The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is calling on prime minister Andy Burnham to tackle home transactions collapsing during his premiership.

Burnham was officially appointed as prime minister yesterday, 20 July, and is still drawing up plans for reform.

Responding to the appointment, RICS chief executive Justin Young said: “We look forward to working constructively with his government, bringing our standards, data and professional expertise to support practical reform across housing, infrastructure and the built and natural environment.

“A clear opportunity to make a practical difference to people’s lives is to improve the way homes are bought and sold. Purchasing a home should be straightforward, but transactions take too long and far too many fall through, with an average transaction period of 120 days and one in three falling through reported in June. Buyers and sellers often face unnecessary costs, uncertainty and stress.”

RICS said it was prepared to help the Burnham administration with its homebuying and selling reforms as quickly as possible.

The professional body warned that Burnham’s focus on council house building was welcome, but that local authorities may need more skills, resources and professional support to deliver the homes required.