DPMSG Launches Smart Property Data Video to Streamline UK Home Buying

The Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG) has launched a consumer-facing initiative to demystify Smart Property Data, aiming to reduce the 50% failure rate in UK home transactions. For fintech professionals, this represents a critical push toward interoperable data standards in the property sector, mirroring the foundational shift seen in Open Banking.

What was announced

The Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG) has released a new two-minute explainer video designed to educate consumers on the mechanics and benefits of Smart Property Data. The initiative seeks to address a significant bottleneck in the UK housing market; research from the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) indicates that approximately half of home moves in the UK fall through before completion. A primary driver of these failures is the friction caused by repeated requests for the same information, leading to frustration and systemic delays for all parties involved.

The video draws a direct parallel between property data and Open Banking, a framework already utilized by millions of people. It illustrates how consumers can maintain control over their information, approving its secure sharing with relevant parties in the same way they might authorize a payment through a banking application. By utilizing the Smart Property Data Trust Framework, the DPMSG aims to ensure that property information is shared securely between organisations while keeping the consumer at the centre of the process.

This launch follows the publication of the UK Government’s homebuying reform roadmap, which advocates for increased digitisation, interoperability, and the improved sharing of trusted property data across the industry. The DPMSG is now calling on organisations across the property and financial services sectors, as well as industry advocates, to distribute the video through their own social media channels and consumer communications to build broader awareness of these digital reforms.

"Smart Property Data offers the opportunity to revolutionise home moving by making it easier for the right information to be shared securely between the organisations involved, while keeping the consumer firmly in control. This short video is about making that idea easy to understand. We want people to see that this isn’t about technology for technology’s sake – it is about taking away some of the unnecessary repetition and friction from moving home to make the process simpler, faster and give home movers more certainty. Importantly, consumers will remain in control, including being able to see who holds their information and why. We’re asking organisations across the industry to help us get the video in front of as many consumers as possible, so that more people understand the benefits of Smart Property Data and what it could mean for them."

Stephen Ward, DPMSG member and Director of Strategy and External Relations at the Council for Licensed Conveyancers.

The companies involved

The Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG) is a collaborative body focused on the digitisation of the UK property market. It works alongside various stakeholders to implement the Smart Property Data Trust Framework, which serves as the foundation for current pilot programmes. The group’s efforts are closely aligned with regulatory bodies and government initiatives aimed at modernising the home-buying process through interoperable data standards.

The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) acts as the regulatory sponsor for the Smart Property Data Trust Framework Pilot. As a regulator of specialist property lawyers, the CLC plays a pivotal role in ensuring that digital transformations in the sector maintain high standards of legal compliance and consumer protection. Stephen Ward serves as the Director of Strategy and External Relations at the CLC, overseeing the organisation's involvement in these reform efforts.

Additionally, the Open Property Data Association (OPDA) provides the underlying research and advocacy for open data standards. The OPDA has been instrumental in identifying the specific points of friction in the current manual-heavy property transaction process, advocating for a shift toward "digital-first" property data that can be shared seamlessly between lenders, conveyancers, and estate agents.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed the momentum building behind the Open Property Data Association and its mission to standardise UK housing data. In September 2026, we reported that OPDA Boosts Property Data Standards as Cotality Joins Digital Transformation Mission, highlighting the growing ecosystem of tech providers aligning with these new frameworks. This followed earlier coverage of industry-wide adoption, such as when iamproperty Joins Open Property Data Association to Drive Open Data Standards in UK Housing. These developments underscore a concerted effort across the fintech and proptech sectors to move away from siloed information and toward a unified, digital-first approach to property transactions.

What this means

This move signals a shift from technical infrastructure building to consumer-facing adoption, a necessary step if Smart Property Data is to avoid the slow initial uptake seen in the early days of Open Banking. By framing the technology as a solution to the high rate of failed transactions, the DPMSG is putting pressure on traditional conveyancers and lenders who still rely on manual, paper-based processes. The success of this initiative hinges on whether the broader financial sector embraces these standards; without universal participation from major mortgage lenders, the frictionless experience promised to consumers will remain fragmented. The industry must now address whether the existing legal framework is ready for such rapid digitisation.