The government has set out a phased plan to improve standards in home buying and selling, including further work on how property agents are regulated. Its Home Buying and Selling Reform Roadmap, updated on 19 June 2026, identifies professional standards and accountability as one of the objectives for reform. The document says that inconsistent practices and unclear expectations can undermine consumer confidence.
For 2026, the roadmap commits the government to publish a non-statutory Code of Practice setting minimum standards for property agents. It also says the government will explore training and skills development. In 2027 to 2028, it plans to publish an advisory Charter for property professionals and consult on mandatory qualifications for estate and letting agents. The roadmap does not itself introduce a licensing requirement or specify the final qualification rules.
The government describes later legislation as conditional. Its roadmap says it will consider legislation when parliamentary time allows, and that proposals will be phased. This distinction matters: an announced work programme is not the same as a law already in force. Agents should not treat the roadmap as a new statutory compliance checklist without checking the relevant current rules and any later guidance.
The wider reform plan links professional standards to the reliability of the home-moving process. The government points to problems such as inconsistent upfront property information, uncertainty about who is responsible for delays, repeated checks and limited visibility of transaction progress. It says future reforms are intended to improve information, transparency and digital sharing. The roadmap also recognises that changes need to be practical and introduced in stages so the sector has time to adapt.
There is a public debate about whether stronger regulation would improve consumer protection and how any new requirements might affect firms, particularly smaller agencies. Those are policy questions rather than settled outcomes. The government says it will develop proposals with industry and consumers and monitor reforms as they are introduced.