Proptech: ‘We can’t afford return to ‘dark days’ of 200-day completion times

The industry is at risk of slipping back to the ‘dark times’ of 200-day completions, an industry boss claims.

With the latest TwentyEA data showing property transactions are now taking an average of 205 days to complete, iamproperty is urging the industry to remain focused on speed, security and transparency – for every type of transaction.

Currently, residential listings are at a decade high, and homes are selling faster than ever, with properties spending just 36 days on the market on average and 52% going Sold Subject to Contract within two months, according to industry figures.  

Yet, this pace isn’t translating into quicker completions.

Jamie Cooke, co-founder at iamproperty sad the most recent changes to Stamp Duty sparked more urgency in the market up to the end of March 2025, but he warned: “Delays from outdated conveyancing, slow searches and manual processes continue to hold the market back. 

“What a growing number of agents and consumers are waking up to is that it doesn’t have to be this way.”

Cooke suggests that using auction as well as digital tools can help speed-up sales.

He added:

“We can’t accept a return to the dark days of 200-day completion times, especially when the tools to digitise and streamline the process exist, and the possibility of speed for every type of transaction is proven. As the market continues to evolve, speed, certainty and transparency should be the ambition, if not the norm, for the benefit of everyone involved.”

Kindly shared by EstateAgentTODAY Image courtesy of Adobe