HMRC’s property transaction data for December 2024

Andrew Lloyd , Managing Director at Search Acumen, says:

The build up to Christmas saw the usual slowdown of transactional activity, although the commercial sector was bolstered by some strong valuations. These figures look especially healthy when compared to the performance of the previous year. That being said, the decision to hold interest rates in the tumultuous aftermath of Autumn Budget did play a role in undermining the confidence of buyers at the property market, holding back what could have been an even stronger finish to the year.

Nevertheless, with a stamp duty adjustment on the horizon and pent-up demand for transactions encouraging activity, there are signs to take heart that there will be an energetic spring market across all property sectors. Commercial real estate especially holds a lot of promise. 2024 ended with encouraging total returns and values across the board, opening the doors to a stream of investment as we move into 2025.

It would be a shame in that case for buyer momentum to be held back by avoidable delays and inefficiencies in the transaction process. Real estate developers and lawyers need to be able to move swiftly to process purchases to get deals over the line. The last thing the market needs is for archaic practices to slow down progress on this front. AI-enhanced digitalisation offers the best, tried and tested, solution to transform the way we buy and sell property.