The digital signature rollout has stalled in England and Wales's property market, with a meagre five transactions completed using Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES) in the first quarter of 2026. The system was introduced to conveyancers at the end of 2025, aimed at speeding up transactions, but its adoption has been sluggish due to fundamental flaws in the Land Registry's guidance.
A coalition of e-signing platforms, trust service providers and legal experts has written an open letter highlighting these flaws, which they claim have directly led to the slow uptake. Richard Oliphant of RO Legal Consulting, a signatory, described the guidance as "fundamentally flawed", criticising its 'all or nothing' approach that prohibits combining different signature methods.
The current system explicitly bans mixing QES with conveyancer-certified electronic signatures (CCES), mercury signatures or traditional wet ink signatures. This has been a major concern raised by industry experts, who argue it fails to accommodate existing practices and varying technological capabilities among stakeholders.
The Land Registry acknowledges the limitations while defending its long-term strategy, which aims for full QES adoption. A spokesperson projected a rise in transactions from single-digit figures to over 300 by August this year, attributing current barriers to market providers' lack of adoption and older working practices. However, the organisation has also indicated a willingness to explore interim options that could facilitate faster adoption without compromising its objectives.
Experts warn that unless changes are made, the current guidance will hinder economic growth in the conveyancing sector as well as the Land Registry's own aspirations for QES.