Roxanne Barker, CEO and Founder of Fix My Legals, has advocated for a voluntary industry-led charter to reform property transactions rather than waiting for government intervention, as concerns mount over the timeline for legislative changes.
The call comes weeks after the government’s buying and selling consultation survey closed, with implementation potentially years away. Barker expressed scepticism about reform delivery within the current parliamentary term.
“Do I think reform will happen during this Parliament? Realistically, no. I would actually worry if Labour does get this over the line by 2029 as that would suggest the reforms were rushed,” Barker stated, citing the complexity of aligning multiple components within three years.
Conveyancing identified as key bottleneck
Barker directed attention towards the conveyancing sector rather than estate agents as the primary area requiring improvement. She identified inexperienced solicitors, low-cost conveyancing services, and law firms lacking specialisation as central issues.
Additional concerns included the absence of prescribed response timeframes, allowing legal professionals to delay enquiries for months, resistance to digital processes, and cost-cutting through outsourcing.
Barker supported government proposals to publish data on conveyancers, including specialisms, speed, and service quality. “If movers could choose conveyancers using easy-to-understand metrics, the weakest, most archaic would be weeded out naturally,” she said.
She proposed a rating system comparable to hotel classifications, arguing that transparency would enable clients to make informed decisions based on price-to-service expectations.
Auction model proposed as framework
Barker pointed to the auction model as a proven framework for reform, noting that upfront information provision and rapid exchange procedures already function effectively in that sector.
“We’re practicing what I preach at Fix My Legals, using upfront searches to reduce our average completion time to 76 days,” Barker said, contrasting this with TwentyEA data showing average completion times reached 29 weeks in 2025.
She suggested a phased approach, with estate agents voluntarily adopting auction-style processes as a first phase, followed by additional requirements such as upfront surveys or digital logbooks in subsequent phases.
Enforcement concerns raised
Regarding government-mandated reforms, Barker questioned practical enforcement mechanisms. “Who is going to check, prosecute and fine? It’s unworkable. Laws will be broken,” she stated.
She noted that current proposals attempt too many simultaneous changes and would prove difficult to implement even if legislated.
The property industry has seen completion timeframes extend significantly, moving away from the previous standard of 12-16 weeks. Whether reform proceeds through voluntary industry adoption or eventual government legislation remains uncertain, though Barker indicated that market pressure through transparency and data publication could drive consolidation among conveyancing providers.
