GlobalData’s survey data shows that cyber insurance remains underpenetrated in the real estate and renting industry compared with the total market across all SME size bands. Meanwhile, figures sourced from the Information Commissioner’s Office suggest that cyberattacks against UK property services businesses rose 17% in 2025.
GlobalData’s 2025 UK SME Insurance Survey has found that cyber insurance penetration in the real estate and renting industry is below the total market across every business size. Penetration stands at 7.7% among sole traders, 15.8% among micro businesses, 20.5% among small businesses, and 55.0% among medium-sized businesses, compared with 13.1%, 26.4%, 40.1%, and 63.0%, respectively, across the total SME market.
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Meanwhile, cyberattacks against UK property services businesses increased by 17% in the year to December 31, 2025, rising from 178 incidents to 208, according to data sourced from the Information Commissioner’s Office. Property businesses hold significant volumes of sensitive customer information, including proof of address, bank details, mortgage information, tenancy records, and passports and driving licenses used for anti-money laundering and know-your-customer checks. This makes the sector an attractive target for cybercriminals, who can use stolen data to support ransomware attacks, commit identity fraud, or sell personal information on the dark web.
Property transaction data creates additional exposure because criminals can use compromised information to carry out payment diversion fraud, replacing legitimate bank details with their own during a transaction. For example, City of London Police and Action Fraud recorded 143 cases of conveyancing fraud between April 2024 and March 2025, resulting in losses of £11.7m ($15.6m). Most cases involved residential property transactions, with an average loss of £78,393 ($104,810) per incident. This highlights the potentially severe financial consequences of cyber incidents for property businesses and their customers, strengthening the case for greater investment in cybersecurity and insurance protection.
Taken together, GlobalData’s findings point to a clear underinsurance gap in the real estate and renting industry. Cyber exposure is rising, yet insurance uptake remains comparatively weak, meaning a significant share of businesses may be carrying these risks on their own balance sheets. As attacks become more frequent and financially disruptive, this gap could leave firms more vulnerable to recovery costs, fraud losses, business interruption, and reputational damage, while also creating a clear growth opportunity for insurers able to improve awareness and distribution within the sector.
