Letting & Estate Agent Podcast Why does it take 19 weeks to get a sale through? - Ep. 2364
Oct 22, 2025
Richard Donnell, Research Director at Zoopla, dives into the bottlenecks of the UK property market that stretch sales to 19 weeks. He unpacks issues like repeated data collection and delays from conveyancers and banks. Richard advocates for streamlined processes and better consumer education to cut down these delays. He also suggests focusing on essential information and urges for collaboration between industry players to create a more efficient system. His insights reveal how improved data management could transform the buying and selling experience.
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Duplicate Data Is The Major Bottleneck
- Repeated collection of the same data at multiple stages is the main bottleneck slowing transactions.
- Lack of connected data flows forces conveyancers and lenders to wait and re-check, stretching timelines to ~19 weeks.
Involve Conveyancers Early
- Get solicitors and conveyancers involved earlier in the sale process to avoid late-stage information bottlenecks.
- Prepare ID, AML checks and key forms before sale-agreed to speed lender and solicitor workflows.
Educate Sellers Before Listing
- Educate sellers up front about the steps that follow sale-agreed and the documents they'll need.
- Advise sellers to prepare TA6, searches and solicitor engagement to reduce surprises and speed completion.