Real-Time Conveyancing: How PEXA Is Changing the UK Market

Buying a home is exciting, but in the UK it’s also one of the most stressful things people go through.

Angela Hesketh, Head of Market Development at PEXA, joined us to talk about how her company is tackling that problem by bringing lessons from Australia to the UK.

The UK Problem

Home moves here are slow, fragmented, and uncertain.

Different parties rely on email, paper, and manual checks, so delays ripple down the chain and confidence evaporates.

Recent government plans show appetite for reform, but buyers and sellers are still left anxious on completion day.

"In the UK we’ve built what I call a spaghetti junction of processes. Everyone’s doing their best, but the result is stress, cost, and too many failed transactions."

Angela Hesketh, Head of Market Development, PEXA

The Australian Solution

Australia once faced the same problems until a nationwide shift to digital conveyancing.

PEXA created a platform that connected banks, lawyers, and the land registry so money and ownership updates happened together, in real time.

Today, more than 90% of property transactions in Australia are completed digitally, a transformation supported by both government and industry.

"In Australia, it wasn’t about making everyone change overnight. It was about proving the benefits, state by state, until adoption became the natural choice."

Angela Hesketh, Head of Market Development, PEXA

The UK Challenge

Replicating that success here is not straightforward.

The UK has older systems, more stakeholders, and longer chains, but the need is just as urgent.

High drop-out rates and mounting costs show how badly the system needs change, and HM Land Registry’s digital roadmap reflects that urgency.

The Journey So Far

PEXA began in the UK with remortgages, processing more than £150 million to date.

It has now completed the first fully digital purchase and is preparing for a wider launch of sales and purchases this year.

Support from lenders is vital, and commitments from major players like NatWest are helping build momentum.

Why It Matters

For consumers, the real innovation is certainty.

Knowing exactly when money will move and when a title will be registered takes away the stress of waiting and hoping.

For the market, it means fewer failed transactions, better use of housing stock, and a process people can finally trust.

"This is about confidence. Families should know when they’ll get their keys. Businesses should know when deals will settle. That certainty is what we’re bringing to the UK."

Angela Hesketh, Head of Market Development, PEXA

What’s Next

The shift won’t happen overnight.

Just like in Australia, adoption will grow by proving the benefits case by case, transaction by transaction.

But the direction is clear: a UK housing market where completion day feels less like a gamble and more like a guarantee.

References

Home Buying and Selling to Become Quicker and Cheaper, UK Government, 2025

Annual Report 2024–25: Progress in Digital Transformation, HM Land Registry, 2025

PEXA Completes UK’s First Fully Digital Property Purchase, PEXA, 2025

NatWest Appoints PEXA, PEXA, 2025

Reviewed by

Sam Kendall, 01.09.2025