The Open Property Data Association (OPDA) has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the Legal Software Suppliers Association (LSSA) and The Conveyancing Association, helping to promote closer collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the property sector.
The MoU sets out shared commitments to advance the digital transformation of the home buying and selling process. It aims to encourage the use of open data standards, improve interoperability between systems and support the delivery of more transparent, efficient and consumer-friendly property transactions.
The LSSA is the UK industry body for developers and vendors of legal software systems. It advocates the regulated sharing of open data as part of its broader strategy to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of legal processes in the UK. By promoting open data, the LSSA seeks to improve the quality of legal data and to facilitate better decision-making within the legal profession.
The Conveyancing Association collaborates with the industry on behalf of specialist conveyancers to improve the home-moving process for the consumer. The Association is already working with the OPDA on the development of the Smart Property Data Trust Framework, which is designed to streamline the home buying and selling process and enhance trust standards.
Both organisations have been key advocates for innovation and reform within the sector.
Maria Harris, chair of the OPDA, said: “The LSSA and Conveyancing Association represent vital parts of the property eco-system, and are united in the belief that trusted, interoperable and open data sharing is the future of the housing market.
“As we continue to expand our membership, we’re creating a momentum for change in the property industry that will transform the way we buy and sell homes in the UK.”
Kevin Horlock, chief executive of the LSSA, said: “The home-buying system is still designed around traditional thinking and outdated models, and we need to break down some of the cultural resistance to change with the legal sector. Firms that prepare their data, modernise their systems and embrace the expectations of today’s clients will take a lead in the market. The OPDA is creating the trust framework that will allow this to happen, through the sharing of open data, and we’re eager to support them deliver this change.”
Beth Rudolf, Director of Delivery at the Conveyancing Association, said: “At the heart of our mission is a drive to improve the home buying and selling process - to reduce delay, cut waste and place quality, reliable information at the start of the process. Working alongside the OPDA and its members we can help build the data trust framework to deliver a property market that is quicker, safer, and far less draining for both firms and their clients.”
The MoU is part of the OPDA’s broader mission to support cross-industry co-operation, bringing together stakeholders from across estate agency, conveyancing, surveying, lending and technology to build an open, trusted framework for property data.
