Land Registry aims to automate simple register changes and deliver near instant property updates
HM Land Registry has announced that by 2035 it will have automated almost all simple requests to change the property register, creating what it describes as a near instant service for home buying and selling.
In its newly published Strategy 2025+, the body said it would use advanced digital systems to handle routine updates automatically, while staff would focus on complex or exceptional cases. By that time, employees are expected to spend almost all their time directly serving customers with more complex needs or helping them quickly when issues arise.
The strategy marks an expansion of the digital transformation programme that began under its earlier Strategy 2022+. The organisation said that since then, it has introduced digital by default applications, increased automation and expanded capacity across its workforce.
HM Land Registry explained that by 2035, people will be able to make simple updates to their property ownership details themselves, with information becoming near instant and accurate. The aim is to deliver reliable and fast services regardless of market demand and to make property data instantly accessible online.
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The document also sets out plans to complete a national register that presents property information as spatial data. This would allow users to view and analyse ownership details, rights of way, boundaries and covenants alongside other geographical information. The body said this development would make it easier for developers, planners and local authorities to process and interpret property data in real time.
In addition to automating almost all simple requests to change the register, HM Land Registry plans to automate more complex cases with human oversight. Expert staff will provide quality assurance, decision making and targeted customer support to ensure accuracy and accountability remain central to the process.
The organisation said it had already made good progress in delivering fast and reliable digital services. It now handles almost 22 million information requests each year and processes around one million updates to the property title register automatically. It has also created a single digital register for local land charges, which is being used across England and Wales.
Despite these advances, the body acknowledged that the property system remains slow and complicated, with outdated processes still affecting many transactions. It noted that around a quarter of property transactions fail to complete, resulting in losses of roughly four hundred million pounds for sellers and buyers combined. A fully digital property market, it argued, would significantly reduce this risk.
HM Land Registry also conceded that, like many public sector organisations, it has not invested enough in technology over recent decades. It is still operating with legacy systems that are difficult to maintain and no longer meet the expectations of modern users.
The organisation stated that it must modernise its technology while also strengthening cyber security. Protecting customers, registers and data from malicious attacks will remain a key priority. It said that new technology must be embraced while safeguarding the integrity of property information and the trust placed in its services.
By 2035, HM Land Registry aims to have established a fully digital, geospatial register that integrates ownership details, leasehold information, contractual arrangements and other property data. Users will be able to overlay these layers with other geographical information for analysis and planning purposes. The organisation believes this will save time and money for developers, conveyancers and government departments.
Iain Banfield, interim chief executive and chief land registrar, said the strategy represents a commitment to unlock a better, faster and less stressful property market through improved digital services and customer focused approaches. He said the transformation would support wider government goals, including the building of new homes, regeneration projects, clean energy infrastructure and modernised planning.