Estate agents face further pressure on lengthy sales pipelines as the number of residential property solicitors continues to fall.

There were 10,724 solicitors practising residential conveyancing in England and Wales in January 2026. That is according to the IRN UK Residential Conveyancing Market Report 2026.

The figure is more than 2,000 lower than at the end of 2021.

The report estimates that 5,904 UK law firms remain active in residential conveyancing.

The decline comes as separate TwentyCi data highlights lengthy transaction times.

Its 2025 figures put the average time to exchange at approximately 123 days. However, timescales vary significantly by region and transaction.

For estate agents, lengthy conveyancing periods can increase the risk of chains breaking down. They also leave negotiators managing sales for months before exchange.

Conveyancing capacity under pressure

Further analysis from Access Legal points to growing workloads across the conveyancing sector.

Its State of the UK Conveyancing Market report examined 15 months of HM Land Registry data. The period covered April 2025 to June 2026.

The research also analysed client reviews and regulatory changes affecting conveyancing firms.

Meanwhile, conveyancers have faced additional compliance requirements.

Changes since April 2025 include tighter anti-money laundering requirements. Conveyancers have also had to deal with new TA6 and TA7 property forms and revised regulations.

As a result, concerns are growing about the sector’s capacity to process property sales efficiently.

For agents, further pressure on conveyancing resources could create another obstacle to getting agreed sales through to exchange and completion.

Andrew Stevens, general manager at Access Legal, said technology could help firms increase capacity without adding headcount.

He said: “Law firms can’t simply ask conveyancers to work longer hours to solve the deficit challenge.

“While the likes of technology and AI cannot replace empathy or judgement, they can help in alleviating stress and ultimately contribute to preventing burnout.”