Press release

March 2018 Transaction Data

This data provides information about the number and types of applications that HM Land Registry completed in March 2018.

From:
HM Land Registry
Published
23 April 2018

In March:

  • HM Land Registry completed more than 1,688,240 applications to change or query the Land Register
  • the South East topped the table of regional applications with 384,760

The transaction data shows HM Land Registry completed 1,688,244 applications in March compared with 1,632,969 in February and 1,796,056 last March, of which:

  • 359,219 were applications for register updates compared with 376,546 in February

  • 824,859 were applications to get an official copy of a register compared with 796,961 in February

  • 211,464 were search and hold queries (official searches) compared with 186,329 in February

  • 26,228 were postal applications from non-account holders, compared with 23,910 in February

Applications by region and country

Region/country January applications February applications March applications
South East 403,526 376,385 384,760
Greater London 339,286 313,340 337,656
North West 222,150 185,253 193,405
South West 173,058 158,433 159,147
West Midlands 150,292 143,338 142,764
Yorkshire and the Humber 139,207 122,513 128,654
East Midlands 122,812 115,725 119,374
Wales 80,315 74,301 76,650
North 77,912 71,772 75,246
East Anglia 73,345 71,764 70,448
Isles of Scilly 110 75 79
England and Wales (not assigned) 75 70 61
Total 1,782,088 1,632,969 1,688,244

Top 5 local authority areas

Top 5 local authority areas January applications Top 5 local authority areas February application Top 5 Local authority areas March applications
Birmingham 27,561 Birmingham 26,256 Birmingham 26,895
City of Westminster 25,488 City of Westminster 21,991 City of Westminster 24,562
Leeds 20,256 Leeds 18,730 Leeds 19,505
Manchester 19,350 Manchester 16,972 Manchester 17,708
Cornwall 18,367 Cornwall 16,606 Cornwall 17,174

Top 5 customers

Top 5 customers January applications Top 5 customers February applications Top 5 customers March applications
Enact 50,327 Enact 50,488 Enact 50,160
Nationwide Building Society 31,589 Optima Legal Services 27,904 Optima Legal Services 28,113
Optima Legal Services 27,284 O’Neill Patient 23,851 O’Neill Patient 26,056
O’Neill Patient 26,073 Devonshires 20,684 Infotrack Limited 22,948
My Home Move Limited 19,103 TM Group (UK) Ltd 19,558 TM Group (UK) Ltd 19,320

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 April Transaction Data will be published at 11am on Tuesday 22 May 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 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, 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 2017. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

  11. HM Land Registry’s mission is to guarantee and protect property rights in England and Wales.

  12. 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.

  13. 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.

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

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

Contact

Press Office

Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon
CR0 2AQ

Email HMLRPressOffice@landregistry.gov.uk

Phone (Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm) 0300 006 3365

Mobile (5:30pm to 8:30am weekdays, all weekend and public holidays) 07864 689 344

Published 23 April 2018

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