Connells Survey and Valuation extends digital footprint through new surveying team

We are pleased to announce that Connells Survey & Valuation Ltd., now has more than 300 surveyors using the Landmark Quest 'Q-Mobile' property data capture solution to generate major efficiencies with valuation service delivery to mortgage lenders.

In July 2014 Connells Survey & Valuation was awarded the exclusive contract to deliver valuation panel management services to Principality Building Society.  Under the contract, Principality Chartered Surveyors also joined Connells Survey & Valuation business.

Q-Mobile, used in conjunction with Panasonic Toughbooks, improves workflow, standardises surveyors’ site notes and allows Connells’ surveyors to access supporting data for each valuation report while they are on site.  

The mobile software provides a seamless process from the receipt of a valuation instruction, scheduling the appointment, undertaking research and the inspection, through to transmission of the valuation report to the client. Connells have been pioneers in developing and using Landmark Quest’s Q-Mobile, which has supported their surveyors being more efficient in responding to increasingly complex service requirements and improving the customer journey.

Matthew Morgan, Area Director, Connells Survey & Valuation (former Chief Surveyor at Principality Surveyors), comments: “At Principality Surveyors we were researching the best mobile technology system on the market.  Connells Survey & Valuation has an unparalleled reputation for quality service delivery and had already made a major investment in its service involving Landmark Q-Mobile and tablet PCs. This was taken into consideration during the tender process.”

Ross Bowen, Managing Director of Connells Survey & Valuation, adds, “Using Q-Mobile has delivered tangible benefits to our clients and superior customer outcomes. We are now even better placed to manage our surveyors’ workloads and work patterns during the course of the day. Within the space of just a few weeks of rolling out Q-Mobile, it has become the established platform underpinning the delivery of our professional valuation services.”

Ross Bowen explains that introducing the new surveying team to Q-Mobile and the latest mobile working methods required three days’ initial training, but has paid dividends in efficient working practices and time saved when responding to queries: “When a query is raised by an underwriter or solicitor, we can push this out to surveyors in the field and they can respond immediately and effectively. Information such as site plans, photos and post valuation queries are all in one place, so it is much easier to access at the surveyor’s fingertips, speeding response times to clients and their time to mortgage offer. Using Q-Mobile in the field has also more than halved the time taken to respond to post valuation queries from two days to under one day.”

Whilst highlighting the benefits, Ross Bowen emphasises that Connells’ investment in Q-Mobile and tablet PCs was part of implementing its next generation service delivery model. “Being able to access data from mobile devices in real time is a major change for our industry and it’s helping to evolve the working patterns of the profession.”

Rachel Brookes, Product Manager at Landmark Quest comments, “We are delighted to be able to support the integration of the former Principality Chartered Surveyors into Connells Survey & Valuation, by using our mobile data capture software to standardise reports and improve validation, efficiency and quality for all surveyors. We will continue to work with Connells to further develop Q-Mobile to incorporate datasets, such as the homebuyer report.”

More details: 

Panasonic Toughbooks 

Connells Survey & Valuation

Colleys introduces Landmark Quest’s Q-Mobile II:

Delivering digital valuation reporting efficiencies to its team of surveyors

Landmark Quest, a leading provider of risk management, mobile solutions and bespoke valuation software for lenders and surveyors, has announced that Colleys  who is one of the largest valuation and surveying firms of its kind in the UK, is the first to adopt its brand new Q-Mobile II platform.  The new edition of the valuation application for tablet PCs has been developed ‘by surveyors, for surveyors’, and enables surveyors to digitally capture valuation site notes at each property, providing a number of advantages.

All of Colleys' valuation surveyors have upgraded to Panasonic FZG1 Toughpad rugged devices.  Via the touchscreen tablet PCs, surveyors use Q-Mobile II to capture the complete site notes during a valuation inspection. Built-in intelligent validation checks reduce the possibility of errors or incomplete reports, plus the application helps surveyors make better use of their time on site by providing online access to supporting materials or data, or incorporate photos using the in-built camera.

Peter Stimson, Managing Director – Landmark Quest, Landmark Information Group: “Q-Mobile II is the next-generation tablet PC technology for the mortgage valuation industry. Working with the team at Colleys has enabled us to launch a solution that is 100% focused on what its team of surveyors want from a system. It creates significant efficiencies for them when at each property, and being based on the Windows 8 OS, it is future-proofed so new features – such as the ability to complete Homebuyers reports or other instructions – will also be able to be completed digitally, on the go. Watch this space for updates.”

Q-Mobile II includes a wide range of new features and enhancements, including full compatibility with Windows 8, an improved user interface to improve the speed of site note completion, compatibility with touch-screen or digital pen usage, plus the ability to access integrated camera and calculator functionality.    The site note functionality has also seen a number of improvements, including quicker data inputting features, plus intelligent validation for enhanced risk management.   

http://www.colleys.co.uk/

Santander incorporates environmental data from Landmark Quest into mortgage valuation assessment process

Latest news from our 'Landmark Quest' division:

"Landmark Quest, a leading provider of risk management, mobile solutions and bespoke valuation software for lenders and surveyors, has today announced it has partnered with Santander to integrate environmental risk data into the lender’s mortgage valuation process.  It is the first high street bank to assess environmental data, in order to support its overall decision-making process.

