About CoPSO

Founded in 2003 by six major players in the search industry, CoPSO was set up to provide a professional voice for companies producing property search reports and to drive forward quality standards within the sector. Today, our members produce 80% by volume of all searches produced in the market.

Mission Statement

Our vision is of an efficient and effective market for searches, which provides accurate and high quality property-related information at the right time and in the most appropriate form. We believe that search information should be accessible to all, delivered promptly and in standard electronic format upon payment of a reasonable fee to all companies operating within a self-regulating environment. We will work with all stakeholders to develop benchmarked quality standards for data holders, search companies and information providers in order to deliver that. The Search Code is our commitment on behalf of the industry to achieve these aims.

Aims and objectives

We work on behalf of the sector:

- to campaign for a more favourable operating environment for members

We are recognised as the representative, professional voice of the search sector within Government departments and agencies, Parliament, and other relevant organisations. We work hard to promote proactively property search organisations - and in particular to dispel the artificial distinction between ‘regulated’ and ‘council’.

- to encourage a healthy, competitive industry

We provide a forum for the exchange of non-competitive information and the development of industry standards, common formats and approaches ot the provision of property search information. We have developed the Search Code and work to ensure its vigorous enforcement and the active promotion of best practice.

- to provide information and support to members

We provide regular advice and guidance on regulatory developments of relevance to property search reports.

Executive Committee