Nationwide becomes first lender to allow mortgage deeds to be signed digitally

NATIONWIDE has pulled mortgage deeds into the 21st century, becoming the first UK lender to let borrowers sign one electronically without needing a witness.

Homebuyers and remortgagers will now be able to sign their mortgage deed online using a Qualified Electronic Signature, as long as their solicitor or conveyancer is set up for QES. Nationwide says it will speed up transactions, cut the admin back-and-forth, and make the process more secure, it announced today.

For years, mortgage deeds have been stubbornly stuck in the paper age. Print it. Sign it. Find a witness. Post it. Chase it. Delay everything. Nationwide says that the step can now happen online using a Qualified Electronic Signature, as long as the borrower’s solicitor or conveyancer is set up for QES.

The building society says the move should speed up buying and remortgaging, cut the admin back-and-forth, while improving protection for customers because QES is identity-verified and designed to guard against tampering.

Shaun Sturgess, Director at Swansea-based Sturgess Mortgage Solutions, said the industry is finally removing friction that has been slowing deals for no good reason. He argues this should cut delays, reduce stress, and actually strengthen consumer security. He also expects other lenders to follow.

Sturgess said: "This is a brilliant move forward and very much in line with the digital world we now live in. Anything that removes unnecessary friction from the mortgage and conveyancing process is a positive step for both borrowers and the professionals advising them. For too long, simple administrative stages like wet signatures and witnessing have caused avoidable delays, often holding up completions for days or even weeks. Allowing secure, verified electronic signatures on mortgage deeds has the potential to significantly speed up transactions and reduce stress for buyers and remortgagers alike. Importantly, this isn’t about cutting corners. Qualified Electronic Signatures offer strong identity verification and legal protection, so consumer security isn’t being compromised. In many ways, it’s an improvement on traditional paper-based systems.I would fully expect other lenders to follow Nationwide’s lead over time."

Riz Malik, Director at Southend-on-Sea-based R3 Wealth, said the wider property process still looks overdue for a proper rebuild. But he says change needs someone willing to go first, and Nationwide could be setting the pace.

Malik said: "In the age of driverless cars, it is great that parts of the property process are changing with the times. The whole house-buying process in the UK needs ripping up and starting again, but it needs brave innovators to lead the revolution. Maybe Nationwide can lead the charge?"

Jamie Alexander, Mortgage Director at Romsey-based Alexander Southwell Mortgages, called it a genuinely big shift because deeds have clung to paper longer than almost anything else. He says it should cut errors, stop paperwork going missing, and shave days off remortgages in particular.

Alexander said: "This is a genuinely big step forward. Mortgage deeds have been one of the last stubbornly paper-based parts of the process, so removing wet-ink signatures and witnesses is a breakthrough. It will speed up completions, reduce admin errors, and remove delays caused by paperwork being posted, signed incorrectly, or lost. For remortgages in particular, this could shave days off the process. Done properly, this is exactly the kind of change the home buying process needs: practical, secure, and genuinely client-friendly, not just “digital for the sake of it."

Justin Moy, Managing Director at Chelmsford-based EHF Mortgages, said it is a long-overdue upgrade that saves real time and real money. He pointed to fewer postal delays for remortgages, and argued that missed or slow delivery can leave borrowers paying unnecessary interest while they wait.

Moy said: "A significant step in conveyancing, finally embracing the opportunities of digital signatures. As our preferred conveyancing firm for remortgages, EHF Mortgages' clients will automatically benefit from the time and effort savings delivered by Your Conveyancer, avoiding the need for Royal Mail's hit-and-miss delivery service, which costs borrowers a fortune in additional interest each year."

Jean Pierre Kalebic, Senior Mortgage Advisor at OnlineMortgageAdvisor.co.uk, said this could be the trigger for proper digital conveyancing. He said QES is not just more convenient but harder to get wrong than paper, and argued that once verified e-signatures become normal for lenders and the Land Registry, the rest of the process will struggle to justify staying manual. He also suggested AI could accelerate that shift and drive down costs.

Kalebic said: "This is a genuinely big moment in the house-buying process. Mortgage deeds have been one of the last parts of the conveyancing process stuck in the paper age, so removing wet signatures and witnesses is a real breakthrough. It is not just about convenience either. Qualified electronic signatures are more secure, faster, and far harder to mess up than posting documents back and forth.I also think this could be the first proper step towards fully digital conveyancing. Once Land Registry and lenders are comfortable with verified e-signatures, it is hard to see why the rest of the process cannot follow, which could dramatically shorten the time it takes to buy a home and could be the start of a totally online, do-it-yourself, conveyancing process. With AI improving rapidly in legal and admin services, this may end up being the start of a much bigger shift in how conveyancing is done and what it costs. Other lenders will surely follow Nationwide very quickly."

Chris Barry, Director at London-based Thomas Legal, warned that most of the market is nowhere near ready. He said the early success relies on tech-enabled firms integrating with other platforms, while thousands of conveyancers still lack the tools, budget or capacity to adopt this quickly. He backed e-signatures as the direction of travel but said the sector is still heavily paper-based.

Barry said: "This sadly is still a long way off. The successful trial was a tech-enabled conveyancing firm integrated into another tech firm. There are 4500 conveyancing firms, most of which have no technology, and those that do are unlikely to have the budget or resources to integrate systems. Development time is expensive and far from straightforward. Whilst e-signatures are absolutely the way forward, conveyancing is still stuck behind paper, post, and dictation."

What has changed

Nationwide says customers purchasing a property or remortgaging can now sign their mortgage deed electronically using QES, provided their solicitor or conveyancer is enabled for it.

A mortgage deed is the legal document linking a mortgage to a property. Traditionally, it has required a wet-ink signature on paper. Nationwide says QES offers the equivalent legal standing of a handwritten, witnessed signature, while adding extra safeguards through verified identity checks and stronger protection against tampering.

The change follows HM Land Registry’s decision in August 2025 to begin accepting QES as part of the mortgage application process. Nationwide says it worked with HM Land Registry, Your Conveyancer, and Veyco to make the new approach possible.

Your Conveyancer became the first conveyancer to use the electronic mortgage deed through its integration with Veyco. Nationwide said it was used on a remortgage and enabled the deed to be sent for registration more quickly by avoiding the exchange of paper documents.

Henry Jordan, Nationwide’s Group Director of Mortgages, said: “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.”

Andy Roddy, Deputy Director, Digital Services at HM Land Registry, said: “Congratulations to Nationwide on becoming the first lender to enable mortgage deeds to be signed digitally using Qualified Electronic Signatures (QES). This 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.

“This achievement reflects the strength of collaboration across the sector and responds to the changing needs of our customers. Our Strategy 2025+ lays out how we aim to support the creation of systems to support services for property ownership and to strengthen buying and selling property to make it easier for all. By embracing QES, Nationwide is not only enhancing security and speeding up the process for homebuyers but also paving the way for wider adoption across the market.

“We look forward to seeing others follow Nationwide’s lead, helping to make property transactions simpler and safer for everyone.”