United Trust Bank Achieves OPDA Accreditation as it Continues to Drive Digital Change

16 April 2026

United Trust Bank (UTB) has achieved accreditation from the Open Property Data Association (OPDA), underlining its commitment to improving the speed, cost and efficiency of the UK property transaction process.

The accreditation confirms that UTB meets the OPDA’s core principles of being collaborative, supportive, ethical, privacy and security driven, transparent, and active. It also recognises the strength of the Bank’s data, APIs and digital infrastructure, enabling it to connect seamlessly with other organisations across the property chain.

The milestone follows a significant programme of work within UTB’s Mortgages, Buy-to-Let and Bridging division. Central to the objective was the launch of UTB’s enhanced Broker Application API in 2025, which laid the foundations for accreditation.

Supporting a more connected property market

The OPDA is focused on modernising the property market by enabling secure, standardised data sharing between trusted participants such as lenders, brokers, solicitors and valuers. Its aim is to reduce duplication, cut costs and speed up transactions by allowing information to be shared efficiently across the chain.

UTB’s accreditation means it can play an active role in this growing network, helping to remove friction in the process. As more organisations meet the same standards, the benefits will increase — reducing repeated requests for documents and duplicated checks that often delay transactions.

Improving outcomes for customers

While no single change will transform the market overnight, UTB believes widespread adoption of OPDA standards will make a meaningful difference. A more connected system could significantly reduce the time, cost and complexity associated with buying property — an area where the UK continues to lag behind other financial services.

Commenting on the achievement, Buster Tolfree said:

“I am delighted that UTB has achieved OPDA accreditation following a lot of hard work by our Operations team and many other people across the Bank. It shows we’re building our systems in a way that one day will improve how the market may operate more quickly and efficiently for everyone, not just for UTB.

“There’s a real opportunity to improve how the property process works in the UK. By being part of the OPDA network and trust framework, we’re helping to create a more connected, efficient and secure environment that ultimately benefits customers. This is just the start — we’re looking forward to working with others in the network to help drive meaningful change across the industry.”