UK Residential Conveyancing Market Report 2026

Second consecutive year of growth provides cautious optimism for 2026

The tenth annual edition of the report that provides a review of the market, looking at the market structure, key issues and new developments, market size and trends, the key players, future market developments, 4-year forecasts.

The UK residential conveyancing market

• The volume of residential transactions in the UK increased for the second year running in 2025 after declines in 2022 and 2023. Volume growth reached 10%. The sector was helped by four interest rate reductions in 2025 along with a cost-of-living improvement for some consumers.
• The residential conveyancing market registered market value growth of 7.0% in 2025 and, in 2026, it is forecast to grow by 6.1%.

Measures of law firms and solicitors working in conveyancing show a shrinking sector

• While the market has been growing recently, the number of law firms and conveyancers serving this market has been falling. There were an estimated 5,904 law firms in January 2026 active in residential conveyancing in the UK (combined Law Societies figures) but numbers have fallen year-on-year: in September 2021 numbers were closer to 7,000 (6,763).
• A picture of falling numbers in England and Wales also comes from HM Land Registry: In January 2026 there were 3,425 conveyancers registered decreasing from 3,539 a year earlier. Numbers have been falling steadily since 2022: there were over 4,000 at the end of 2022.
• Solicitor numbers working in residential conveyancing are also falling and, by January 2026, there were only 10,724 practising in this sector in England and Wales. Numbers have fallen by over 2,000 solicitors since the end of 2021. As numbers drop, the shortage of qualified conveyancers becomes a problem as demand starts to grow. The growing use of AI and other digital tools in residential conveyancing transactions is helping to counteract declining conveyancer numbers but there is still a skills shortage.

Consolidation is increasing albeit at a slow rate

• In 2025, the top 10 single conveyancer brands accounted for 10.3% of all transactions, an increase from 9.7% in 2024 but still a modest combined market share. Volume players are increasing their share of the market albeit only slowly. The market remains highly fragmented with a large population of smaller law firms, including many general practice firms, and conveyancers often focusing on local markets.