Material Information Rules: What Sellers Need to Know

Selling a home involves providing more information than simply the asking price and photographs. Material information rules are already shaping what estate agents need to establish and disclose when marketing a property, helping buyers make informed decisions earlier in the process.

The legal duty to provide material information is not new. Since 6 April 2025, the relevant consumer protection provisions sit within the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), which replaced the previous Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations framework. The law prohibits traders from omitting material information where doing so is likely to affect a consumer’s transactional decision.

National Trading Standards’ three-part material information guidance, published in stages from 2022 to 2023, provides a useful framework for the information agents should consider when preparing property listings.

What is material information?

Material information is information an average consumer needs, in the context of the property, to make an informed decision.

For sellers, this means the information needed to market a property can go well beyond its price, number of bedrooms and photographs. Agents need to consider what a buyer would reasonably need to know before deciding whether to pursue a property.

Part A: The core information

Part A covers information considered material for every property. For sales listings, this includes:

• The asking price, expressed as a single figure
• The council tax band
• The tenure, such as freehold, leasehold or shared ownership

These details form an important part of the basic information buyers need when comparing properties.

Parts B and C: More detail about the property

National Trading Standards published Parts B and C in November 2023.

Part B covers information that should be established for all properties. This includes the property type and construction, room information, utilities such as electricity, water, drainage and heating, broadband and mobile coverage, and parking.

Part C covers information that may be relevant depending on the property. Examples include flood risk, planning permissions or proposals, building safety issues, listed status or conservation areas, rights and easements, accessibility, coastal erosion and mining-related information.

Not every property will be affected by every Part C issue. However, where relevant information is known, it should not be omitted if it could affect a buyer’s decision.

What does this mean for sellers?

In practice, sellers should expect their agent to ask more detailed questions before a property goes to market.

Having information and documents available early can help. Depending on the property, this could include title information, planning documentation, lease details, service charge information, guarantees or certificates and other relevant paperwork.

It is also important to remember that agents are not expected to provide specialist legal or technical advice. Where information requires professional interpretation, buyers may need to seek advice from a conveyancer, surveyor or another appropriate professional. The Government’s latest consultation response specifically recognises the role of other professionals in gathering and interpreting technical property information.

The key point for sellers is simple: the more accurate information that can be gathered at the start, the easier it is to market the property transparently and reduce the risk of important issues emerging later.

What is changing next?

The Government is now looking beyond the information included in listings.

Its June 2026 Home Buying and Selling Reform Roadmap sets out plans to move towards standardised upfront sales packs, including searches and a property condition report. The Government intends to introduce legislation requiring these packs when parliamentary time allows.

For now, these future sales packs are not a mandatory requirement. However, it is clear that more property information is expected to be available earlier in the home-moving process, with the aim of reducing delays and making transactions more predictable.

Preparing your property for sale

Material information is an important part of getting a property ready for market. Taking time to gather the right information before your listing goes live can help your agent create accurate marketing from the outset and give buyers greater confidence in what they are considering.

At John German, our teams understand the importance of accurate property information and keeping up to date with changes affecting the sales process.

Thinking about selling your home? Get in touch with your local John German team to discuss your plans and find out how we can help you prepare your property for market.