Press release: July 2018 Transaction Data

In July:

  • HM Land Registry completed more than 1,794,850 applications to change or query the Land Register
  • The South East topped the table of regional applications with 412,457

HM Land Registry completed 1,794,855 applications in July compared with 1,701,272 in June and 1,619,118 last July, of which:

  • 408,138 were applications for register updates compared with 67,516 in June
  • 860,123 were applications for an official copy of a register compared with 825,155 in June
  • 231,386 were search and hold queries (official searches) compared with 226,333 in June
  • 27,245 were postal applications from non-account holders compared with 24,801 in June

Applications by region and country

Region/country May applications June applications July applications
South East 398,029 391,741 412,457
Greater London 332,546 324,861 342,764
North West 194,722 189,790 199,371
South West 169,351 166,626 175,922
West Midlands 147,196 146,855 153,247
Yorkshire and the Humber 131,727 128,441 138,612
East Midlands 121,511 121,551 129,991
North 78,596 79,945 84,004
Wales 78,038 77,307 81,079
East Anglia 71,749 74,017 77,226
Isles of Scilly 41 66 109
England and Wales (not assigned) 72 72 73
Total 1,723,578 1,701,272 1,794,855

Top 5 local authority areas

Top 5 local authority areas May applications Top 5 local authority areas June applications Top 5 local authority areas July applications
Birmingham 26,902 Birmingham 25,724 Birmingham 27,538
City of Westminster 24,121 City of Westminster 23,468 City of Westminster 22,955
Leeds 19,782 Leeds 19,257 Leeds 21,258
Cornwall 18,301 Cornwall 17,591 Cornwall 18,581
Manchester 17,347 Manchester 16,765 Manchester 18,026

Top 5 customers

Top 5 customers May applications Top 5 customers June applications Top 5 customers July applications
Enact 53,314 Enact 53,868 Enact 55,674
Infotrack Limited 28,453 Infotrack Limited 29,175 Infotrack Limited 30,027
Optima Legal Services 28,173 O’Neill Patient 26,523 O’Neill Patient 28,146
O’Neill Patient 26,645 Optima Legal Services 26,239 Optima Legal Services 26,763
TM Group (UK) Ltd 22,706 TM Group (UK) Ltd 21,465 TM Group (UK) Ltd 24,461

Access the full dataset on data.gov.uk

Notes to editors

  1. Transaction Data is published on the 15th working day of each month. The August Transaction Data will be published at 11am on Friday 21 September 2018 at HM Land Registry Monthly Property Transaction Data.

  2. The monthly Transaction Data showing how many applications for new titles, leases, splitting titles, updating existing titles, official copies of the register and search and hold queries (official searches) were received, reflects the volume of applications lodged by customers using an HM Land Registry account number on their application form.

  3. We are challenging ourselves to reassess our language to make our terms understandable to both our commercial and our citizen customers. This is in line with our commitment set out in the Business Strategy 2017-2022 under the ‘simplicity’ element of our ambition.

  4. Completed applications in England and Wales shown by region and by local authority include postal applications as well as those sent electronically.

  5. Transaction Data excludes: pending applications; bankruptcy applications; bulk applications; and
    discharge applications (to remove a charge, for example a mortgage, from the register).

  6. Transactions for value are applications lodged involving a transfer of ownership for value. For an explanation of other terms used, see abbreviations used in the transaction data.

  7. Most search and hold queries (official searches) carried out by a solicitor or conveyancer are to protect the purchase and/or mortgage. For example, a search and hold query will give the buyer priority for an application to HM Land Registry to register the purchase of the property. This can give an indication of market activity.

  8. Reasonable skill and care is used in the provision of the data. We strive to ensure that the data is as accurate as possible but cannot guarantee that it is free from error. We cannot guarantee our data is fit for your intended purpose or use.

  9. Transaction Data is available free of charge for use and re-use under the Open Government Licence (OGL). The licence allows public bodies to make their data available for re-use.

  10. If you use or publish the Transaction Data, you must add the following attribution statement: Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2018. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. HM Land Registry’s mission is to guarantee and protect property rights in England and Wales.

  11. HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. It operates as an executive agency and a trading fund and its running costs are covered by the fees paid by the users of its services. Its ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.

  12. HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership worth in excess of £4 trillion, including around £1 trillion of mortgages. The Land Register contains more than 25 million titles showing evidence of ownership for some 85% of the land mass of England and Wales.

  13. For further information about HM Land Registry visit www.gov.uk/land-registry

  14. Follow us on Twitter @HMLandRegistry our blog and LinkedIn and Facebook

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