Anyone purchasing a property or looking to remortgage with Nationwide will now be able to sign their mortgage deed electronically, if their solicitor or conveyancer is set up to use qualified electronic signature (QES).

Nationwide who is said to be the first lender to make the move, worked in collaboration with HM Land Registry, Your Conveyancer and Veyco.

Traditionally a mortgage deed has required a physical signature on paper but following HM Land Registry’s decision in August 2025, a QES1 is now accepted as part of the mortgage application progress.

A QES proves who signed the deed, better protects against tampering and has the equivalent legal standing of a handwritten, witnessed signature.

Your Conveyancer became the first conveyancer to utilise the new electronic mortgage document, via its integration with technology provider, Veyco.

Nationwide group director of mortgages Henry Jordan says: “Nationwide is committed to speeding up the homebuying process and reducing the stress and inconvenience that can come with buying a home.”

“Technology and collaboration are key to driving convenience and that is why we’re delighted to have worked with HM Land Registry, Your Conveyancer and Veyco to become the first mortgage lender to allow electronic signatures on mortgage deeds.”

Also commenting, HM Land Registry deputy director of digital services Andy Roddy notes: “Congratulations to Nationwide on becoming the first lender to enable mortgage deeds to be signed digitally using QES.”

Roddy says it is “a significant step forward for the UK property market, setting a new standard for secure and convenient transactions. The adoption of QES marks a positive shift towards a more efficient, digital future for property professionals and consumers alike”.

John Charcol mortgage technical manager Nicholas Mendes says the move “is a genuinely significant step for the mortgage market”.

Mendes adds: “The mortgage deed has been one of the last stubbornly paper-based parts of the process, so allowing it to be signed digitally removes real friction rather than just polishing the edges.”

“For borrowers, it should mean fewer delays at a critical point and less reliance on printing, posting, and witnessing documents at short notice. It also adds more certainty at exchange, with fewer moving parts at a point where transactions are most vulnerable to delay.”

“For lenders and conveyancers, removing the need to physically handle and return deeds should cut out last minute hold ups that often sit outside the buyer’s control. Crucially, this is not just about speed.”

“The identity checks and audit trail behind Qualified Electronic Signatures strengthens protection around one of the most important documents in the process.”

“The key now is adoption. Nationwide moving first matters, but the real benefit will come as more firms follow and this becomes the default, not the exception.”