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Christian Woodhouse

Head of Product

2166 Profile Views

About Me

Lover of all things data, tech and innovation within the real estate sector.

my expertise in the industry

18 years in the sectors with a varied selection of organisations.

Christian's Recent Activity

Where is Australia's famous Opera House? Sydney And the first part of the name related to the most well-known crystal skull? Indiana Jones, Stephen Spielberg 'For the Love of God' by artist Damien Hirst Its a bit too cryptic for me..!!

From: Christian Woodhouse 13 January 2023 09:22 AM

I the only issue that I can see with this initiative is that The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team don't appear to have the resources to police their own rules. There are lots of providers of 'material information' in the market so what's stopping agents obtaining it?

From: Christian Woodhouse 19 December 2022 09:17 AM

Although I fully endorse more information upfront, this must affect a minute portion of transactions. Please can we start with HMLR info, PIF/PIQ, TA6 or BASPI first and all transactions before we go down this rabbit hole..!!

From: Christian Woodhouse 11 October 2022 11:34 AM

I'm all for speeding up the processes but there are so many variables in the process, I'm not sure this data is meaningful. Are there trends in which Agent, Lender or the Conveyancer was used? How many were new builds? How many were Freehold and how many were Leasehold?

From: Christian Woodhouse 26 September 2022 09:58 AM

Jeremy, If you took that stance you would never provide any information. Do you provide info supplied by the vendor? A non regulated individual? Yes of course you do. So providing info from a regulated source should be much more reliable..!!

From: Christian Woodhouse 17 August 2022 15:16 PM

Jeremy & James, I get your points but you have to think about the consumer, your customers! This info is relatively easy to obtain so if you include it in your particulars/brochures etc, the consumer is more likely to want to deal with you because you understand their needs. If you were to buy a car, would you expect the car dealer to know which fuel the car runs on?

From: Christian Woodhouse 17 August 2022 09:12 AM

Gazumping benefits more parties in the transaction than it affects negatively so I find it hard to believe that the public want it made illegal. If you’ve been gazumped I’m sure you’ll be frustrated but if you’re a seller and just achieved another * thousand pounds, why would you not want to take it? If as a seller you had already made promises or gone some way down the track with a buyer, then I can see this as being morally wrong and not something I would personally do. I guess it comes down to what levels of expectation you give the buyer and at what point you accept a higher offer.

From: Christian Woodhouse 28 March 2022 10:04 AM

In reality it's very easy for estate agents to be compliant, they need to use a digital AML provider, like SmartSearch. Stop doing things manually just to save a few pounds. If your business gets audited by HMRC, you'll waste more money dealing with that enquiry than you saved by doing things manually. Manual checks are not sufficient anymore, so stop being tight and put you fees up if you have to in order to cover the few quid it costs to be compliant.

From: Christian Woodhouse 29 November 2021 10:03 AM

On the whole searches are currently ordered too late in the process and then perceived as causing a delay. However, overall turnaround times are reducing as Local Authorities adjust to COVID restrictions. An alternative solution is to use an instantly generated, data lead report and an insurance policy that covers for any missing information. This will satisfy the short-term requirement to get information on the property and allow the transaction to proceed without any delay.

From: Christian Woodhouse 13 May 2021 11:16 AM

Why would someone go through the rigmarole of viewing a property if they could see from the outset that the property wasn’t suitable for them? At the moment you’re hoping that any buyer gets emotionally attached and buys the property regardless of the issues. All this information will be disclosed and highlighted by the conveyancer so why cause unnecessary delays and fall through’s by waiting for this information weeks down the line. Get it upfront, disclosed all the facts and allow people to make educated buying decisions at the correct time in the process. Consumers will start to expect this as the generations pass. It’s bizarre how your biggest purchase is governed by caveat emptor, any other purchase and the seller is the one on the hook for anything untoward.

From: Christian Woodhouse 20 April 2021 23:29 PM

"a business model that 95% of British house buyers and seller are actually happy with" I would question that statement and suggest that the 95% don't understand the benefits of a more digitally enabled model or in fact they don't know any different. What Gemma and the team at Settled did prove is that their Offer to Completion success rate was nearly 90% and the whole process only took 9 weeks (still too long in my opinion). This was achieved because they marketed properties with legal searches, contracts and documents upfront and provided transparency to all parties throughout.

From: Christian Woodhouse 20 May 2020 10:58 AM

If those firms switched from RM to OTM, that's probably where you'll find all their properties...or am I missing something?

