Background
HMLR is a non-ministerial department and a partner body of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). UK Government Investments (UKGI) act as an agent of DLUHC, carrying out aspects of the sponsor role and representing the government’s interest in the governance and performance of HMLR as an organisation. A UKGI employee also sits on the HMLR Board as the nominated non-executive representative of the Secretary of State.
For more than 160 years HMLR has played a key role in the UK’s economic stability and growth. A secure registration system has the benefit of trust, which enables confident investment decisions for all. We provide essential guarantees for our citizens’ greatest assets, the cornerstone of a vibrant lending market that provides opportunities in all regions of this country.
Land is our nation’s greatest asset and the physical foundation of our lives. The value of land in England and Wales is estimated at around £8 trillion – more than half the wealth of the nation. In the 2022-23 financial year alone, £260 billion worth of property transactions took place in the UK, and HMLR is at the heart of the conveyancing process.
The property market supports hundreds of thousands of jobs in construction, financial services and legal services, which are spread throughout all regions of the country. HMLR provides statutory and non-statutory services available either through third-party, professional customers or directly to citizens and businesses. These services span the many stages of property ownership, from looking to buy or sell a property, to the entirety of the conveyancing process, to guaranteeing property ownership.
Our Vision and Values
Our vision is to be a world-leading property market as part of a thriving economy and sustainable future.
Underpinning this are our values:
- We give assurance
- We have integrity
- We drive innovation
- We are professional
HM Land Registry today
The demand for these changes was accelerated by COVID-19, where we were able to respond at pace, rolling out electronic signatures, digital cryptographic identity checking and digital deeds to reduce reliance on paper and face-to-face services. We continue to work proactively with other stakeholders in the market, recognising that effecting change that really matters for people is a joint endeavour. These ongoing programmes of innovation and transformation will increase the resilience of the conveyancing market, as well as the value that can be derived from the property market as a whole.
If you would like to understand more about HMLR you can visit our gov.uk web page and read our latest Annual Report.