Collective action claims that 700,000 people may have paid more than they needed to for their new homes.
A landmark legal challenge has been launched against leading housebuilding companies Barratt Redrow, Bellway, Redrow, The Berkeley Group, Bloor Homes, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Vistry Group and Countryside Partnerships. It alleges that these companies shared a range of information between them that meant buyers paid more for their homes.
The claim says that sensitive information shared between the different companies included details relating to prices, buyer incentives and sales activity. That, it goes on, amounts to a breach of UK competition law.
As a result, the claim seeks compensation estimated at between £2.2bn and £4.5bn on behalf of 700,000 people who bought new-build homes between October 2015 and June 24, 2026.
The claim follows an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into the conduct of housebuilder companies between January 2022 and February 2024, which raised a number of concerns about the way they shared information.
Indeed, in October 2025, the companies accepted binding commitments to address those concerns, including not to share certain types of sensitive information, the adoption of enhanced compliance measures and a £100m contribution to affordable housing initiatives.
The claim seeks compensation for buyers affected by such sharing of information. It also alleges that information sharing went on for much longer than the CMA investigation suggested, and seeks redress on that basis.
The collection action has been brought by consumer rights champion Mark McLaren, represented by competition law firms Hausfeld and Geradin Partners, acting as co-counsel.
Mr McLaren says: ‘Buying a home is one of the biggest financial commitments most of us will make. If, as seems to be the case, housebuilders shared sensitive pricing and sales information with one another instead of competing properly, homeowners across Great Britain may well have been left out of pocket as a result. This claim is about standing up for those buyers and ensuring that compensation is delivered to those who deserve it.’
Scott Campbell, Partner at Hausfeld, adds: ‘For most homeowners, bringing an individual claim simply isn’t realistic, as the cost and complexity put it out of reach. That’s why this collective action is so important. It provides a practical route for hundreds of thousands of consumers to seek compensation where they may otherwise have had no way of doing so.’
Patrick Teague, Partner at Geradin Partners, says: ‘We are pleased to have been instructed by Mark McLaren to bring these proceedings, together with our co-counsel at Hausfeld. The claim raises important issues about competition in the new-build housing market, and we lo ok forward to assisting the Tribunal in determining those issues and, if the claim succeeds, securing compensation for affected homeowners.’
Photo by Ernie Journeys / Unsplash
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