Real Estate Talking Points: The winds of change: land registration, digitisation and transformation

Over recent months and years, renewed proposals to improve the efficiency of land registration have been making headlines. Changes are already being made to leverage advances in AI and digitisation. In this article, we explore the mounting pressures on HM Land Registry (“HMLR”), the growing momentum for change and Government expectations on modernisation.  

1. Snowed under? 

Those involved in real estate transactions will be all too familiar with registration delays (which were only exacerbated by the pandemic). Delays can cause frustration, impact transaction timing and undermine the concept that the land register is an up-to-date source of information on land ownership in England and Wales. 

In addition to the day-to-day caseload, the past few years have seen a swathe of new regimes and proposals which have taken up valuable resource to consider and implement. For example:

• the Register of Overseas Entities was introduced in 2022, which required new restrictions to be placed on all titles owned by overseas entities;
• there are ongoing proposals to convert existing leaseholds to commonhold (which HMLR has committed to making digital from the outset); and
• there is a plan for a new public register of “contractual control agreements”, to provide greater transparency on who owns and controls land. 
   

This perfect storm has led to questions over whether HMLR has sufficient resources to manage all of this. Some commentators and industry bodies have criticised existing inefficiencies as a “hurdle to economic growth”. There have even been renewed calls to privatise HMLR, following a failed attempt by the Government to do so in 2016 which was met with strong opposition.

2. The winds of change: digitisation

As a result, the pressure has been on for HMLR to find ways of improving efficiency. 

While systemic transformation will take time, HMLR and the Government have already taken steps to respond to these challenges:  

• Last year, an open letter was published by the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government to the Chair of the HMLR Board, setting out the Government’s expectations for land registration going forward – this focuses heavily on digitisation and modernisation;
• Application fees have increased and the additional income is intended to support the expansion of HMLR’s workforce and infrastructure;
• HMLR has invested in tools such as the electronic Document Registration Service, which allows for application forms and supporting documents to be submitted electronically, reducing errors and delays through a streamlined process; and
• Continued engagement between the British Property Federation and HMLR in early 2026 shows that this topic remains firmly on the industry’s agenda.  

3. Strategy 2025+: where AI fits in

HMLR’s Strategy 2025+, published in November 2025, is the clearest statement yet of where AI and digitisation are heading. It acknowledges that developments in AI cannot yet be fully harnessed because HMLR’s underlying data remains largely paper-based, but it signals a clear intention to develop improved digital platforms.

This is one of the strongest indicators that e-conveyancing is still on the agenda (after being much discussed for many years) – if that takes off, registration updates could be near-instantaneous. The ambition is striking: HMLR has pledged that by 2035, almost all simple registrations will be automated, providing an instant service, and that complex registrations will also be automated but with human support. 

This would truly transform the property market, as the issues associated with pending applications would disappear. Market participants will be keeping a close eye on developments on this front.

Combined, these measures are an important step towards tackling the backlog and transforming the land registration system. However, for now, parties will need to continue to navigate the issues associated with delays to registration  – for further detail on this, see our Talking Points article “Mind the gap: A brief overview of the “Registration Gap” and its impact on property transactions”. 

4. Looking ahead: what to expect 

Taken together, Strategy 2025+, the wider digitisation programme and the deployment of AI are encouraging signs that meaningful reform is on the way. If HMLR delivers on its ambitions, parties can expect:

• a material reduction in routine processing times, particularly for standard transfers, leases and charges;
• greater certainty around timelines; and
• a more data‑rich, transparent environment, which should support better portfolio analysis and more efficient due diligence.
   

However, two notes of caution. First, these changes will be rolled out gradually. For several years, the market may operate in a hybrid world where some applications benefit from faster, more automated processing, while others remain firmly in the traditional queue. Secondly, even in an AI‑enabled system, complex and high‑value registrations will still require human input and judgement.

The winds of change are blowing through the land registration system. At a time when the potential applications of AI are being considered across the real estate industry, market players will be keeping a keen eye on land registration developments. Alongside the strength of its legal system, an effective, secure and efficient registration system is one of the key reasons why the UK is considered a premier location for real estate transactions: developments in AI and digitisation present an exciting opportunity for e-conveyancing to finally take root, and to further enhance this strength.

If you would like to discuss any of the topics mentioned in this article, please reach out to your usual Linklaters contact.