Anyone involved in residential property transactions understands the frustrations that can arise when information is unavailable, duplicated, inconsistent, or provided too late in the process. While significant progress has been made in recent years to improve the home buying and selling experience, there is still considerable work to do if we are to create a more efficient, transparent and certain property market.
One of the most important initiatives currently underway is the Digital Property Information Protocol (DPIP), which is being developed by the Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG) with support from HM Land Registry and representatives from across the property sector, including The Conveyancing Association (CA).
The DPIP is designed to create a clearer framework for how information is gathered, verified, shared and used throughout a property transaction. Rather than focusing solely on technology, it seeks to improve the way professionals and consumers interact with information, helping to ensure the right data is available to the right people at the right time.
Putting material information at the heart of transactions
At the centre of the DPIP is the principle that better information leads to better outcomes. Material Information has become an increasingly important part of the home moving process, helping consumers make informed decisions before committing time and money to a transaction.
However, while some progress has been made in ensuring more information is available at the point of marketing, there remains much to do in order to improve how that information flows through the transaction itself.
The DPIP is going to help address this by identifying what information should be gathered, who is responsible for providing it, when it should be obtained, and how it can be shared more effectively between stakeholders. This includes legal information, property condition and details, financial information and other factors that could influence a buyer's decision or a lender's willingness to lend.
Importantly, the protocol recognises every transaction is different and flexibility remains essential. It is not intended to be a rigid process map but rather a framework that supports greater consistency and collaboration across the sector.
A collaborative industry initiative
One of the strengths of the DPIP is the breadth of industry involvement behind its development. The protocol has been shaped through a series of sector-specific working groups involving conveyancers, estate agents, surveyors, valuers, lenders, mortgage advisers, information providers, insurers, developers and other stakeholders.
Together, these groups have identified the activities professionals must undertake to meet their legal and regulatory obligations, those they should undertake to support better outcomes, and those they could undertake to further improve efficiency and customer experience.
We have been involved throughout this work, contributing legal and practical expertise to ensure the protocol reflects the realities of modern conveyancing practice. Our involvement is part of our wider commitment to supporting initiatives that reduce transaction delays, improve consumer understanding and encourage greater use of trusted digital information.
As digital property data becomes more readily available, we feel initiatives such as the DPIP will play an increasingly important role in helping the industry make best use of that information.
Why feedback from legal firms is essential
The DPIP is still being refined and feedback from legal professionals is a crucial part of that process. The current consultation phase provides an opportunity for conveyancing and legal firms, and individual practitioners, to review the proposed framework and help ensure it is practical, accurate and effective.
Those reviewing the protocol are being asked to consider whether the roles and responsibilities identified for their sector are clear – this is a key element particularly for conveyancing firms as it will help stop the advancing scope creep they have been subject to in recent years. That will be a key advantage in effectively drawing a line in the sand so our member firms are not asked to do more and more.
We also need to stakeholders to check whether the Material Information requirements are complete and workable, and whether there are further opportunities to improve information sharing and reduce duplication. This is not simply a technical exercise. The success of any future digital property market will depend on widespread industry engagement and ensuring processes work for those delivering transactions on a daily basis.
How to get involved
At present both HM Land Registry and the Digital Property Market Steering Group are encouraging legal professionals to review the draft protocol and provide feedback.
The DPIP can be viewed at: https://www.digitalpropertymarket.org/dpip
Feedback can be submitted via: https://www.digitalpropertymarket.org/contact
The more feedback received, the stronger the final framework will be. As a sector, we have a genuine opportunity to help shape a process that could improve certainty, reduce duplication, support better consumer outcomes, help create a more efficient home-moving experience for everyone involved, and for conveyancing professionals, preventing that scope creep I referenced earlier.
The CA would therefore encourage all stakeholders to take the time to review the proposals and share their views. Constructive feedback now will help ensure the DPIP delivers practical benefits for both professionals and consumers in the years ahead.
