As climate change increasingly shapes the UK housing landscape, buyers, lenders, and conveyancers are adapting to new environmental realities. From flood risks to long-term sustainability concerns, these factors are now influencing decisions at every stage of a property transaction.
At Ives & Co Solicitors, our conveyancing specialists closely follow market developments like these, ensuring clients remain informed about the legal and financial implications of climate-related risks when buying or selling property. Recent industry research highlights just how deeply climate change is influencing buyer behaviour — and how the property sector is responding.
Climate Change: A Systemic Market Force
Climate change is no longer a distant concern; it’s now directly influencing property transactions, valuations, and buyer confidence.
The Landmark Information Group cross-market study, Climate Change in the Property Sector: A Cross-Market Update, gathered insights from 150 senior professionals, including estate agents, residential conveyancers and mortgage lenders
Each shared decades of experience navigating a market increasingly shaped by environmental realities.
📊 Key Findings from the 2025 Report
Here’s what the data revealed:
1️⃣ 99% of property professionals say their clients are now concerned about the evolving or future threats of climate change when purchasing a property.
2️⃣ 93% admit that recent climate events have changed how they advise clients on environmental risks.
3️⃣ 52% of property professionals are actively advising clients on potential climate-related risks — up from 50% in 2024, showing steady progress.
4️⃣ 74% of conveyancers now have a net zero strategy in place, reflecting a growing commitment to environmental accountability within the sector.
What This Means for Buyers and Sellers
The findings highlight a clear shift in both professional and consumer attitudes:
- Buyers are increasingly cautious about properties in flood-prone or environmentally vulnerable areas.
- Conveyancers are factoring climate risk data into their due diligence and client advice.
- Lenders are assessing climate resilience as part of loan and valuation decisions.
- Some buyers are even walking away from risky transactions, underscoring the financial weight climate risk now carries.
Building a Climate-Resilient Property Market
While many firms are advancing towards sustainability goals, challenges remain. The industry must still address:
🔹 Limited access to clear, standardised climate data
🔹 Lack of consumer awareness about property resilience measures
🔹 The cost implications of retrofitting or flood-proofing homes
Still, the growing emphasis on climate-aware conveyancing signals a positive transformation in how the property market adapts to risk.
The Road Ahead
With climate-related risks now influencing every step of the home-buying process — from valuation to insurance — the property sector is entering a new era of sustainability-focused decision-making.
Understanding these risks early can help buyers make more resilient choices and safeguard their investments for the future.
