Cyber attacks against UK property services businesses increased by 17% last year as agents and property managers became more attractive targets for criminals seeking valuable client data, according to Karis Insurance.

There were 208 cyber attacks involving property services businesses in the year ended 31 December 2025, up from 178 in the previous year, according to figures sourced from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Karis Insurance said property agents and buy-to-let property managers were increasingly exposed because of the volume and sensitivity of personal and financial information they collect from clients.

This can include passports and driving licences used for anti-money laundering and know-your-customer checks, proof of address, bank account details, mortgage information and tenancy records.

The insurer said criminals were also likely to be attracted by property businesses’ client lists, which can contain a relatively high proportion of affluent and high-net-worth individuals.

Stolen information can be exploited through ransomware attacks, identity theft or the sale of personal and financial information on the dark web.

Property transaction information can also expose businesses and their clients to payment diversion fraud, in which criminals attempt to substitute their own bank details for those of the seller during a property purchase.

Ravi Sejpal, director of insurance at Karis Insurance, said: “In many cases, property businesses hold just as much detail about their client base as a bank would. However there are very few businesses in the property sector who have bank-level data security arrangements.

“The sort of personal data that property agencies hold about their clients could be hugely valuable if it fell into the wrong hands. These figures show that hackers are increasingly realising that.

“The property industry has now reached a point where having specialist insurance for data breaches is critically important.

“Every financial services business and law firm involved in property long ago understood the risks posed by hackers, which can be business-critical for those affected. The property industry itself hasn’t quite moved at the same pace in getting on top of the risks, however.”