The Open Property Data Association (OPDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Society of Licensed Conveyancers (SLC), marking a significant step forward in efforts to modernise and streamline the home buying and selling process.
The new partnership aims to deepen collaboration and knowledge-sharing between the two organisations and across the wider property ecosystem.
At its core is a shared commitment to driving digital transformation through open data standards, improved system interoperability and the creation of a more transparent, efficient and consumer-friendly transaction journey.
Both OPDA and the SLC have long championed innovation and reform within the property sector.
WORKING TOGETHER
The agreement will see them working together to identify areas where data-led solutions and consistent digital frameworks can reduce duplication, cut transaction times and boost consumer confidence.
Maria Harris (main picture), Chair of OPDA, says the partnership represented an important milestone in the drive towards a more connected property market.
“The SLC plays a crucial role in representing conveyancers at the heart of the home buying process, and we’re delighted to be working together to help deliver a more digital and connected property market,” she says.
“Through this partnership, we’ll be able to align our efforts to make data more accessible and interoperable, reduce friction between stakeholders and ultimately make moving home simpler and more transparent for everyone involved.”
DIRECT INVOLVEMENT
For the SLC, the agreement underlines the importance of ensuring conveyancers are directly involved in shaping the digital infrastructure that underpins property transactions.
Simon Law, Chairperson of the SLC, says: “OPDA has come a long way in a relatively short period of time, and the Association will make a very important contribution to the Government’s clear intent to streamline the home buying and selling process.
“SLC members’ firms are at the forefront of adopting enabling technology, and it makes eminently good sense for the Society to contribute to OPDA’s work.”
The MoU forms part of OPDA’s wider mission to encourage cross-industry collaboration, bringing together professionals from across estate agency, conveyancing, surveying, lending and proptech to build an open, trusted framework for property data.
Both organisations say the agreement is a step towards a “digital-first” property market – one where information flows seamlessly between parties, reducing delays and uncertainty for consumers.
