More than half of UK mortgage brokers say chasing solicitors for progress updates is their single biggest frustration during property transactions, according to industry polling reported by PropertyWire. The survey, conducted during a webinar hosted by One Mortgage System (OMS) and Smoove, found that 56% of brokers cited having to chase solicitors as their biggest challenge, with further frustrations clustered around slow updates, client confusion, and delays obtaining documents.
What the poll found
According to PropertyWire's reporting, 56% of brokers identified chasing solicitors for progress updates as their primary frustration with the conveyancing process. A further 16% highlighted delays in receiving updates from solicitors once contacted, while 14% pointed to clients not understanding their own position in the transaction chain. An equal 14% cited delays in obtaining documents or getting responses to enquiries.
The poll also exposed inconsistency in how brokers recommend conveyancers to clients in the first place. PropertyWire reported that 25% of brokers said they made recommendations on almost every mortgage transaction, and 13% did so on more than half of cases. By contrast, 38% said they rarely or never recommended a conveyancer, while the remaining 24% only did so when specifically asked by the client. When brokers did recommend a conveyancer, 40% cited existing relationships or panel memberships as their primary consideration, while 24% said they deferred to the client's own choice; recommendations from professional networks or lenders, speed, price, and leaving the decision entirely to the client each accounted for 12%, per the source.
Industry voices on the communication gap
Jodie Andrews, Head of Marketing, Sales and Partnerships at One Mortgage System, told PropertyWire that the findings highlight different approaches brokers take to recommending conveyancers and the common frustrations during the legal stage of transactions. She noted that "regardless of whether a broker has recommended a particular solicitor, they are often the first point of contact when clients want to know why their transaction isn't progressing, even when the cause of the delay sits outside their control." Andrews added that integrating conveyancing solutions into existing customer relationship management systems could help reduce duplication and simplify administration for clients.
David Burt, UK Sales Manager at Smoove, said the poll highlights how much time brokers spend chasing updates as transactions progress, noting that "four of the seven respondents identified chasing solicitors for progress as their biggest frustration, underlining how important clear, timely communication is." PropertyWire framed the results as evidence of potential inefficiencies across the transaction chain that could affect completion times and client satisfaction, and as an opportunity for more consistent referral practices industry-wide.
Poll results at a glance
Source: PropertyWire, polling of mortgage brokers hosted by One Mortgage System and Smoove, as of 2026-11-10 (propertywire.com).
What this means for buyers, including international and investment purchasers
WPF analysis: the poll's findings on broker-solicitor communication are directly relevant to any UK property buyer relying on a mortgage broker, including overseas investors and expats purchasing remotely, though the source itself covers UK mortgage transactions generally rather than cross-border purchases specifically. Brokers told PropertyWire they are frequently the first point of contact when a transaction appears to stall, even when the cause sits with the conveyancer rather than the broker.
The inconsistency in referral practices is a second, directly supported implication. With 38% of brokers rarely or never recommending a conveyancer and 24% only doing so when asked, a substantial share of buyers may be selecting their own solicitor without broker input. Among brokers who do make recommendations, 40% say existing relationships or panel memberships drive the choice rather than speed or price, per the poll data.
Due-diligence questions buyers should ask
Given the poll's findings, buyers working with a UK mortgage broker have grounds to ask specific questions before instructing a conveyancer. These include: how does the broker define their recommendation criteria for this transaction — existing panel relationship, speed, price, or client choice; what is the conveyancer's typical turnaround for responding to enquiries and providing update reports, given that 16% of brokers cited slow updates specifically; and what escalation process exists if a solicitor goes quiet, since chasing for progress was the single largest complaint in the poll.
Buyers should also ask whether the broker or the conveyancer will be the primary point of contact for transaction status, and request this in writing before instruction. For purchasers coordinating a transaction with a golden visa or residency-by-investment deadline elsewhere, confirming a realistic conveyancing timeline early is a practical safeguard; the Golden Visa Programs — Due Diligence and Process Guide outlines why process timing matters when a property purchase is linked to a wider immigration application, though the UK poll itself does not reference any residency programme.
Background: solicitor-dependent transaction chains in a broader context
The UK's conveyancing model relies on solicitors or licensed conveyancers managing searches, enquiries, and exchange, a structure explained in more detail at International Conveyancing Explained. This differs from jurisdictions where notarial or title-registry systems handle more of the transfer process directly, and from markets with simpler legal structures for property transfer. For investors weighing the UK against other common-law markets with different transaction frameworks, the comparison at Australia vs New Zealand — Property Investment for Antipodean Investors illustrates how transaction structure and legal process can vary even between closely related legal systems, a relevant backdrop when assessing why solicitor-chasing emerged as the dominant complaint in this UK-specific poll.
PropertyWire did not disclose the total number of brokers polled, only the percentage breakdowns from the webinar survey, and the poll appears limited to UK residential mortgage transactions rather than cross-border or cash purchases. The source also does not specify a sample size, methodology detail beyond the webinar setting, or whether findings vary by region or transaction value.
Limitations and what to watch next
This analysis is built on a single reported source, and the underlying poll's sample size and selection method were not detailed by PropertyWire. The figures describe broker sentiment and referral habits rather than verified conveyancing completion times, so they should be read as an indicator of perceived friction rather than a measured delay statistic. No data on international or cash-buyer transactions, golden visa-linked purchases, or specific completion-time benchmarks were included in the source.
Buyers and brokers should watch for any follow-up data from OMS, Smoove, or other industry bodies on actual completion-time trends, and for whether lenders or professional bodies respond with guidance on standardising conveyancer referral practices. The World Property Forum publication ledger recorded 227 published articles in the past 90 days as of 2026-11-10, which reflects WPF's own coverage volume and should not be read as a measure of UK conveyancing market conditions.