Land Data shortlists 5 Channel Service Providers in bid to make NLIS more accessible and competitive

Published by Fiona Barron for Land Data in Local Government and also in Housing

Land Data, the NLIS regulator, has today announced 5 organisations have been shortlisted as prospective licensed channels for NLIS (the National Land Information Service), the electronic data provider of land and property search information.

The prospective new Channel Service Providers will become the interface for NLIS data, extending the reach for the conveyancing profession to access authoritative property search data electronically. NLIS is the leader in the provision of electronic property searches and provides data through a single gateway, from official sources of land and property information, including all Local Authorities in England and Wales, Land Registry and the Coal Authority.

The newly appointed NLIS Channel Service Providers will be announced in October. A number of other organisations applied outside the application timeframe and will be considered for the April 2010 license application.

Land Data, Chief Executive Jan Boothroyd comments: “It has been very encouraging to see the response to our new NLIS license model. By bringing a wider spectrum of channels to the NLIS Hub, we have acted on OFT’s 2005 Property Searches market study recommendation to enable new NLIS Hub electronic connections to be established. We believe the new channels will significantly expand the NLIS market share and ultimately improve the online conveyancing search process.”

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For further information please contact:
Fiona Barron / Justin Scott at Land Data
T: 07770 855 337 / 020 7268 3577
E: fiona.barron@land-data.org.uk / justin.scott@land-data.org.uk
www.land-data.org.uk

Notes to Editors
Land Data regulates NLIS, which was set up to support local authorities (LAs) and other property information holders in England and Wales in their move from manual to electronic provision of property information services. The NLIS Hub is connected to all local authorities in England and Wales, Land Registry, the Coal Authority and other sources of land and property information. The information is distributed by NLIS Channels to around 15,000 subscribed solicitors and licensed conveyancers. Since it began operation in 2001, more that 17 million searches have been processed by the NLIS Hub. Land Data became a Community Interest Company in January 2006 in recognition of its commitment to making electronic property search information accessible to the general public and thereby improving the home buying process.