With Santander opting to use Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) alongside physical valuations for property purchases and remortgages, the environmental data helps support the AVM decision by highlighting risks such as flooding and subsidence. Should either the AVM or the environmental data highlight a risk or not be sufficient to support a decision, rather than cases being declined they will be forwarded to a specialist valuation surveyor to undertake a physical inspection.

David House, Head of Property Risk at Santander UK said: “We have partnered with Landmark Quest to integrate environmental data into our AVM. By incorporating this, Santander is taking a robust approach to property risk by looking at factors other than just the valuation. If any environmental risk is highlighted, we will revert to our usual physical inspection process. This ensures that none of our customers will be disadvantaged as a result.”

Adds Peter Stimson, Managing Director – Landmark Quest, Landmark Information Group: “Landmark’s database is one of the largest of its kind in Europe holding approximately one billion active features.  By working in partnership with Santander, we are proud to integrate environmental data into its valuation process so any potential risks can be analysed as part of the lender’s already thorough analysis.”

Promap Labs has evolved into Landmark Labs

Preview new and existing datasets from Landmark's extensive library of over 400 datasets

Since its launch Promap Labs has attracted over 3,000 visitors and the feedback that you supplied has shaped how trial datasets could be used in future Landmark products.

The first dataset to feature on the newly rebranded Landmark Labs is UKLand from The GeoInformation Group. This identifies land use and cover throughout the UK, including the location and extent of 27 different land use and land cover classes. A preview sample covering the Reading area is available now for you to trial.

With over 400 datasets available from Landmark Information Group and over four million data features updated every month, Landmark Labs offers the industry an insight into the extensive library that helps support a range of needs; from planning application or conveyancing due diligence, to accessing risk-based land reports, through to identifying developable land opportunities in-line with the government’s current focus on increasing house building across the UK.

Refreshed datasets and content will be added to Landmark Labs on a regular basis, making it an ideal forum for the industry to visit frequently to preview or trial new or lesser-known datasets.  

Visit Landmark Labs today to have a look and submit your comments - we’d love to hear what you think.

Get involved - Launch Landmark Labs

Landmark Quest wins ‘Best Valuations Technology' at Mortgage Finance Gazette 2014 awards

We are proud to reveal that Landmark Quest has been announced as the winner of the ‘Best Valuations Technology' category, in the prestigious Mortgage Finance Gazette 2014 awards.

The award recognises our Q-Mobile software and tablet technology and the successful implementation with Connells Survey & Valuation. The team at Connells has embedded Q-Mobile across its business, nationwide, and is the latest development in its strategy to extend its mortgage valuation report validation, efficiency and quality.

Adopting Q-Mobile and Panasonic Toughbook devices is part of Connells' planned next-generation service delivery and moves to dramatically reduce paper-based, manual reporting across the business. Connells' adoption followed 12-months comprehensive development and live testing across its full suite of customer services.

Liam Parker, Product Development Director, collected the award on behalf of the team, and was joined by Ross Bowen, Managing Director of Connells Survey & Valuation, who was our guest for the evening.

Commenting on the award, Mark Milner, CEO of Landmark Information Group said: "Congratulations to the team on winning this prestigious award from Mortgage Finance Gazette. A great deal of work has gone into the launch of Q-Mobile and it is extremely gratifying to be recognised by the judges for our efforts. Through Q-Mobile, Connells is aiming to improve the overall efficiency and quality of its valuation reporting process, whilst providing enhanced data validation and security for its customers.”

The full list of winners can be accessed here: http://www.mortgagefinancegazette.com/awards-special/winners-announced-in-the-mortgage-finance-gazette-awards-2014/

Valuation – capacity and fraud control

Having focused last month on lenders’ use of property data to manage valuation selection and therefore capacity issues, it has been interesting to see the media focus on the issue as mortgage brokers and consumers feel the effects of longer turn-around times in areas of peak demand.

Peter Bolton-King, Residential Director of RICS, last month commissioned an enquiry to consider the challenges facing property valuation, and a BBC radio programme focused on supply and demand fluctuations driving valuation fees downwards.  It is clear that this trend will reverse in today’s environment of raised professional indemnity costs and rising demand as the heat is felt of a market on the rise.

In the same BBC programme, Richard Sexton, Business Development Director at e.surv was keen to place matters in context, rightly pointing out that the large panel managers who service the majority of mortgage lenders still have average valuation turn-around times measured in days not weeks, which in the overall framework of a home move likely to take several months, will only impact consumers in a small minority of exceptional cases.

Surveyors are particularly focused on process improvements, and recent experience of rolling out our mobile technology platform amongst over 1000 of the country’s busiest valuers has shown that efficiency improvements are achievable, which combined with an industry wide recruitment drive is growing overall capacity.

So, whilst industry capacity is a concern, and something the lending community is particularly live to, it’s clear that between data driven decision making and technology driven efficiency in the surveying process itself, this is an issue which can be managed effectively.

Landmark Quest, part of Landmark Information Group, continues to work with both lenders and panel managers to ensure that whilst solutions are targeted at assisting with capacity concerns, they also have a keen eye to ensuring a risk-based approach can be demonstrated to regulators.  In addition to this we find ourselves applying a wider range fraud detection and control to all of our clients’ solutions as it becomes key to show that whilst some of the market excesses of the noughties appear to be returning, systems and controls are now available to ensure risk is absolutely minimised.

Richard Groom

Product Development Director, Landmark Information Group