Homebuyers set to sue major UK housebuilders for breaches of competition law

London, 12 January 2026 – Concerns over over-charging for new homes by UK housebuilders will be the subject of landmark litigation later this year. Consumer champion and experienced class representative Mark McLaren, supported by a leading legal team, will file an opt-out competition damages claim on behalf of UK homebuyers who purchased new-build homes from seven of the country’s largest housebuilders, it was announced today.

The claim will allege that major UK housebuilders exchanged competitively sensitive information over a number of years—including details of achieved selling prices, incentives offered to buyers, and sales and reservation activity—which led to them charging higher prices for new-build homes.

In 2025, the size of the UK residential construction market was estimated at about £88.6 billion, with new-builds accounting for over three-quarters of this market. Anti-competitive behaviour in a market of this size is liable to have a significant impact on all those buying a new-build home.

The planned claim follows an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority ("CMA") which  focused on suspected anti-competitive conduct by seven housebuilders in relation to the sale of new-build homes across Great Britain. The CMA accepted binding commitments from the housebuilders to put a stop to their anti-competitive practices.

The claim will be filed in Q1 2026 in the Competition Appeal Tribunal, the UK’s specialist competition court. The claim has secured litigation funding from Burford Capital, the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law.

Proposed class representative Mark McLaren said:

“Buying a home is one of the most important and most expensive purchases a person will ever make. Homebuyers should be confident that the housing market is transparent and competitive so that they pay a fair price for their new home, not an inflated one. The CMA identified serious concerns about information-sharing between major housebuilders. That is why I am bringing this claim, which looks to ensure that UK homebuyers obtain compensation for harm suffered as a result of the housebuilders’ anti-competitive conduct.”

Scott Campbell, Partner at Hausfeld, added:

“This is a significant proposed collective claim concerning alleged anti-competitive conduct in the new-build housing market. We are pleased to be acting as co-counsel alongside Geradin Partners and to bringing to the table our expertise in collective actions as well as cartel litigation. With Burford Capital providing funding and with a highly experienced counsel and expert team in place, we are perfectly placed to help bring this claim.”

Patrick Teague, Partner at Geradin Partners, concluded: 

“The CMA’s findings describe frequent exchanges of competitively sensitive information relating to achieved prices, incentives, and sales and reservation activity. This is the type of conduct that can distort competition and harm consumers. We look forward to supporting Mark in bringing this claim on behalf of UK homebuyers.”

Media enquiries

DRD Partnership
Jon McLeod: jon.mcleod@drdpartnership.com, +44 (0)7775 530978
Iona Cross: iona.cross@drdpartnership.com, +44 (0)7495 997512
Gina Watson: gina.watson@drdpartnership.com, +44 (0)7584 939498

Further information

1. The claim is led by Mark McLaren, a consumer champion and experienced class representative, through HOCR Limited, a special purpose company set up to carry out the litigation. The proposed class representative has instructed Geradin Partners and Hausfeld & Co. LLP as co-counsel. Joseph Bell, Partner at Oxera, has been instructed as lead expert economist and Tim Ward KC from Monckton Chambers will lead the counsel team, also comprising Daniel Carall-Green and Hannah Bernstein from Fountain Court Chambers.
2. The seven housebuilders whose activities were investigated by the CMA were Barratt Redrow plc and its group companies, Bellway plc and its group companies, The Berkeley Group plc and its group companies, Bloor Homes Limited and its group companies, Persimmon plc and its group companies, Taylor Wimpey plc and its group companies, and Vistry Group plc and its group companies.

About Mark McLaren

Mark McLaren is a consumer champion who has dedicated a large part of his career to fighting for consumers, across a wide range of sectors including housing. 

Mark spent nine years working for The Consumers' Association, more commonly known as Which?. Whilst there, he worked on the successful campaign to require estate, managing and letting agents to join a redress scheme, as well as on reforms to the home buying process and leasehold reform. 

Until 2023 he was a member of the Consumer Panel of the Legal Services Board and a non executive director of The Property Ombudsman.  He has been an independent member of the Property Codes Compliance Committee, enforcing the CoPSO Search Code, since 2019, and also a long serving independent member of the General Optical Council's Fitness to Practice Committee.

In 2020, he filed a successful follow-on opt-out competition damages claim on behalf of millions of new car buyers. (https://www.cardeliverycharges.com/). This claim was finally settled for a total damages sum of almost £93 million in late 2025 (subject to the approval of the Competition Appeal Tribunal on 15 January 2026).