Real estate software development in the UK

Property data is awkwardly shaped. A single property has owners, tenants, applicants, contractors and compliance certificates, each with its own timeline, and all of them are linked. A contact-and-deal CRM doesn’t model this well, which is why so much of the sector runs on a mix of specialist software and spreadsheets. The result is often information typed in several places and reminders that depend on somebody’s memory.

Lettings law has changed substantially. The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 brought major reform to private renting in England, with section 21 “no fault” evictions ending and tenancies moving to a periodic basis from 1 May 2026. A private rented sector database and landlord ombudsman are being phased in afterwards, so check gov.uk for the current timetable. Software holding tenancy templates, rent review logic or compliance tracking needs to reflect these changes, and Scotland and Wales have their own separate regimes.

Listings, portals and material information

Agents need listings to be accurate across their own site and the major portals. National Trading Standards’ guidance on material information sets out what buyers and tenants should be told, including tenure, council tax band and price or rent, and the legal basis has moved to the DMCC Act. Structuring that information properly once, rather than typing it into a free-text description, makes it easier to keep complete and to send out to every channel.