OPDA contributes to new Digital Property Market Steering Group roadmap

Members of the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) are contributing to vital work by the Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG) which has today published its roadmap to drive crucial change in the land and property market. The roadmap outlines the group’s public commitment to what can, at minimum, be expected in its first year. Formed last year, the group represents all parts of the sector and identifies the greatest potential areas for accelerated digital adoption.
The roadmap reflects the group’s vision and commitment to delivering substantive and sustainable change. Through collaboration, innovation and a focus on emerging digital technologies, the roadmap builds on existing progress across the home buying and selling system to create a better experience and result for the customer: simpler, faster, more certain and less stressful.

Maria Harris, chair of OPDA, is co-chairing the Digital Property Market Steering Group’s data stream working group, alongside Beth Rudolf, who is also co-chair of the Home Buying Selling Group and Director of Delivery for Conveyancing Association.

OPDA member firms are shaping and contributing to the working groups on data, open standards, trust and interoperability, and shareable digital identity. The association’s role is to continue developing open data standards which already underpin digital property packs on residential property transactions, and to be a leading light for the industry through adoption and showing the benefits for customers and industry.

The Digital Property Market Steering Group held its launch event on 12 September 2023 and saw invaluable input and feedback into the Group’s objectives from over 270 property sector and government guests, including OPDA. This supported the development of the DPMSG’s first work programme and prioritisation, the roadmap for which is published today.

Based on the five promises made by the DPMSG at its launch event, the roadmap is underpinned by five key objectives:
1. No surprises and no delays: upfront information means there are no surprises after the buying decision and no waiting for searches
2. Transparency and innovation: sharing information using an open protocol allows everyone to see what is happening in a transaction and support innovative new consumer-friendly digital services
3. Convenient and secure: using digital ID checks (just once) and e-signatures makes the process easier and more secure
4. Always improving: collaborative research across users and the PropTech sector will accelerate the use of emerging technology such as Artificial Intelligence
5. Open and collaborative: we will work in the open, publishing research, the programme of activities and an annual summary of progress.

Key aspects of the roadmap include developing an action list to remove paper-based processes and see rapid adoption of digital ID and secure e-signatures; a research and development roadmap; and an industry-wide digital charter detailing roles and responsibilities across the sector to generate up front information.
The DPMSG will be publishing an annual report in 2024 to coincide with the anniversary of the 2023 launch event which will outline progress, the digital health of the property ecosystem, and its future direction.
Maria Harris, chair of OPDA, said: “Our membership and contribution to the DPMSG is recognition for our member firms who are the first cross industry group to successfully create and implement an open data schema for digital property packs. We believe passionately that the key to improving the homebuying process requires open standards, digitisation, and collaboration across all government and industry parties, making the role of DPMSG vital to drive the changes we need.”

Mike Harlow, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Customer and Strategy at HM Land Registry, said: “The roadmap sets out the Group’s strategic objectives and highlights the steps needed to achieve our goals. We will be actively monitoring and reflecting on our progress over the next 12 months, so it is important to note that this is a working document that will be ever-evolving, helping us to align ourselves towards common goals, fostering better collaboration and better understanding. Change is hard but by working together, and being clear about the action that is needed, we believe that we will achieve a vision where everyone involved in buying, leasing and selling land and property experiences a secure and modern market that is transparent, customer-friendly and business-friendly at all stages”.
DPMSG is working closely with the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to understand how it can support future home buying and selling policy and collaborate with DLUHC’s new Proptech Steering Board. It will continue to be proactive in engaging stakeholders across the sector, broadening networks and diversifying the skillset.

Published: 18 January 2024