Remortgage activity increased by 7% in the final quarter of last year to make up 41% of all conveyancing instructions, while purchases dipped, the latest figures from Conveybuddy show.

The distributor reports that instructions for home sales were down by 6% quarter on quarter to make up 59% of its conveyancing work.

Conveybuddy says this shift in activity was influenced by uncertainty in the run-up to the Autumn Budget, prompting buyers and sellers to delay decisions while waiting for clarity on taxes and housing policy.

Q4 data also showed a change in the top remortgage lenders where an all-inclusive conveyancing product was recommended.

During the quarter, Nationwide and NatWest were the leading lenders, compared with Santander and Barclays earlier in the year.

Conveybuddy chief executive Harpal Singh says the final quarter saw many buyers and sellers adopting a “wait-and-see” approach ahead of the Budget.

He says: “That caution fed through into lower transactional volumes, but adviser activity on our platform remained strong.

“Brokers were still working cases, preparing clients, and positioning themselves to act once there was clarity.

“Once the Budget passed and the noise died down, we began to see pent-up demand coming through in December, and that momentum has continued into January.

“The data also continues to show advisers recommending paid, all-inclusive options, often using mortgage product cashback to cover legal costs and removing additional fees such as telegraphic transfer charges for clients.

“Changes in the leading remortgage lenders are likely to reflect pricing and product shifts, and given the start to 2026, we might see further changes in Q1 as lenders are competing aggressively on price particularly in the remortgage space.

“Brokers will always follow value for their clients, and our role is to make sure the conveyancing process is transparent, fair and predictable when they do.”