From: Christian Woodhouse 08 April 2020 10:26 AM

Finally, the regulators, government and data providers have come to the same conclusion. This is something Search Acumen have been saying for years and something most in the industry have said won't happen. Admittedly it has yet but this is another step closer to the digital transformation much needed in the industry. A vast amount of the data is available, we just need to be much smarter about how we distribute and commercialise it.

From: Christian Woodhouse 29 January 2020 10:38 AM

I'm not in agency so you could argue that I shouldn't comment but we (Search Acumen) service the conveyancing sector of the real estate industry, so I find the following quote truly fascinating 'experts predict artificial intelligence alone will take care of between 13-25% of a lawyer’s job moving forward'. Personally I think this percentage is far too low especially if you take conveyancing, as so much more than 25% could be automated/tech driven if the data was made available. James, you are absolutely spot on with your comment around using tech/data to conduct the menial tasks to leave the humans to concentrate on the personal touches, the face to face interaction that will not be replaced by machines...in the short to medium term at the very least. As generations pass and new one grow ever used to engaging with tech, there will be proportion of buyer/sellers that will only want to engage with tech, all the way through the process. Admittedly, that is small now but in my opinion that's only going to increase. Get involved now, learn what's out there and what's possible because the tech is only going to get more sophisticated. Employing people is expensive and we all make mistakes. Deploy a tech solution correctly, however big or small, doesn't make mistakes or take holidays or leave you for a competitor...! Empower your workforce, upskill and train people to do more meaningful tasks that make the business more profitable...and then you can pay them more...! It's a win win all round.

From: Christian Woodhouse 20 January 2020 11:21 AM

Some of the claims around blockchain are totally inaccurate but why let the truth get in the way of a good story.

From: Christian Woodhouse 04 December 2019 09:34 AM

Paul, you may well be right that there isn't a computer algorithm that can do everything an estate agent can today, but I bet you someone is working on it as we speak! If your smart phone can tell you who is in the photos you take, through facial recognition, how long before it can tell you that you're looking at a 1890's Victorian terrace, with a new kitchen and bathroom? Not long, because the technology exists, it just needs training! I do agree that good estate agents will have a place because behaviorally and socially not everyone trusts or wants to rely on a machine. However, as generation pass and new ones emerge, technology and machines will be all that they know.

From: Christian Woodhouse 22 July 2019 10:17 AM

Hi James, I do agree with you in that RM are in a very difficult position as there are only a few avenues they can go down in terms of innovating. I said this to Eddie and I still stand by this, albeit slightly revised but the sentiment is the same. Digital transformation is happening all around us and in so many ways. What I see is that RM are looking at where the industry will be in 5-10 years’ time. The number of estate agents is likely to reduce and real estate networks, on blockchain platforms will increase. These platforms will bring everyone involved in a property transaction together, to provide an end to end transparent solution (listings, mortgage acceptance, conveyancing, settlements, land registry & tax payment). Land & property data is become so much more accessible and open, plus the government are making the right noises to push the private sector to innovate and provide this data up front. Not HIPS per se but a similar concept, delivered with the consumers interest at its core. With live property data 24/7 and transparency throughout the transaction, the value of the estate agent is diminished. So, at this point we have to think about what value there is for an estate agent in this future process? Valuations, listing properties, organising & conducting viewings, negotiating offers. Some of this could be done by a machine, an AI bot, removing even more value from an estate as we think of them today. Having said all that, the other likely option and possibly more likely is that they trial clicktopurchase and if successful they buy the technology. RM will then roll it out to all their estate agent clients. This would save the agents a lot of money because eventually they will have to do this! End to end digital solutions like this can only benefit the industry. They will provide total transparency for every party involved, reduce the time it takes to buy/sell property and increase certainty around the sale. Now, I could have this totally wrong and who knows what the future holds, but I hope transaction times are significantly reduced, with low fraud risks and a much better digital experience for everyone.

From: Christian Woodhouse 17 July 2019 10:46 AM

I totally get and understand the comments above but there are banks such as ABN AMRO, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Citi, Commerzbank, Credit Suisse, CS Affiliates, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Natixis, RBC, SocGen and UBS who have invested large sums of money in DLT. All of those banks are members of R3, one of the worlds largest Blockchain infrastructure businesses. AML & ID verification will be done once at the beginning of the onboarding process. Once verified you shouldn't need to do it again. Personally, I think Cryptocurrencies are going to take longer to get established but there is a very good reason to build a platform using DLT to handle real estate transactions. You should check out the Instant Property Network

From: Christian Woodhouse 19 June 2019 12:35 PM

This is massive and as a nation, we definitely need to understand and accept this is going to happen. If we don't acknowledge this our future property wealth is at stake. If people and institutions can securely invest in property, outside of our shores, with ease and in increments that they can afford, they will do so. It will be far easier to invest elsewhere and get the same, if not better yields but without the painful conveyancing process we have here. I was at a Land Registry Tokenisation workshop last week so I can assure you this is real and happening. It is very exciting albeit in its infancy right now.

