CoPSO announces strategic review
28 January 2019
Against a backdrop of the latest revision to the Law Society’s Conveyancing Handbook, The Council of Property Search Organisations (CoPSO) has embarked on an all-encompassing strategic review that is designed to set the future direction of the trade body for years to come. In September 2018, the 25th revision of the Law Society’s conveyancing handbook formally recognised the Search Code, the industry quality mark for searches provided by private sector companies. With the Search Code already recognised by mortgage lenders, property lawyers and solicitors, Law Society recognition was the final step in CoPSO achieving the original purpose for which it was created - setting meaningful and demanding standards for the private sector Search industry, recognised by all major stakeholders. James Sherwood-Rogers the Chairman of CoPSO said: ‘in a fast changing world, and following Law Society recognition of the Search Code, the timing is perfect for us to undertake a grass roots review of CoPSO’s role in an increasingly digital home buying marketplace. CoPSO has achieved a lot since it was incorporated 15 years ago and we now need to build on that success by ensuring that we can extend the protection that the Search Code provides in a world that will be driven increasingly by interpreted information rather than rigidly defined search products.’ CoPSO has already commenced its strategic review which is being facilitated by an external specialist, and will consult fully with its membership at the CoPSO Conference in London on the 28th March 2019. James added ‘In many ways CoPSO and its members have been the pioneers in what is now progressively called ‘Proptech’ and are uniquely placed to drive forward the Proptech agenda to increase efficiency, shrink transaction times and reduce costs in the home buying and selling process’. Whilst the outcome of the review is expected to be visionary and far reaching, CoPSO will continue to serve its members in the current ways of working within the established quality mark that is the Search Code.
