The number of solicitors practicing in residential conveyancing has fallen by more than 2,000 since the end of 2021, while separate market data shows the average time taken to reach the stock exchange has risen to around 123 days.
According to IRN’s 2026 UK Residential Conveyancing Market Report, there were 10,724 solicitors practicing in residential conveyancing in England and Wales by January 2026. This was more than 2,000 fewer solicitors than at the end of 2021.
The report also estimated that 5,904 UK law firms were active in the residential conveyancing sector.
Meanwhile, data from TwentyCi for 2025 suggests the average time to exchange is around 123 days, although transaction times vary widely depending on region and individual circumstances.
The figures come as legal software provider Access Legal publishes its State of the UK Conveyancing Market 2026 report, examining the pressures facing conveyancers as they manage workloads, regulatory requirements and changing customer expectations.
Access Legal, part of The Access Group, provides transfer programs to law firms. Its latest research is based on 15 months of data from HM Land Registry (HMLR) covering the period April 2025 to June 2026, along with external market, workforce, customer and regulatory sources.
The report includes HMLR handling application volumes, customer satisfaction data from 1,388 verified reviews, and an assessment of regulatory changes impacting conveyancing practice over FY25/26 and beyond.
According to the report, carriers are dealing with higher workloads and longer turnaround times, creating potential bottlenecks and increasing pressure on teams.
The sector has also faced a series of regulatory and compliance changes since April 2025, increasing the administrative burden on legal teams. This includes stricter anti-money laundering requirements, new mandatory TA6 and TA7 ownership forms, and revised Money Laundering Regulations (MLR) guidance.
With more Treasury reviews expected before the end of the year, the report says carriers are likely to continue to spend significant time on administration and compliance work.
The ability to process higher volumes per charger is an important metric for companies over the next year, the report says. The report said this can be achieved through technology, process efficiency, and the use of artificial intelligence.
Andrew Stevens, managing director of Access Legal, said technology could help businesses increase capacity without increasing headcount.
“Technology is the natural solution to increased capacity without increasing headcount,” he said. “Digitizing traditional workflows enables carriers to confidently navigate market changes and enhance flexibility without putting additional pressure on teams.
“Since law firms cannot simply ask carriers to work longer hours to solve the disability challenge, technology has become the key solution to modernizing and streamlining services. While the likes of technology and artificial intelligence cannot replace empathy or judgment, they can help relieve stress and ultimately contribute to preventing burnout, allowing lawyers that time to build those relationships with clients and continue executing their work.”
The report concludes that companies will need to balance growing demand and regulatory requirements with the capacity of their existing teams.
The State of the UK Conveyancing Market 2026 report analyzes HM Land Registry transaction data covering England and Wales from April 2025 to June 2026, along with external market, workforce, customer and regulatory sources.
