Landmark’s latest report, Climate change in the property sector 2026, suggests that, for many conveyancers, the challenge is less about understanding climate risk and more about accessing relevant information at the right stage of a transaction. The findings highlight a growing industry conversation around how climate insight can be delivered earlier, more consistently and with less disruption to existing workflows.
Landmark’s latest market research suggests the property industry’s biggest challenge is no longer awareness of climate risk, but how that insight is delivered and actioned consistently within existing workflows.
Key takeaways:
- 87% would act earlier on climate risk if information was easier to access and interpret.
- 90% of conveyancers believe upfront visibility of climate risk would improve certainty.
- 80% of conveyancers say climate risks are still identified too late to prevent disruption.
- The value of climate data depends on how effectively it is integrated into workflows.
What are conveyancers telling us about climate risk today?
The property sector has made significant progress in understanding climate risk. More than four-fifths of professionals (81%) now view climate risk information as being as important as other mainstream due diligence checks, highlighting how rapidly expectations have evolved.
However, the research also highlights a persistent operational challenge. Eighty per cent of conveyancers say climate risks continue to be identified too late in the transaction process, while 90% believe earlier visibility would improve transaction certainty. Taken together, these findings suggest that many conveyancers see climate risk less as a question of data availability and more as a question of when and how information becomes available during a transaction.
“The legal sector doesn’t have an awareness problem when it comes to climate risk; it has a workflow challenge,” says Rob Gurney, Managing Director of Ochresoft. “The real opportunity lies in ensuring relevant climate insight is available at the right point in the transaction process so professionals can act with confidence before issues become costly or disruptive.”
What happens when climate risk is identified too late in a property transaction?
One of the clearest themes emerging from the research is the challenge of ownership. Respondents highlighted that responsibility for climate-related advice and action can sit across multiple parties within a transaction, which can make it difficult to determine who should communicate potential risks and when.
This fragmentation can have real-world consequences. Among conveyancers, the most cited outcome when climate risks emerge late is transaction delays while additional checks are completed. Others report transactions falling through or insurance-related complications emerging at advanced stages of the process.
The upshot is that climate insight only creates value when it can be translated into action. When information sits outside established legal workflows, firms risk inconsistent processes, duplicated effort and avoidable delays.
What would make climate risk easier to act on?
Landmark’s research found that 87% of professionals would act earlier on climate risk if information was easier to access and interpret. This suggests that accessibility may be just as important as the data itself. For many conveyancers, the challenge is fitting climate insight into already complex transaction processes without adding an extra layer of work.
“Technology should remove friction, not create additional steps,” says Rob. “Embedding climate risk information directly into legal workflows helps firms deliver greater consistency, improve efficiency and ensure important risks are considered at the point decisions are being made.”
What does a climate-ready conveyancing process look like?
Looking ahead, respondents expect greater consistency in how climate risks are handled across the property sector. This was identified as the most significant change likely to emerge over the next five years. Rather than focusing solely on access to climate data, the findings suggest growing interest in clearer processes, earlier visibility of potential risks and greater confidence around how information is communicated across the transaction journey.
Download the report
Landmark’s Climate change in the property sector 2026: Turning insight into action explores how conveyancers, lenders and estate agents are responding to climate risk, where barriers remain, and what the future of climate-ready property transactions looks like.
Download the report to explore the full findings and discover why earlier, more accessible climate insight is becoming critical to more certain property transactions.
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