The Future of Shared Ownership: Key Takeaways from UKREiiF 2025

13th August 2025

At SOWN, we were proud to be part of this panel discussion, with our Directors Peter Hawley and Adrian Plant joining a distinguished line-up including:

Ann Santry CBE, Chair, Shared Ownership Council
Kelly McCabe, MD, The Mortgage People
Sunny Sanger, Head of Sales, HSPG
Natasha Tull, Head of Sales, The Guinness Partnership
Stuart Hensby, Director of Sales & Marketing, Abri Group

Here are our key reflections from the session - and why this moment matters.

Demand is Strong – But Supply Must Catch Up

Shared Ownership continues to prove itself as a resilient and in-demand product. As Stuart Hensby noted, "[Shared Ownership] thrived during COVID. Even in an economic downturn, we were still selling."

In fact, Shared Ownership is now more affordable than private renting in 93% of local authorities, according to Ann Santry CBE. And yet, the number of available units in the UK has dropped from over 400,000 to just 220,000. As a sector, we need to close that gap.

Shared Ownership Resales Deserve Greater Focus

While much attention is given to new-build sales, resales are increasingly important — both to meet demand and to ensure the longevity of Shared Ownership as a tenure.

At SOWN, we see daily how resales offer a more accessible price point, quicker transactions, and are often located in well-established communities. For Housing Associations and Registered Providers, resales present a real opportunity to extend the lifecycle of your stock and maximise long-term value for residents and organisations alike.

We Need Greater Consistency Across the Sector

A recurring theme was the fragmentation of Shared Ownership processes between providers. Buyers face inconsistent timelines, unclear communication around staircasing, and a lack of standardised information.

There was strong support across the panel for a sector-wide Code of Conduct — one that would improve transparency, streamline the buying and staircasing journey, and support consistent messaging across providers.

Let’s Make Staircasing Seamless

Staircasing should be a natural progression, not a confusing leap. As Kelly McCabe (The Mortgage People) put it, “[Shared Ownership] is enabling home ownership for a cohort of people who simply wouldn't get on the ladder otherwise.” But many of those buyers don’t fully understand how staircasing works — or how to take the next step.

The future lies in making staircasing intuitive and passive, with proactive communication and digital tools that guide the homeowner through the process at their own pace.

A Call for Collaboration, Not Reinvention

Rather than launching new affordable housing schemes from scratch, the government must focus on supporting and refining Shared Ownership. As Ann Santry CBE put it:

"Shared ownership has a huge opportunity – but only if supply increases and trust improves."

That trust can only be built if we work together to create clearer processes, invest in customer education, and showcase the long-term success stories that Shared Ownership enables.

Where SOWN Stands

At SOWN, we’re committed to driving this change. From resales and staircasing support to partnerships with Housing Associations and lenders, we believe in creating a Shared Ownership ecosystem that works - for providers and for the people they serve.

We’re proud to have shared our views at UKREiiF, but the conversation doesn’t stop here. If you’re a provider looking to deliver more value through your Shared Ownership portfolio - especially resales - we’d love to talk.