Conveyancing is the most commonly cited cause of delays in property transactions, according to new research from property portal Rightmove. More than a third of home movers, 37%, identified it as the primary source of hold-ups.
The research suggests that estate agents have limited control over these significant causes of delays. Other factors contributing to hold-ups included survey or valuation issues, cited by 15% of respondents, and delays with searches, which accounted for 11%.
A further 11% of respondents experienced delays due to another party pulling out of the transaction. Chain-related problems were responsible for 9% of delays, while only 5% of respondents blamed poor buyer qualification.
Rightmove has published these findings as it encourages more estate and letting agents to participate in its home mover education programme. This initiative aims to improve consumer understanding of the role agents play during transactions.