The service is used when additional information is needed to complete a valuation on a remortgage application.
The surveyor will send a text message with a link to the customer and ask them to confirm some basic details of their property, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and then to take photos of their property and submit them.
It will ask for this information if it does not have the adequate details from their usual desktop tools and resources.
If E.surv has adequate information to complete a remote valuation they will not contact the customer and it will decide when they use the new service depending on property type and other factors.
If a remote valuation cannot be completed with additional details or customer does not provide information within 48 hours a free internal inspection will be arranged.
Halifax said: “Please make all remortgage customers aware they may receive a text message from E.surv as part of the valuation process and ensure a correct mobile number for the customer(s) is collected on the application.
“This process will allow E.surv to complete more valuations by remote valuation thereby increasing the speed of the remortgage process for customers.”
The lender said that instructions and support on how to use the link will be provided to the customer on the text message from E.surv along with confirmation on how the data will be used.
It continued: “There is no change that on remortgage applications an assessment of the property value is made for lender purposes only. We may ask a surveyor to carry out an internal inspection, external appraisal of the property, remote valuation or we may use an automated valuation (AVM).
“There is no charge to the customer for the property assessment on a remortgage and there is not the option to choose the method of assessment used.”
