The sandbox test showed that Kotini could securely access property data from HM Land Registry as an authoritative source and verify its credentials. The firm was then able to share that data with other companies while keeping a clear record of where it came from and that it hadn’t been altered.
Before the sandbox, every time a company wanted to use Land Registry’s data, another bespoke connection would have to be created. Instead, Kotini has created a shared environment where organisations could connect once and reuse that connection as others join.
Kieran Witt, founder of Kotini, said the breakthrough tackled a long-standing challenge faced by smaller companies trying to innovate in a fragmented market.
He said: “Every time we wanted to do something new or work with another business, we were paying what I’d call an innovation tax. We weren’t spending our time improving products for customers – we were spending it dealing with different systems, different providers and lots of admin.
“We’re really pleased we’ve been able to prove the connection works with Land Registry data. Now, anyone else who joins later doesn’t need to build that connection again, they can just plug in.”
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And he added: “It genuinely democratises the property industry. If you can build one connection instead of hundreds, it changes who is able to innovate and compete.”
The Smart Property Data Trust Framework sandbox is a government-backed initiative designed to create a safe, controlled environment where organisations can securely share property data.
Funded by a £742,700 award from the government’s Regulators’ Pioneer Fund, the 12-month project is being delivered by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC) in partnership with the Open Property Data Association (OPDA), with support from Raidiam, data from HM Land Registry and oversight from the Digital Property Market Steering Group (DPMSG).
Rather than exchanging documents or building one off integrations, sandbox participants have been able to explore how property data can be reused securely between accredited parties, under shared standards.
Major step forward
Maria Harris (pictured), chair of the OPDA, said the findings were a major step forward for a smart data-led property industry.
She said: “There’s some amazing work being done across the industry and the recent Lloyds, Connells, LMS collaboration is a great example of that. The sandbox is innovative and supports the whole ecosystem to work together in that way. Because it’s not a closed environment, anyone can plug in and test data sharing.
“While the sandbox will continue through to later this year, including further testing and collaborative hackathons, this first use case marks an important milestone. It shows that a more connected, trusted approach to property data is no longer just a policy ambition, but something that has now been proven to work in practice.”
The sandbox is now moving from proving what is technically possible to tackling real business problems. A four-day hackathon will bring organisations together to define practical use cases, shape problem statements and explore solutions, with hands-on support available throughout.