From: Christian Woodhouse 12 June 2019 17:13 PM

These are interesting stats but I'd like to know the reasons why 11.11% of sellers pulled out too? One could assume it mirrors the buyer's reasons, largely because those sellers are also likely to be buyers, unless they are probate sales. It would also be interesting to know the reason why the 14% ended up selling their home for less than the amount that was initially agreed. Most people are honest and therefore one could assume there were good reasons to reduce their offer. Probably something in the survey or information gained during the conveyancer's due diligence. Either way, if more information was available up front, buyers would have much more insight from the outset, even before they viewed the property.

From: Christian Woodhouse 15 March 2019 09:55 AM

Is Ian Springett admitting that the RM & ZP back office tools are as good as it gets? Surely he should be looking to offer better tools and not just match them! Be bold and deliver real value and not just "me too" products and services. The industry is at a stage where technology and data can really offer more efficiencies and insight.

From: Christian Woodhouse 11 February 2019 09:20 AM

In the immortal words of the Carpenters...We've Only Just Begun..!! Personally, I know that next year is going to be even more exciting for the industry, even with the unknown quantity that is Brexit! In the main, those working on PropTech solutions will continue to develop and evolve their offerings, even if we see static or a slow down in transactions.

From: Christian Woodhouse 21 December 2018 09:51 AM

Follow the money. Gazumping is good for the vendor and the estate agent (as long as the property actually sells). Two out of the three parties in the transaction are satisfied with the outcome of gazumpting. I'm not saying its morally correct but its a fact with the current transaction process. Some, perhaps even most vendors would feel guilty but would still take the extra money..! There are obviously other factors to consider other than just the financial gain, but surely that's the role of estate agents, to make the vendor aware of the most proceed-able buyer.

From: Christian Woodhouse 16 November 2018 12:50 PM

James, I agree wholeheartedly but I think, perhaps that should be hope, it won't take as long as ten years to have a real impact. The Digital Street research project is primarily set out to see what the property landscape could look like in 2030. If this project concludes that a live blockchain Land Register is the best solution, then HMLR need to start sooner rather than later. The ongoing Local Land Charges Register is going to take anything from 8-10 years from start to finish, so time is of the essence and I personally can't wait to get involved.

From: Christian Woodhouse 10 October 2018 11:08 AM

What's the real issue being raised in this article? Property fraud or quicker conveyancing as they don't always go hand in hand? HM Land Registry is working on a fully digital register and other digital services that should make conveyancing quicker and more secure but these changes are going to take time. There is no magic wand, all we can do is assist them where possible, to make sure any changes to the process, will actually make a difference.

From: Christian Woodhouse 24 July 2018 09:23 AM

It would be easy for quote tools to show the referral fee but why would the conveyancer want to highlight the fact their referred work is X hundred pounds more expensive than if one were to go direct? Its a viscous circle and once you're in it, its hard to get out of. I don't have a problem with introducers making money from the lead being passed to the conveyancer but the consumer should know about it. There's a lot at stake, afterall this is how Purplebricks makes a lot of its money and I believe it also makes up approx 1/4 of an estate agents revenue. Making these referral fees visible will change the dynamics and hopefully give the conveyancer back some control over where it's work comes from.

From: Christian Woodhouse 17 November 2017 10:45 AM

I totally agree that consumers need to have easy access to pricing/services but there are already Conveyancing Quote/estimate tools out there but there are a multitude of reasons, some easier to resolve than others, why law firms don't publish their fees. Going back to my previous comment, DCLG & GDS just need to keep providing more Open Data to allow private firms to innovate and create services to make the process more efficient, not necessarily faster just more efficient. Although the likelihood is that it will become faster.

From: Christian Woodhouse 16 November 2017 13:42 PM

I agree Blockchain will revolutionise the process and I'm pleased Land Registry are looking into this already. However, that's a good 5-10 years away so you need to think about what is possible for the majority of transactions in the short-term too. Having a Digital Home Reports up-front will help buyers make informed decisions from the outset so they don't get a shock when they get their searches back. I'd be interested to hear if any estate agents would try selling properties with a Digital Home Report.

From: Christian Woodhouse 16 November 2017 13:21 PM

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