NatWest Group latest in large lenders to join OPDA campaign to transform homebuying

11 September 2024

NatWest Group has joined the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) to support its drive to radically improve the homebuying process by sharing digital property information across the mortgage market. Currently, homebuying is taking on average 22 weeks to reach completion with less than one per cent of property information available digitally.

NatWest Group is the latest major mortgage lender to join the OPDA which is seeing its membership gather even more momentum. HSBC joined last month, Nationwide in July and Lloyds Banking Group in March. Other members of OPDA include Atom bank, PEXA, and Coadjute.

The first organisation of its kind, OPDA is calling on the Government to deliver digitised property data at source. This includes information from the Land Registry, planning permissions, building safety, and local authority searches. It is also asking for more clarity for the industry on executing a fully digital home buying market. Recently there have been some promising signs from the Government. The King’s Speech proposed a Digital Information and Smart Data Bill which signalled improvements to the homebuying process through digital services.

OPDA has already delivered open property data standards and models for trustable and shareable data following its launch last summer. The free and open-source tools have been created and tested in collaboration across every sector across the property industry. Those using its data standards for digital property packs have seen time reduced from mortgage offer and purchase accepted to exchange of contracts within 15 days.

Brad Fordham, Head of Mortgage Distribution at NatWest said: “Speeding up the homebuying journey and making it a simpler, clearer and more customer-focused process is core to what we’re trying to achieve as a bank. Joining OPDA is an important signal of our commitment to driving up standards of transparency and collaboration across all parts of the homebuying journey and we look forward to seeing that continue to improve.”

Maria Harris, Chair of OPDA, said: “To have NatWest Group join us so soon after other large mortgage lenders is a key moment, not just for us at OPDA, but also for the homebuying sector. NatWest’s support reinforces how absolutely vital open data standards are in digitising property transactions and the commitment from industry to make this happen. Together, NatWest and our other lending members’ ability to reduce the industry’s attachment to forms-based thinking and siloed approaches will have a fundamental impact on improving the poor customer experience of the homebuying process.”