will result in regulation burdens and duplicate work.
3. Law Society cautions government over publishing conveyancer track record
The Law Society Gazette
Responding to a UK government consultation on proposed home buying and selling reforms, we highlighted the challenges of presenting fair and accurate information for one of its proposals: publishing conveyancing solicitors’ performance records.
4. Government announces £14m funding for local authorities
Today’s Conveyancer
The money has been earmarked to help support eligible local authorities with local plan making.
5. Land Registry publishes ‘avoidable’ conveyancing errors
The Law Society Gazette
HM Land Registry highlights recent progress in cutting the number of ‘avoidable’ errors made by conveyancers in applications.
6. Construction output at lowest level for 19 months
PropertyWire
Latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that monthly construction output fell in November 2025, down by 1.3% compared to October and its lowest level since April 2024.
7. Property experts give their 2026 market predictions
The Independent
First-time buyers will continue to propel the property ladder in the coming year, while “falling mortgage rates and reduced uncertainties” will make a positive impact on the housing market, experts suggest.
8. Affordability boost for first-time buyers
Today’s Conveyancer
A Nationwide report notes improvements in affordability supported first-time buyers over 2025, and takes a deep look into variations in affordability across occupational groups and regions.
9. The UK’s most popular moving day of 2025 revealed
Inside Conveyancing
In a break from previous trends, Halloween was the busiest moving day of last year, research suggests.