The Open Property Data Association (OPDA) has launched a new YouTube channel to help make sense of the critical changes shaping the future of homebuying.
The channel is now live and features a growing library of videos designed to explain everything from the basics of smart data and trust frameworks to detailed technical knowhow of OPDA’s schema and membership accreditation process.
The organisation was founded in 2023. Its executive committee of 15 includes mortgage lenders, property and Proptech firms, conveyancers and estate agents.
The chair of OPDA, Maria Harris, explains: “We’ve been talking for a long time about creating simple, accessible resources for people across the property and mortgage sectors who want to understand what’s coming and can share with their teams and customers – whether that’s the Data Use & Access legislation, the government’s Industrial Strategy, or the standards that will underpin a more digital homebuying journey. So, we finally took the plunge and made it happen.”
The channel currently features three main playlists tailored to different audiences:
- Introductions and explainers – bite-sized videos covering OPDA’s mission, the current homebuying process, smart data, trust frameworks, consumer insights, and relevant legislation. Suitable for industry professionals and consumers.
- Technical deep dives – walkthroughs of OPDA’s data schema and API spec, created for developers and product teams.
- Membership and accreditation – step-by-step guides for firms and software providers looking to become OPDA-accredited.
New content is in the pipeline. Topics coming soon will include OPDA’s Smart Data Challenge prototype, the Property Data Trust Framework sandbox, reusable digital ID and risk checks, and more.
“We’re by no means video pros but the goal is to make these big, transformative ideas easier to understand for everyone, and to create some commonly used language around digitisation of homebuying and mortgages,” says Harris. “We’d love to hear from people across the industry if there’s something they’d like us to cover next.”
