As the property market continues its uneven march towards digitisation, one truth is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: data is no longer a supporting actor in the transaction process, it is increasingly holding the whole system together. This comes with an inherent down-side. Poor-quality, duplicated or inconsistently captured property data doesn’t just slow transactions down, it erodes confidence, introduces legal and operational risk, and quietly drains value from every participant in the chain. If the industry is serious about transformation, then understanding—and fixing—the role of data is not optional, it is foundational.

At every stage of a transaction, from instruction through to completion, decisions are made on the basis of information. That won’t change. The consultation on property information packs underlines the growing importance of the right data.

Putting data front and centre in aiding the exchange of property means that if that information is unreliable, incorrect, incomplete or managed inefficiently, the consequences are predictable leaving a litany of stalled cases, failed completions, frustrated professionals and disillusioned buyers and sellers. But where all parties work from the same trusted information—offer the prospect of a virtuous circle: fewer surprises, greater certainty and, ultimately, better commercial outcomes.

Provenance matters and that requires the eye of people on the ground who really can add value to the data collation process.  The government’s ambition to make transactions faster, simpler and more transparent is laudable, but delivery will hinge on whether data is treated as core infrastructure rather than a by-product of process. The five core objectives outlined by government, with a roadmap due in 2026, all implicitly rely on accurate, interoperable data. Success will depend less on policy intent and more on industry-wide collaboration around how information is defined, shared and trusted.

Professional standards are an integral part of delivering the government’s ambitions for more efficiency. Data has a key role to play here. Transparent performance metrics, clearer disclosure of processes and specialisms, and recognised accreditation schemes would help consumers navigate a market that many currently find opaque and intimidating. The success of the British Standards Institution Kitemark shows how powerful recognisable signals of quality can be when trust is fragile.

Not many consumers feel confident in the UK housing system, with younger people feeling increasingly excluded. For a generation accustomed to digital certainty elsewhere in their lives, the opacity and delay of property transactions feel archaic. Upfront digital data sharing should not be just an efficiency play but establish trust that aligns with evolving consumer expectations.

Data, AI and automation only add value when they deliver to well-designed processes. Layering innovation onto broken workflows merely amplifies inefficiency. Rethinking service-level agreements, information-gathering milestones and professional incentives may feel uncomfortable, but they are necessary complements to better data.

Data and the insights we draw from it are inextricably linked. We know this from a risk perspective. The opportunity to improve things for the better is getting closer but we must not build on sand. Data and its trustworthiness will underpin or undermine the technology solutions we all adopt.

James Ginley, Technical Surveying Director at e.surv Chartered Surveyors