The current position

Currently, estate agents in England and Wales are required to include Material Information in property listings — as set out in the NTSELAT (National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agents Team) guidance published in 2022–23. This covers information about the property's tenure, council tax band, utilities, and — for leasehold properties — key lease details.

However, agents are not currently required to ensure that sellers have completed their property information forms, gathered their certificates, or instructed a solicitor before marketing begins. The timing and completeness of seller documentation is largely left to the seller and their solicitor to manage.

What the reform roadmap proposes

The government's homebuying reform roadmap proposes to go significantly further than the current Material Information requirements. The proposals include a requirement for sellers to provide an upfront information pack — including completed property information forms, title documents, and key certificates — before a property can be listed for sale.

Under the proposed model, estate agents would have a role in facilitating the compilation of this pack — either by providing sellers with the tools and guidance to complete it, or by working with third-party providers to assemble it. The detail of exactly what agents would be required to do, and what liability they would carry for the accuracy of the information, is still being worked through.

Propertymark's position

Propertymark has broadly welcomed the upfront information proposals, noting that many of its members already encourage sellers to prepare documentation early and that a formal requirement would create a level playing field. The organisation has called for the requirements to be proportionate, for agents to be given clear guidance on what must be included, and for the liability framework to be fair.

Propertymark has also emphasised the need for digital tools to make the process of compiling upfront information practical for agents and sellers — noting that the burden of assembling documentation manually is a significant barrier to adoption.

What agents should be thinking about now

The reforms are proposals, not yet law. But the direction of travel is clear, and agents who are already encouraging sellers to prepare upfront — and who have processes in place to support this — will be better positioned when requirements become mandatory.

Practically, this means having a clear onboarding process that prompts sellers to complete their TA6 and TA10 forms, gather their certificates, and instruct a solicitor before marketing begins. Agents who do this consistently report faster transactions, fewer fall-throughs, and better client outcomes.

Source note

This article draws on Propertymark's published response to the homebuying reform consultation (propertymark.co.uk), the government's reform roadmap, and Rightmove's coverage of the proposals (rightmove.co.uk/news). Information reflects the position as of July 2026.

The pipeline protection argument

For estate agents, a fall-through is not just a disappointment — it is a direct financial cost. The time spent progressing a transaction that ultimately collapses, the cost of re-marketing, and the opportunity cost of a pipeline that is not converting are all real and measurable.

The data on fall-through rates — consistently around 25% of agreed sales — has prompted a growing number of agents to look more carefully at what they can do to reduce the risk. The answer, increasingly, is to focus on the quality of vendor preparation before marketing begins.

What better-prepared vendors look like

Agents who have introduced structured vendor preparation processes report a consistent pattern: sellers who have completed their property information forms, gathered their certificates, and instructed a solicitor before accepting an offer progress faster and fall through less often than those who have not.

The mechanism is straightforward. A prepared seller can get their contract pack out within days of an offer being accepted. Enquiries are raised and answered faster. The mortgage valuation is instructed sooner. The whole transaction moves through the pre-exchange window more quickly — reducing the time during which either party can withdraw without penalty.

The role of preparation tools

A number of tools and services have emerged to help sellers prepare — from digital property information platforms to guided checklists and document management services. Estate agents are increasingly recommending these to their vendors as part of the onboarding process, either as a free resource or as a paid service.

The benefit for agents is twofold: vendors who use preparation tools are better prepared and more likely to complete, and the agent is seen as adding value beyond the listing itself. In a competitive market for instructions, this is a meaningful differentiator.

Source note

This article draws on published research from Propertymark and the Conveyancing Association, and on Rightmove's market analysis. Information reflects the position as of July 2026.