United Trust Bank (UTB) has become the first lender to sign up to the Open Property Data Association (OPDA).

OPDA says UTB joining the executive committee is a ‘key milestone in bringing mortgage lenders and intermediaries into a digital, data-driven, home buying process’.

OPDA chair Maria Harris says: “Announcing our first lender is an exciting and important milestone for the association.

“As we move towards upfront information becoming mandatory on property listings, ensuring that data is collected digitally and can be shared in a trust way with intermediaries and mortgage lenders will be critical for improving the whole process.”

UTB director of mortgages Buster Tolfree adds: “Joining the OPDA and being involved in opening up some of the traditional data-borders that have existed in the past, is therefore an easy decision to make.”