Conveyancers Want ID Property Portal Like “Border Control”

Estate agents are to be given back-up to help confirm the identity of property sellers – if the Conveyancing Association (CA) gets their way.
In an attempt to cut back on property fraud the CA is to lobby the government for a centralised ID Verification process – one which includes the use of high-tech biometrics.
In the White Paper ‘Modernising the Home Moving Process’ the CA said that “given the sanctity of the Registers’ and the amount of money involved in property transactions a centralised Property ID Verification process should “warrant as much attention as border control.”

Land Registry should host “secure portal”
A secure portal organised via the Land Registry will lead to better security for everyone involved in the sale of a property, it argues. It also means that overall responsibility for identification of both seller and buyer would lie with Land Registry while the estate agent’s role would be to identify the seller by meeting them in person at the property they will to sell. The conveyance and broker meanwhile could check for suspicious financial activity.
Mortgage fraud meanwhile is currently at its highest level in five years thanks to more sophisticated technology used by fraudsters. This allows them to intercept genuine emails and supply fake bank details. Then there is the threat of such viruses as Crypto-locker. This targets emails and attachments and results in PC users being asked to send money to the hackers in order to regain access to their documents before they are permanently deleted.
It’s hoped that by introducing a centralised system for house sales, the process wouldn’t just be more secure, it would also quicker. That’s because it would do away with the need for all professionals involved in the sale to carry out their own ID checks.

E-Home Reports to speed process up even quicker
Another CA proposal for ensuring property sales are achieved quicker is the introduction of an e-Home Report. This would contain all the information needed for the sale with artificial intelligence identifying only the relevant documents necessary by a particular user. Meanwhile a conveyancer would check that all the information was in order. In this way any problems would be identified at an earlier stage of the sale.
As a bonus to estate agents, it would also cut back on duplication of forms – since it would already include the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations checks – and lead to an easier sales process. Not only that but by logging in to the portal both the seller and buyer would be able to check for themselves how everything was moving along – rather than demanding the estate agent chases the sale along.
A spokesman for the CA described both the ID verification process and the E-Home Report as a means of “effectively jump-starting the [property sale] process.”
He added: “By having a digital paper trail of all communications, it is easy to keep track of all documents and transactions, and equally, looking forward enables parties to project completion times.”
For up to date news on the UK property market check out our blog and Twitter feed. See www.avrillo.co.uk.

Blog by Avrillo.

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

for sale sign london
Breaking News

New-build demand dips in Q3 as homebuyers sit tight ahead of autumn statement

The latest market analysis from Property Inspect has found that fewer than one in five new homes are currently securing a buyer, with homebuyer demand for new-build properties falling on both a quarterly and annual basis. Property Inspect analysed current market listings looking at what proportion of new-build properties are already marked as sold subject…
Read More
Breaking News

Rightmove celebrates 25 years of viral property moments

As Rightmove marks its 25th birthday, we’re celebrating the properties that stopped people mid-scroll, sparked thousands of shares, and became internet sensations. From a house with its own Tardis to a shark crashing through a roof, these homes prove that the UK property market is anything but ordinary. With billions of minutes spent on Rightmove…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental stock availability in England rises by 19.7%

The latest rental stock analysis from Adiuvo, the UK’s leading provider of 24/7 property management solutions, reveals that tenants in England are benefitting from a 19.7% increase in stock over the 12 months leading up to Q3 2025. In some areas of the country, annual stock growth easily exceeded 50%. Adiuvo has analysed rental listings…
Read More
Breaking News

Tenant demand continues to climb in Q3 as rental market shows no signs of cooling

The latest market analysis by Dwelly, one of the UK’s leading lettings acquisition and success planning experts, has revealed that tenant demand continued to climb across the rental sector during the third quarter of this year, with West Sussex home to the highest demand, whilst Rutland saw the largest quarterly increase. Dwelly’s Rental Demand Index* analyses…
Read More
Breaking News

Halifax House Price Index for September 2025 – Thoughts from the Industry

Halifax House Price Index for September 2025. The latest index shows that: On a monthly basis, house prices fell by -0.3% between August and September 2025. However, house prices were up 1.3% on an annual basis. The new average house price now sits at £298,184. Thoughts from the Industry. Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, comments:…
Read More
Breaking News

Halifax House Price Index for September 2025

House prices in September 2025 were -0.3% lower than the same month a year earlier. Average house price – £298,184 Monthly change -0.3% Quarterly change +0.4% Annual change +1.3%   Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages, Halifax, said: “The average UK house price edged down by -0.3% (£794) in September, following a modest rise in August.…
Read More