The Open Property Data Association (OPDA) has signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) with the Legal Software Suppliers Association (LSSA) and The Conveyancing Association (CA).

The latest agreements aim to promote closer collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the property sector.

OPDA said 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, advocating the regulated sharing of open data as part of its strategy to enhance efficiency and accuracy of UK legal processes.

Through promoting open data, the LSSA seeks to improve the quality of legal data and to facilitate better decision-making within the legal profession.

The CA collaborates with the industry on behalf of specialist conveyancers to improve the homemoving process for the consumer.

It is already working 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.

Chair at the OPDA, Maria Harris, said: "The LSSA and CA 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."

Director of delivery at the CA, Beth Rudolf, added: "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."

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