The first ever digital mortgage deed has today been entered into the Land Register.
Filed by Enact Conveyancing and Coventry Building Society, no witness was required to witness the signing, nor was the traditional ink signature needed.
The registration forms part of HM Land Registry’s plans to transform the conveyancing market, utilising digitisation and the improved use of technology to simplify and speed up the home buying process.
The first of its kind, the registration comes after months of testing and collaboration with both Enact and the building society, as well as the new Gov.UK Verify service which sets out to enable borrowers to verify their identity securely.
Commenting on the service was Graham Farrant, Chief Executive and Chief Land Registrar at HM Land Registry. He stated: “By working with partners in the industry, we have secured a simpler and faster service for the benefit of homeowners. We are looking forward to rolling this out nationally and will be working with more conveyancers and lenders to do so.”
Also sharing his thoughts was Peter Frost. The Chief Operating Officer at Coventry Building Society said: “We’re delighted to have worked with HM Land Registry and Enact Conveyancing on this industry leading initiative to speed up property transactions. Initial feedback has been very positive, with customers finding the process simple, quick and secure. Although this initiative has started with re-mortgages we’re excited about the potential for it to be extended to purchases in the future.”
Managing Director of Enact Conveyancing, Ben Carroll stated: “We emphasise innovation that benefits our customers and improves their experience, so we are extremely pleased to join HM Land Registry and Coventry Building Society on this pioneering effort to transform the conveyancing process. This fully-digitised journey will mean that a customer can sign their mortgage deed online at a time and place of their choosing, securely underpinned by the GOV.UK Verify platform.”
