HM Land Registry wants to make its services so fast that by 2030 conveyancers will be directed to the right person first-time round to deal with their query and by 2035 simple changes to the register will be done pretty much instantly.

Publishing its latest strategy, Strategy 2025+, Digital Services, expertise and accessible property information that unlock a better, faster and less stressful market, the agency said the property system in England and Wales was ‘still too slow’, complicated, lacks modern digital experiences and often fails. ‘A digital property market would help fix this,’ it concluded.

Land Registry said not enough had been invested in its technology and its legacy systems ‘are not serving our customers, or us, well’, acknowledging that ‘we have struggled to respond effectively when the housing market has its periodic bursts of activity’.

Its wishlist includes fast services and up-to-date information even when demand for services is high, better digital platforms for its services, and expanding its 'application programming interface' services so that Land Registry and customers' systems can directly interact with each other.

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‘It will mean that we will be receiving more information digitally, directly and in a way that helps reduce errors for everyone. AI and automated processes will be helping to process that information immediately or get it to the right person to deal with, swiftly. Simple requests to change the register - such as remortgaging or the straightforward sale of an already registered property - will be near instantaneous. Even the most complex cases will be dealt with quickly, supported by dedicated, focused experts,’ the strategy said.

‘We will work with government and the property sector to develop and promote the use of secure and convenient forms of digital identity checking and e-signatures so people can be certain that the identity of who they are dealing with is genuine and verified. This means property transactions are more secure. Our systems are safer, and we can more readily spot suspicious activity. Relevant information can be shared quickly, safely and easily.’